The simple question, “Are you happy?” can ironically be very difficult to answer. People experience a plethora of emotions each day, and for most it’s not always pure happiness. We work, go to school, have relationships, etc. that alter how we feel, so no one really feels the same all the time. Some are more optimistic than others, but it’s almost impossible to find someone who never is sad or stressed. I would reply to that question saying, “I am not perfect, so I am not always happy. I would say that I am overall content with life now but everyone has bad days and emotions are quick to change.”

If someone were to ask me, “How do you define happiness?” I would reply saying, “Happiness is what your subconscious mind craves. It’s what makes butterflies, the good kind, in your stomach. Happiness is whatever makes you smile so hard that your cheeks burn. Happiness is the ultimate panacea to physical and mental pain.” One of the scariest and most unfortunate parts of the book, Fahrenheit 451, was the fact that no one in that society ever felt true happiness because for one, they couldn’t think for themselves without interception from the government. Everyone’s minds are different, and everyone desires different things that make them happy and when a controlling government like that of Montag’s world tries to make everyone desire the same thing, technology, no one is ever going to be really happy or even know what is means to be happy.

What makes me most happy in life is of course my friends and family, but also small things like a stranger waving or saying good morning to me or seeing people doing nice things for others without gaining anything from it. For instance, I saw a video recently about a homeless man who was given money from a stranger and he used it to buy food for not just himself, but for other homeless people as well, a prime example of the “pay it forward” concept. My happiness can be impeded by my many pet peeves, such as ignorant people who choose not to care about other people's’ feelings or opinions, selfish people, rude people etc. and the biggest killjoy of all- stress. Stress from school or from my family and friends really weighs me down sometimes, but staying optimistic is always the best option for not only a better life, but better health.

A state of happiness should not be something to continually strive for. It should come naturally, and always be there, or you are not enjoying your life presently. I always have this issue when I become stressed and just hope and expect that after high school, I will be in complete bliss and always happy. “All I have to do is get through the next couple of years,” I would always think. This is a terrible mindset, because I learned that you should enjoy your life in the moment, because you’re only in high school once, you shouldn’t have to wait to be happy, and every day should not be taken for granted because I am fortunate enough to be where I am in life. Relating to Montag’s society, people, including his wife Mildred, were constantly striving to be happy and all smiles because that’s what their minds desired, even though deep down they were depressed. Mildred even tried to commit suicide because she probably thought that was the answer to her deep down unhappiness. By surrounding herself with “the parlor family” and being ignorant to her true feelings and the dystopian way of life, she attempted, and sadly failed to discover true happiness.