I went to a conference this weekend and attended a class about relationships. All in all, it was good; the instructor offered lots of great tips on how to be a better friend or date. One thing she said, though, bothered me. It bothered me because I vehemently disagree with it. The offending sentence was this: "Don't rely on anyone else to make you happy."
It's a common phrase, and it's especially given as advice to single people, such as myself. I get it -- the basic idea is that people should cultivate an attitude of happiness despite their situations in life. They should be happy in and of themselves and not depend on another person to make them feel complete.
Seems harmless enough, right? WRONG! I mean, what's the point in being independently happy? Why are we on this earth, if not to create meaningful relationships with each other during bad times and good times? Bad times are easier when you have someone to lean on, and good times are better when you have someone to share them with. John Donne said it this way:
No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.
So there you have it: No man is an island. Donne said it forever ago, and since "forever ago" carries a lot of weight, I'm taking him at his word.
"But, Sara," you say, "I want you to wow me with your incredible analytical skills. What else about this happiness deal?"
Okay. So here's the thing: The same people who say things like, "Don't rely on anyone else to make you happy," are usually the same ones who say, "Turn to Christ during your struggles and lonely times." Uhm, what? Christ is
another person. So that line of thinking doesn't really make sense. But let's say it's a given. Let's turn the advice into something like this: "Don't rely on anyone else but the Savior to make you happy." I still disagree. In fact, I think he would, too. He
wants us to need other people. Here are two commandments (and I'm speaking from a Mormon perspective here) that lead me to believe he wants us to need others:
- We are commanded to "mourn with those that mourn" and "comfort those that stand in need of comfort." (Mosiah 18:8-10)
- We are commanded to marry and have children; we are taught that we will find joy in being part of families.
Needing people -- being "involved in mankind," as John Donne puts it -- is true in both general and romantic relationships. Our happiness isn't only slightly affected by others; it's
largely affected by others. The effect is so great that God gave us at least two commandments that include other people. Or perhaps the effect is so great
because God gave us those commandments. Either way, it's clear that humans are a social species, and our relationships with each other affect our feelings and our
exaltation.
I think as soon as people start to admit that we
all rely on lots of other people to make us happy, we will be better people ourselves. In other words, if we realize that happiness is in large part a social quality, then we will begin to try to make others happy. We will be involved in mankind. We will (hopefully) work a little harder at finding someone to love and
being someone to love. We will start to follow other relationship rules that my conference instructor outlined in her class: give more without high expectations; listen with empathy; and avoid criticism, gossip, and judgment.
We're all in this life together, and we all depend on each other for lots and lots of things. Why shouldn't happiness be one of them? I, for one, think it should. I want to need others and be needed. So to the world I say, "Rely on EVERYONE else to make you happy!"
Thing I'm thankful for:
Peter Pan collars
