The perception of happiness.

After reading my book “Soumei nanoni, nazeka koufuku ni narenai nihonjin” a lot of Japanese people replies that … despite of the contents of the book … they are very happy.

I don’t doubt their happiness.

I just have to add few considerations about being happy and feeling happy.

In any country in the world, if you select some homeless people who are eating a single cup of rice a day, nothing else … and you offer them a large meal, including “tiramisu” and ice-cream … they will tell you that … they are very happy.

Do you believe it? I do.

I remember that several years ago I went to a hospital in Rome, to visit a friend of mine, who had a car accident. Not far from her, in another room, I talked to an old lady.

She was suffering for a painful disease.
She told me she was terminal. It was the end of the road for her. She didn’t mind her sufferings at all.
In fact, she was very happy about it.

As a convinced Christian Catholic … she believed that having the opportunity to suffer during the last few months of her life on earth was almost a guarantee to access the heaven in the afterlife.
She was truly happy about it.

On TV (I don’t remember the channel) there was this interview with an educated man, a North-Korean, who loves Kim Jong-Il with sincerity in his heart. He was seriously worried about the health of the Korean dictator.

This man said that … without the leadership of Kim Jong-Il … North Korea will collapse in few days.
Whenever this man is able to see the Korean dictator on TV speaking from a balcony or addressing the people during an official ceremony … he feels very happy.

Can you believe it? I do.

At the borders of the Colorado Desert (Arizona – U.S.A.) a lady was biking with a friend, when she was attacked by a mountain lion.

The courageous friend of her threw many rocks against the lion and the animal left the area. But, the face of the victim was disfigured. Even after many plastic surgery operations, her face remains horrible to watch.
The lady, on the other hand, feels blessed. She is honestly convinced that Jesus Christ saved her. She saw him during the attack of the lion.

She physically saw Jesus Christ sending the lion away. She feels blessed and her life has changed, since that moment.
She feels very happy about the outcome of that accident.

I must admit, the perception of happiness is a funny thing.

Lio Giallini
リオ・ジャッリーニ