My Idea of Happiness

The Essay below was written as an assignment for a course in Algorithms [Can u belive it ?] but we have a stud prof. so I guess, we cudnt have asked for anything better !

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My Idea of Happiness
Happiness is something that has over the years always been a concept that has more complex than before. After thinking of it again on the fly, and re-writing & erasing it repeatedly, let us define happiness as a state we always aim to acheive.

Defining the concept of happiness as simply doesnt end this essay, rather opens up a plethora of questions, that are more difficult to answer. What the definition does, is that it sets the questions in the right perspective. eg: We seek to define the properties of the state. Thinking of it, we can define the state we seek to acheive, in terms of financial health, job [as in the current engagement] satisfaction, personal & family fulfilment, social acceptance and so on.

After this rather formal and hence boring interpretation, to think on a more intutive level, I must say that I get happiness from the freedom of doing what I want to do / pursue at any point of time (which would fall under the heading of job satisfaction among those above).
But clearly the ideas of happiness have changed radically along with growing up. As a child, the ideas of happiness were really simple. A 'Lego' set entertained me for weeks at end. Watching the progress of India in an arbitary sporting competition kept me engaged for days. Over the years, this concept has been compounded (& I would say, clouded as well) with what the society and the people around oneself, define the properties of happiness state as well.

With these imbibed inputs from the society as well as the inherent concepts, have enabled me to sketch a rough picture of the state i wish to acheive. Hence in the future, I think satisfaction in terms of career and family will have top priority. I think financial health [subject to a certain threshold] is irrelevant. As long as I can provide for the basic needs of all those dependant on me, I will be decently satisfied. Though it would be grossly errorprone, I think to quantify it, an inflation-corrected income equivalent of about Rs. 3 lakhs p.a. should suffice. Hence once this is assured, I think family and career have a unmatched importance.
I strongly think, that a 45 yr. old man who has considerable financial clout, who meets his 16 yr. old child for less than 20 hrs. / week, which is spent in minimising friction, simply cannot be happy. Choices between family and career could be made on each case basis.

& once I am done, projecting a rosy future, as I sit and try and answer the most crucial question of them all:: What makes me happy in the present?
I am firmly of the opinion that happiness though defined (in a very convulated manner) to be a state, it is rather travelling a journey. If it was a state, a person wudnt try and change it. This is clearly not what happens. What a man is 'happy' for is that, he has progressed along the path towards the 'Happy' State ! So I think it isnt wise to be happy for what one is, but rather for being more of what he thinks he hopes to become.

As I try and wind this essay up, and read through it again, I realise that the above might not be the most coherent of thoughts and thought process, but since I am unsure of my idea of Happiness, I can hardly complain!
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Back from B'Lore !

After a hectic Midsem week [TableTennis really tires one out, u know ;)] and a Work Visit week [MG to Brigade to MG again, is tiring as well], am headed back for the 'usual', 'boring', 'peace', 'lazed-out' semester starting tomorrow.

Firstly, I have to make up my mind, what makes me Happy ... as if that was easy ...Phew !
Then, Double OS Lab this week, is a threatening situation. [HP Analogy : Seems much like Double Potions, that Snape took. Snape had greasy black hair. In my case, its greasy enough.. but thats about it :P]

Nevertheless, heres what I took from the visit:
1. Quality Research in CS is possible in India, wrt: MSR, Google etc.
2. Value knowledge and satisfaction over an overkill of financial pay-off. The second follows the first. The question essentially is: what is the the differentiating line between basic & surplus !
3. Reading is a joy. So is spending on quality books.
4. Coding is an important skill, no matter where you land up !
5. B'lore has amazing weather, and thats about it. Its costly and un-safe with a non-existent night life.

I have become a boring person over the last month or so...

No late night adventures, No freakouts at amazing places & to top it all I am in the lab at 8 in the morning, after having chopping off errors / warnings of a monster named DMD's OS Lab assignment. Needless to say, like the mythical Hydra, another one props up before you are done dealing with one ! On a sadist note: I would have said, that Sir himself resembles a Hydra : Alas god wasnt gracious enuf to grant Sir as many black hair protruding off his skull !

Midsems start tomorrow, and needless to say I am gonna be utterly screwed esp. in OS again. Might fare marginally better in PoPL & dB if Sangram / Ankit are gracious enough. As if it wasnt all so 'rosy' we also have a pending submission [of what else but OS Lab] within another 16 Hrs.

The week after Midsems, my batch leaves for Bangalore for a work visit. Really looking forward to that.

While another class, again OS, beckons at 8:30, I must conclude by saying that, yesterday I went to Chowpatty, [with Mama, Mami etc.. so spare me the looks ;) ] for Ganapati Visarjan! If not anything else I was simply amazed at the fantastic organisation put in place by the Police and BM C ! Kudos to them ! More abt that later, if I end up being more interesting :) !

will 'Even' things out some next sem.

Sorry, but I havent been doing this for over a month now!
The thing is that the 2 semesters in IIT are very distinct in some aspects.

The 1st semester of the year, is odd: Half the sem is spent running around [if not behind :p] the freshies. The later half cramps in a truckload of events.
As a result, the Odd sem, doesnt really give you a chance to think what you are doing. You just end up doing it.

The 2nd semester, gives you slightly more time to reflect upon yourself, as you plan for the year ahead. So you even, out the reckless execution of the previous semester.

This blog, was initiated in one such reflection session last semester. This semester, I hardly have time to think whether the things I am doing are right or wrong, I just pray for the best and take the plunge. Hindsight judgements , and hence longish posts can wait for February.