Chapter 6: The True Meaning of Happiness - Reflection on the Reading

Chapter 6 Reflection
One important realization I had while reading this chapter is that every kind of emotion I feel has a purpose. Sadness is integral for man to discover the true meaning of happiness; and that desperation can lead to new discoveries. I recalled moments of anger, and tried to discover what started the emotion. I tried to remember moments of happiness so that I can see what brought me joy. I realized that while all these emotions can be located in the brain, they are not just brain activity – they are what makes me a human being. And yet, I also realized that sometimes emotions can deceive us, and because of their nature, it can lead us to do things that we do not mean to do.
Hence, I think that it is important for the human being to master his emotion so that he can call up the right one to provide him the motivation to complete a specific task. The capacity to feel unaffected in the middle of a crisis, or to feel sadness when someone is hurt is not just a sign of control, it is also a sign that we have the capacity to act correctly at the right time. Unlike the animal that responds immediately to a stimulus, the human being has the cortex which enables him to stop and reflect before acting on any emotion. Emotional maturity is actually inner strength.