Happiness (was Book of Questions #4)

[Neil Ward]

SML wrote, re fleeting experience vs lasting memories:

<<For all I know, I may already have had this happy year, but if I 
don't remember having it, then it's just the same as NOT having it.>>

Amy Z said:
 
<<Is it?  What does it mean, not remember?  You've still been 
affected by it . . . like Harry (if I may drift onto our mutual 
favorite topic) is affected by his parents' love for him even though 
he can't remember them at all.  You will be a different, no doubt 
happier and better, person for having had that year.>>

According to the story so far Harry does have memories of his parents 
and, as with many suppressed memories, these surface in flashes, at 
times of stress or in dreams.  His recollection is poor, but he has 
memories of the events in Godric's Hollow.

In answer to the original question (if I've remembered it correctly), 
I would definitely say no.  I prefer to take life as it comes and 
learn from the good and the bad experiences.  

Could a person ever be perfectly happy when those around might not be 
happy?  Could you watch a close friend die and remain perfectly 
happy?  Could you be aware of starvation or torture or waste on our 
planet and remain perfectly happy?  If, therefore, you had to live in 
a vacuum for a year to avoid such potential for unhappiness, would 
that count as living, or would it be merely an existence?

Without unhappiness, does happiness actually exist?  Isn't one 
recognised in terms of the other?  To me happiness is a relative 
state on your own personal scale and in relation to the happiness of 
other people.  

Hmmm. I'm not very good with this sort of thing - I always end up 
asking questions instead of answering them.

Neil