Happiness

[Haggridd]

No: HPFGUIDX 26530

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Rita Winston <catlady at w...> wrote:

) 
> 
> It's his gentleness, kindness, intelligence, competence. Wow!

> 
> Tabouli wrote:
> 
> > As for the happiness of the characters,
> > there's plenty of room for speculation
> > there: is Dumbledore happy?  Is Hermione?
> > Dudley?  The Weasley twins?
> 
> I am find it very difficult to find words to discuss happiness. When
> speaking metaphysics, surely there must be a distinction between 
saying
> 'a happy person' and 'a cheerful person'. And the word 'contented' 
that
> someone on this thread introduced. Dumbledore is all three: we see 
his
> cheerfulness depicted. His contentment comes from his spiritually
> advanced awareness, knowing that pain, however prolonged, is 
temporary,
> that grief honors the person grieved for, that death is not a 
disaster.
> His happiness is seeing that there are young people preparing to 
carry
> on the fight against evil when he is gone. What is the word for the 
> 'happiness' of knowing that one has been good, has done one's best, 
has
> done one's duty? 

I think you have done rather well in describing happiness, Rita.  It 
is the pursuit of this kind of happiness that Thomas Jefferson named 
an "unalienable right" in the Declaration of Independence. It is not 
giddy laughter, but a very rational eighteenth century neoclassical 
concept, or indeed a classical greek concept, all intertwined with 
Virtue.  One cannot be truly happy without virtue, which is not a 
religious concept but more a striving for Excellence.  I believe as 
you do that Albus Dumbledore has pursued and achieved this kind of 
happiness, which will forever be denied to he-who-must-not-be-named.

Haggridd