Some need no human companionship and would therefore be happy as hermits or recluses, or following an isolated occupation in a remote place, while others need family and friends around them. Some are cut out for adventure, while others are happier in mundane pursuits. Some desire power or prestige, while others can only be satisfied by a vocation, such as the medical profession. It is therefore impossible to do more than generalize about the conditions which make for happiness. But one thing is certain; happiness has little to do with the possession or lack of material things -- it belongs to the mind, and its secret is the discovery of contentment and the gift of making the best of what is available.
The basic, if unrealized, prerequisite of happiness is the good fortune to live in a free, settled and well-governed community. Bad government, the restriction of freedom, the incidence of crime and violence and the absence of the rule of the law-all these make for unsettled and therefore unhappy living. Security, justice, fair taxation, police protection, and a progressive community life lay the foundations of the happiness of the individual.
WHAT MAKES GOOD PARENTS
The bond between parents and children is one of love and affection; yet we come across people who hate their parents and also people who feel that their parents have let them down. Why it this the case ? Are these people unnatural, or are they justified ? Perhaps in some cases they are justified. Most men and women get married and have children, but not all of them are worthy of being parents. Parenthood, like other responsibilities, needs devotion, dedication and a lot of preparation. Prospective parents must recognize their responsibilities and realize what parenthood involves.
The first essential of good parenthood is the acceptance of the role. A man who marries when he is young may resent his first child, for it would be a rival for the affection of the lady of the house. Similarly. A woman may resent her first child because it suddenly puts her in a different class of women. Couples who become parents can no longer call their time their own. Often the newcomer may necessitate changes in the household routine, giving up of a job on the part of the mother and various other sacrifices. The world of affection which should surround a child should precede its birth. It is here that good parenthood begins.
Fondness, however, is at no stage a synonym of pampering and spoiling children. Parents have the responsibility of cultivating those qualities in their children which may help them to face life, make them brave and likeable human beings, impart to them a sense of integrity and strength, and these lessons cannot be learned haphazardly. Parenthood is a full-time task, and the only way of cultivating the right habits in children is through example and by providing an atmosphere which is conducive to the growth of these qualities. A child learns these virtues at home and the influence, of his parents, can counteract all other influences, whether good or bad.
This is the theoretical aspect; in practice, the recipe for good parenthood is love and understanding. These two envelop a whole world in themselves. Love means love in the right degree, love which does not ignore discipline, love which does not yield for the wrong reasons and for the wrong ends, love which can provide security and confidence for the growing child, love which leads to sacrifices and makes one devote some time and join in enjoying the simple pleasures of childhood. Understanding means trying to find what the child wants and why, giving him the freedom to try new ideas, to experiment with hobbies and learn from the world of nature. Understanding
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