Sense of values – health – peace of mind – minimum degree of comfort – stable government – few comforts – freedom from hardship – happiness – conclusion.
Life is full of possibilities and what we demand of life depend on our sense of values. If we are materialistic in our outlook our demands will be different from those of people who are intellectual and spiritual in their approach.
It is difficult to state what I demand of life. If I sit down to analyse what I require to be happy, I may be able to say what exactly I demand of life.
To begin with I should like to have health which is one of the greatest blessings in life. Suffering makes life intolerable and takes away much of the joy of living. So health is very necessary for the enjoyment of life.
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Secondly, I should like to be away from noise and bustle, to enjoy calmness and peace of mind, to have enough leisure to relax and enjoy all the beauties of nature, books and travel.
Thirdly, a minimum degree of comfort is what I would demand of life. It is not possible to enjoy leisure or anything else unless one is free from want and has a certain amount of comfort. Even intellectual activity is impossible unless one is assured of all the necessities of life.
Then I should like to live in a place where the government is stable and one can enjoy mental and physical security. No intellectual activity can thrive in a place where instability and chaos prevail. I am satisfied with the few comforts I have such as a roof over my head, chairs, books, a bed and have enough money to make ends meet. I do not want luxuries because habitual luxury is boring. I want to understand human nature, not to improve it.
As I have experienced much poverty and want in my early youth, I would like to be free from such hardships for the rest of my life. I want to enjoy peace and the beauty of human affection and not to trouble myself about the mystery of life or of, the universe. I do not demand happiness, because I expect to be happy on the basis of my experience. Happiness is the greatest possession which I hope to get automatically as a result of the kind of life I live. All these demands I sincerely hope, show that I am a man of simple tastes with a right sense of values.