How Do You Define Happiness?

Ratan Tata’s recent demise brought to mind a very interesting interview where he spoke about what happiness meant to him and how his idea of happiness evolved over time. What struck me was the clarity with which he thought about the subject, and how he categorised it.

Accumulation Of Wealth

Tata spoke about how he was extremely happy as he accumulated vast wealth. No surprises there.  is would make any human being happy. More money never made anyone sad, for sure. But after a while, it failed to evoke the same happiness as before, he said.

End Use Of Money

Money is never an end in itself. Its value lies in what it can purchase. It could be a lifestyle, which is the most evident sign of wealth, or security and peace of mind (in matters of survival and comfort at least). It could even purchase experiences, such as a holiday in Iceland to see the Northern Lights, or a hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia, Turkey.

Tata’s immense wealth gave him the privilege of traveling wherever he wanted to, and purchase whatever he fancied, such as the Dassault Falcon private jet, along with his exotic car collection. He is also said to be a connoisseur of art, and bought exquisite paintings, manuscripts, textiles, arms, armaments, porcelain artifacts, and more such items from across the world. But after a while, when he was well acquainted with wealth, the appeal faded gradually.

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