Aristotle and Mandela on happiness and meaning

And optimism.

"Happiness [said Aristotle] comes from expressing what we have rationally decided is good for us over the longer term. Happiness is not pleasure, but a by-product of a meaningful life." Tom Butler-Bowdon

“I always knew that someday I would once again feel the grass under my feet and walk in the sunshine as a free man. I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed towards the sun, one’s feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair.”

And that was Nelson Mandela, whose meaningful life will continue to be a source of human happiness.

Up@dawn 2.0