In the old English meaning of the word, gay is defined as ‘light- hearted and carefree’. This definition may be out-dated, but that does not mean that it is misguided.
This semester I am taking a class on the Philosophy of Happiness. I am devoting my time, both in my studies and in my every day life, not to simply defining happiness, but to understanding it.
A few nights ago Sydney held the LGBTQI Mardi Gras parade. This event was geared towards gay rights (in the modern meaning of the word) and equality. It succeeded, however, in drawing in a large crowd of people who were straight, curious, gay, unsure, or uncaring either way. It became less about the social implications of the parade and entirely about the general energy of the crowd – the gay atmosphere.
Following the parade, some friends and I went to a local bar to rest our legs and have a drink. There, I watched a group of lesbian women dance exuberantly at the back of the room. Whether they were celebrating the expression of their rights, or if they’d simply had a few more drinks than I had, I saw in them both meanings of the word: proud to share their love and sexuality with members of the same sex and light-hearted, happy, and carefree. They seemed to me to be the happiest people in the pub.
Happiness is impossible to define (though scholars and lay-people alike have tried time and time again). Happiness is not something merely to be studied and hypothesised about. It is more than the discrepancy between a psychological state and a successful lifestyle. It is an expression, an experience, it is an act as much as it is a feeling. It is both a fleeting moment and a way of life.
Happiness is whatever we make it. It cannot be defined because we each define it differently, through our own hopes and experiences. Through our successes and our failures. Whether it is loving someone (no matter what gender), or simply sitting down with a beer after three hours on your feet, one thing is certain: happiness is essential.
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