The Pursuit of Happiness: The Art of Not Taking Offence & Going with the Flow

Happiness is an elusive quality for many people in today’s complex, often stressful world. There is however a powerful but little known secret in the pursuit of happiness. It can take a moment to learn and a lifetime to perfect. It is simply this; to not mind what happens and not react. The key to not minding what happens is to learn the gentle art of not taking offence at the things that happen to you in the course of your daily life, and not reacting to the provocation.

Seen from another angle, the idea is to have low expectations. In a world where many people grow up with a sense of entitlement, this is much easier said than done because we have base-lined our expectations at a high level. Adding to this is the commercial world that sets a high standard of customer service as the necessary price of selling you something ahead of their competitors. We all enjoy good customer service, and feel we have a right to it, but consider how this might be distorting your perception of reality. They are only being nice to you so you will give them some money. The world is really not that nice in actual fact.

Some of the time, even most of the time, our high expectations are met. But there will always be times when they are not met, and then you will be offended and aggrieved and trouble will inevitably follow. How dare you treat me this way? On the other hand, when your expectations are low, you are seldom disappointed and often delighted.

There is an enormous pay-off for people who manage to not take offence. Not only do they not go through life feeling angry and aggrieved, they start to see the world in a much more positive light. When you allow the world to be what it is without trying to change it, you access an enormous wealth of intuitive knowledge that you can enjoy and use to live a happy, harmonious life.

This is strategic non-action, and it is a powerful yet under-rated method of living and being effective in the world. In cultures where action is favoured over inaction, like in many western countries, direct action is considered a virtue while inaction is little more than laziness or cowardice. There is an advantage in being more subtle and nuanced in our understanding. There is a time for both action and inaction.

Non-action gives access to a deeper intuitive awareness than that gained through action, since knowledge that comes through action is obscured by situation-specific reactions.

Settle in for the ride as I reveal to you the secret of strategic non-action in the pursuit of happiness.