Mahsa Sheikh, Low Entropy Volunteer Writer
Joy is one of those most indispensable things to want to make constant in life. It’s passion spiced up with our special blend of affection and kindness, all wrapped in our deep love of giving. Joy is elemental in our quest for happiness in lives filled with obstacles to overcome, and inundated by missed opportunities and broken promises. In one sense, joy is the emotion attached to a desired course of actions in pursuit of happiness. In another, joy is the outcome as much as it is the reason why; it is the end. And the means to achieve it are attached to it like connective tissues are to our bones. If we want happiness, we need to bring in the element of joy, and if we want joy, we need to think of what lights us up, and makes us primarily happy. Living happily irrespective of the continuous presence of joy and love is quite possible. Happiness is a state tied to our knowledge of who we are and our place in the universe. Still, happy people strive to act joyously, as giving joy to their loved ones is as satisfying and pleasurable as being happy on their own.
The sketch above could possibly go amiss without paying homage to one of the most iconic terms that literary fiction has come up with and expanded over the last two centuries. Largely understood as a way of embracing living and existence with confidence by being protective of one’s well-being and happiness, the French expression la joie de vivre, also commonly referred to as the joy of living in English, was introduced by the likes of Jules Michelet and Émile Zola. The term was, for example, carefully applied by the latter bold and outspoken French novelist in a novel of the exact same title. Despite the title, Zola attends to a deeply sombre plot with respect to human character and societal circumstances under which the heroine of the novel, Pauline Quenu, an orphan left under the tutelage of her relatives, thrives due to her undeniable ability to overcome misery and despair. Her extraordinary aptitude to overcome pain and difficulties in the face of calamities is nothing to underestimate. Young Pauline is quite ambitious in her willingness to warm the hearts of those in her community suffering from a host of issues and challenges. Zola’s heroine, in all her innocence, displays sophistication and emotional intelligence when it comes to staying positive and attending to what needs to be accomplished and, in a way, highlights the power of virtue amidst harsh realities of her circumstances and human vices, such as greed and apathy. Pauline is by no means depicted as a social reformer, but her positive outlook and her attitude towards change remains inspiring to readers who are in search of a touch of light and warmth in a world where fewer and fewer of us can think how to keep strong in the face of all the negative energy out there. Pauline’s ultimate gift is her ability to display a strong sense of care and compassion toward those of her fellow humans struggling to maintain an aura of positivity, which, due to her zeal, ends up being a force by its very nature. The joy of living, if anything, therefore lies in our inner strength to maintain positivity and think through ways to assert that in our daily life.
Similar terms in semantic proximity with the French la joie de vivre have become increasingly popular in recent times. The Italians benevolently gifted us the concept of la dolce vita, a jubilatory approach centred around gastronomy, family time and repose, and the Danish hygge has made waves about keeping a cozy and convivial ambiance within the domestic scene, essential to the household’s well-being and overall happiness.
Over the moon for that call from a special someone the week that passed? On cloud nine for a loved one’s visit over the holidays? On top of the world for having submitted that term paper you wanted a really good grade for? You are no less overjoyed than the little girl returning home with a red balloon in hand and a sweet smile on her face.
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