HAPPINESS is a purely spiritual quality, without a taint of the material about it. Everybody is desirous of possessing happiness; but many fail, either because they do not know how to obtain it, or because they are unwilling to follow the behest of wisdom in its pursuit. Happiness is closely allied to gladness, joy, tenderness, compassion, mercifulness, love, and unselfishness. Indeed, all of these may be considered as part of it, and their presence taken as indicative of it.
Happiness is not so common a possession as one might think. One has but to look around to see how unhappy many people are. Sickness is not uncommon, and unhappiness is almost always associated with it. Sin, too, stalks about like a grim specter, claiming its victims everywhere, rendering them unhappy, sometimes to the point of despair. Furthermore, one who observes mankind, even casually, soon becomes aware that material possessions by themselves never induce happiness, but on the contrary often destroy it or prevent it.
Unhappiness is always to be found associated with thinking which is material; happiness, with thinking which is spiritual. In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 57) Mrs. Eddy writes, "Happiness is spiritual, born of Truth and Love." And in the sentence immediately following she states its unselfish nature in the words, "It is unselfish; therefore it cannot exist alone, but requires all mankind to share it." Here, then, is a test of happiness: unselfishness is its constant companion; it is ever desirous of being shared with others. On the other hand, unhappiness has nothing to share with another; indeed, it has nothing to offer which another would care to accept. Unhappiness is repulsive. Happiness is attractive; its very presence is a joy; it radiates all around it gladness, tenderness, helpfulness, compassion.
