Joe Hoffmann

Summary

Tolkien’s Six Keys to Happiness

Delight in Simple Things

            This is the first of Tolkien’s six keys to Happiness.  Tolkien uses his Hobbits as an example of someone who delights in simple things.  Hobbits lead simple, yet fun any happy lives in the Shire.  They attend parties and like to sing songs but dislike advanced machinery.  They live simple, fun lives. 

            The Greek philosopher Epicurus pointed out a obvious, but very true and meaningful, reason why simple pleasures are favored over superfluous pleasures.  Unlike superfluous pleasures, simple pleasures are easy to obtain.  Simple pleasures are said to be keys to enduring and lifelong pleasures.

Make Light of Your Troubles

            The phrase, Make light of your troubles, is followed by not only hobbits but Quakers of today’s world.  This phrase in short means to focus on the good in life rather than the bad, even if the bad is overwhelming.  If you constantly dwell on the bad you will not lead a happy life.  You have to find hope and beauty even in the most dire of circumstances.  The Hobbit Sam was the only one who was able to have an optimistic throughout the whole book.

Get Personal

            Getting Personal focuses on friendship and creating close bonds among others.  When you “get personal” with others you create bonds which are not easily broken.  We all need close friends and relationships to lead a happy life.  Friendship holds family, friends, and communities together.  People with intimate and supportive relationships tend to be happier and healthier than those who lack such relationships. 

Cultivate Good Character

            In cultivating good character Tolkien tries linking happiness with good moral and character.  In his book, good things happen to good people.  Those who live good lives have good ends.  On the contrary, those who lead bad lives, have bad ends.  There are always a few exceptions, but this is the case for the most part.  It is in human nature to be good, and when we go against human nature, we are not happy.

Cherish and Create Beauty

            It is natural that beautiful things would make us happier.  In his books the beautiful places and people usually represent happier and friendlier people.  On the other hand the ugly places and people such as the Orcs seem to be unhappy and bound by evil.  Ugliness enervates and depresses while beauty inspires and refreshes.

Rediscover Wonder

            This shows how we can find happiness in living a life for others and without material possessions.  We are to look for and see wonder and delight in great things.  “When we pause to sense we become wonder-struck and experience a richly satisfying frame of mind that  - for the lack of better word – we call joy.”