Even if you are atheist, you relate with and contemplate on other creatures to derive happiness. Your happiness depends on others.
Even if you are the most pious introvert or monk, you still meditate or pray to a superior intelligence or God, to find inner peace. So your happiness depends on others.
If it is television that makes you happy indoors, all the characters in the TV and their roles is where you derive happiness. Your happiness depends on others.
Even if it is computer gaming that saturates your happiness, the characters are modeled after what you are familiar with in the real world, so your happiness is derived from others, including those who created the computer games for you.
There is a musician behind that music that gives you happiness, so your happiness depends on others.
There is an athlete behind those sports games that give you happiness, so your happiness depends on others.
You derive your happiness from seeing your children, that also means your happiness depends on others.
Money is what gives you happiness? But you have to spend money before you enjoy the value and you need other people to be able to spend your money, so your happiness depends on others.
Is it sex that gives you happiness? You still need other people to achieve sexual satisfaction. You need them either in person, or in your imagination when you masturbate or resort to using a stimulation toy. So your happiness depends on others.
Is it your work that gives you happiness, you cannot work alone. Your happiness is derived from working with others.
If it is your shape that gives you happiness; if no one appreciates that shape, you won’t be happy, so your happiness depends on others.
Even if it is serving God that makes you happy, you need two or more to serve God and bring him into your midst. So your happiness depends on others.
If it is booze that makes you happy, the worst way to booze is to booze alone. It is better to drink in a community than to drink in a closet. So your happiness still depends on others.
No matter how ensconced you are in your self-love closet, you cannot spend a day without needing, a transporter, a grocery shop attendant, a dispatch rider, the police, the pharmacist, the make up artist, the barber, the plumber, the electrician, the technician, the laundry man, the mechanic, the telephone service, the internet, the pizza and shawarma chefs, the household pets, the TV, the radio etc. All these are powered by other individuals who work tirelessly to maintain your happiness. So your happiness depends on others.
Like the value of money which can only be enjoyed after it is spent, love is experienced most, only after it is expressed to others. Self love is imprisoned love. It is not expressed. So while falling in love with yourSELF, please kindly remember that, the SELF cannot find happiness or love without the love and happiness of others. For God is love and it is those who love others as themselves, that are the children of God.
Yours sincerely,
Citizen Agba Jalingo is the Publisher of CrossRiverWatch and a rights activist, a Cross Riverian, and writes from Lagos.
NB: Opinions expressed in this article are strictly attributable to the author, Agba Jalingo, and do not represent the opinion of CrossRiverWatch or any other organization the author works for/with..