They say happiness is a state of mind, yet why is it that the intelligent ones are prone to experiencing adversity in search of it instead?

I know what you're thinking, how stereotypical, and I agree with you on that matter. Then again, stereotypes exist for a reason, so my take on this topic isn't wholly ill-founded either. Although this subject matter is indeed a touchy thing, constantly opening up doors for critical thinkers and making itself known as a philosophical question, I find it necessary to give my two cents as well, being a student and a representative for that fraction of youth who seeks academic validation like it's a bottle of water when they're smack dab and stranded in the Sahara desert in the middle of August.

In my years of being a student, I've encountered my fair share of intelligent people. Whether inside the four walls of a classroom or in competitions held to measure intellect, I've bared witness to their existence and how they operate, and I've found one common denominator in almost all of them; their drive to successfully achieve their goals is almost frightening. These big-brained individuals tend to have a one-track mind, being so enthralled in their ambitions that it makes them dependent on yielding desirable results that satisfy their standards, tying their concept of happiness to success, that makes them vulnerable to disappointment and feeling depressed when they fail to do so. Mental illness stems from these intellectual needs not being met, which in turn leads to chronic unhappiness.

The problem here is we're never satisfied with what we have, we get a taste of success, and we suddenly let the thirst for validation devour us whole. We crave praise and are dependent on positive results to contact us precisely. Especially for students of this day and age, where education and knowledge are spoon-fed to gain a desirable and guaranteed outcome, academic validation leaves them dissatisfied, knowing that they've reached that milestone along with their peers when what they wanted was to stand out. It isn't that they deem others unworthy of success; it touches more on the topic of them striving to be better, or to be uniquely capable in that particular field, more so than others. They constantly pressure themselves by raising the bar to such unfathomable heights whenever they meet their given goal, to the point where a significant loss is most likely to provoke them into a downward spiral.

Intelligence is both a gift and a capability that we can hone and understand; it is not innate and most certainly not something exclusive to a group of people only. However, in our competitive and academic-driven society, it is not appropriately nurtured. It is unbalanced, sometimes even considered an elitist move, and it makes us vulnerable to finding fault in ourselves and society, which elicits despondency to stem from our emotions.

They say ignorance is bliss, and I couldn't agree more. You can act blindsided, but the facts you have encountered will always linger in the back of your mind. You can't unlearn what you have learned after all. The issue with knowing too much is that you lose hope and wonder for the world, which eliminates the basis of romanticizing life as you know it. Setting impossible standards, not only for ourselves but for the world as well, eradicates the appeal of real life, don't you think so?

Happiness is something that all of us are desperate to attain in our short existence here on Earth; we rely on various reasons to fulfill this feeling after all. However, I find it best not to dwell on it too much. In our pursuit of happiness, setting a goal is unnecessary and uncalled for. If we base our felicity on objectives alone, we might spend a lifetime in search of it as well, and while doing so, we could be missing out on the life that we're supposed to live. Happiness makes no sense whatsoever, and that's the beauty of it. You never know what next thing will make your dopamine levels go haywire after all.

To those who are struggling with the standards they've set for themselves, I hope you know that your efforts are valid, regardless of whether they grant you success or not. Your worth and intelligence lie way beyond the marks stated in your report card, so I hope you find it in yourself to take it easy every once in a while and be kind to yourself, always. All of us are a work in progress, but that doesn't mean that our happiness is a long-term goal to be reached as well, for it is something that we can find in the littlest things in our day-to-day routine. I encourage all of you to fall in love with life all over again, regardless of the trials that may come; I hope that you hold onto hope as well.