Without comedians, the world would be far gloomier than it is. Everyone seeks happiness throughout their existence, and laughter makes all the difference. Indeed, the pursuit of happiness is so powerful that some people resort to alcohol and drugs in a desperate attempt to grasp what feels perpetually out of reach. Comedians, as a group, appear happier than most—as long as they are causing laughter, that emotional reflex of joy. This reveals an unavoidable truth: a person becomes happier precisely by making others happy.
Laughter is a tonic that dissolves stress, lifting burdens from shoulders regardless of financial status or life circumstance. Where there is happiness, there is laughter, and this is what makes comedians so special. But we need not always draw laughter from comedians alone. As humans, we can cultivate a habit of sharing laughter with one another at every opportunity and thereby remain happy. Making others happy makes us happy; making others unhappy, in turn, makes us unhappy.
The law of happiness is as reliable as any law of nature. The only way to be truly happy is to cause happiness in other people, just as causing unhappiness draws unhappiness back to oneself. A smile offered freely usually prompts a smile in return—unless the other person senses an ulterior motive. As long as we are alive, we can attract happiness by generating it for others.
It is true that many people lack access to happiness, for one reason or another. Some are dejected because they have lost loved ones; others labour under environments that exert negative pressure upon them. Imagine waking up in the morning to newspaper headlines announcing doubled prices for basic commodities, with no consideration for the less privileged. Many factors can produce undue stress, which is why the world needs people who lighten unhappy conditions—people who, as the saying goes, turn lemons into lemonade.
The most valuable individuals are those making a positive difference in other people’s lives. Such people are few but in high demand. The more they touch lives with good tidings, the more happiness they generate for themselves. If you know anyone who is genuinely happy, that person’s secret will always be the same: creating happiness for others.
A common error is the assumption that one must first be granted happiness before being able to make others happy. The more people pursue happiness in this manner, the further they deviate from it. The truth is, you can obtain anything from anyone, as long as you make the person who possesses what you need happy. A classic illustration of this principle is romance. A loving husband does not demand intimacy before attending to his wife’s needs. He knows that a blissful union requires him to go out of his way to please her.
She may simply need to be told she looks beautiful. The same dynamic applies to women, though it can sometimes cross into manipulation. Rarely do men fail to provide for their wives when the approach is right. Before presenting their requests, wise women know how and when to make men happy. If a woman desires an expensive dress, she understands the right moment to ask. She does whatever it takes to create a happy atmosphere before bringing her request. An inviting smile may be all the man needs to feel happy, opening the door to a congenial response. This describes a law of nature that covers all aspects of life.
A good car that brings happiness has a price that makes the seller willing to part with it. The most awkward transactions are those where buyers take possession before paying in full. Driving a beautiful car before fully paying does not make the buyer truly happy—the happiness arrives only when the debt is cleared. Such an arrangement also leaves the seller uncomfortable over matters of security. The law of happiness demands making another person happy before accessing happiness, oneself. Only the person who has fully paid the price of that car knows the genuine happiness of ownership.
There is no truth that a person can ever be happy when being granted a loan to buy whatever they deem necessary. Driving a beautiful car not yet paid for gives the illusion of happiness to onlookers, unaware of the dreadful outstanding loan, burdening the driver. The seller, meanwhile, becomes happy having made a sale, provided the security aspect has been addressed. The principle is clear: happiness flows when the seller makes an effort to offer something desirable and the buyer reciprocates handsomely.
One can be spoiled with huge sums of money without exchanging anything in return. Yet the receiver can never be as happy as the benefactor. The recipient feels indebted, even without having paid anything for it. Gratitude is an attempt to bridge the gap between the current state and the level of happiness that giving would have brought. Without that, there is no true happiness in receiving more than what is necessary.
In their love for their children, parents often go out of their way to buy unnecessary gifts. But pampering children with presents is not what genuinely makes them happy. The only way to make children happy is to create small household responsibilities through which they can feel they are contributing to the family. Children enjoy that, especially when parents express appreciation for what they do.
The surest way to make children unhappy is to keep them in a permanent state of being beneficiaries. They grow to feel entitled to gifts, and this draws unhappiness towards them. Coupled with material goodies, repeatedly telling children “I love you” without meaningful engagement can actually lead them to apathy. Parents are then surprised when those children become involved in drugs or other unethical conduct. The benevolent parent who simply provides for every need often reaps negative results from the children they love so deeply.
If blessed with significant means, a loving parent involves the children personally in visiting orphanages and other charitable organizations. This also enables them to form friendships with the less privileged and gives them opportunities to make others happy. Those are the moments when children realize true happiness.
Ordinarily, people cherish reciprocating good deeds and retaliating for bad ones. That behaviour, however justifiable, does not lead to happiness. Christians are called to break that norm and pursue the way of love. Jesus left a standard that many seem not to understand. It involves loving a person who is mean to you, even developing strong friendship with such a person.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48 NIV)
No one can outdo a person who lives this way in terms of accumulated happiness. I have never seen a vengeful person who is truly happy. The truth is that it is impossible for a vengeful person to be happy. The path to happiness remains keeping your love undisturbed by the one who spurns your loving kindness. The unforgiving person who holds on to hurt is the one who harbours unhappiness throughout their life, unaware that their own happiness is sustained by releasing every grudge and loving such enemies.
Driving through the traffic-jammed streets of Harare on a Monday morning can be deeply frustrating, but a small amount of personal responsibility makes all the difference. Waking up early is not difficult for someone who embraces the responsibility of avoiding the jam. Many people are busy yet have nothing to show for it. The unhappy ones are those cursing at every bad driver; the happy ones are those who maintain their cool.
A person who loves his enemy can easily turn that enemy into a wonderful friend, especially when addressing their grievances gracefully. This is what makes happiness achievable for those who apply the principle taught by Jesus, our Master. In real life, enemies do not really exist; all differences can be amicably resolved through effective communication. James advised being quick to listen and slow to speak.
You can most easily spot unhappy people by observing their reluctance to confront toxic characters in social media chat groups. They prefer to avoid those who antagonize them, believing this withdrawal pleases God. Yet the opposite is true; Jesus explicitly instructed us to love and pray for our adversaries. Genuine love and prayer, however, are impossible when we refuse to share the same space with someone we intend to love. Consequently, engaging with difficult personalities is not merely an obligation—it is a vital exercise in developing the resilience to address conflict without being poisoned by it.
In Zimbabwe, we have organizations like the Mthwakazi Republican Party. They appear to be succeeding in fuelling anger, even reaching the international community, over the atrocities perpetrated in the early 1980s. Their passion is sustained by the belief that Shona speakers are enemies of the Ndebele speakers. The Gukurahundi is a dark stain on our history. But what is worse is continually bringing it to the fore while blaming an entire Shona ethnic group.
The Gukurahundi episode was insanity. But that insanity has proven contagious; it now infects the Mthwakazi Republican Party. Given the opportunity, the Mthwakazi Republican Party could well unleash similar atrocities to those carried out by the perpetrators of Gukurahundi. This would keep the cycle of unending violence spinning. Should the MRP be allowed to achieve its objectives, the insanity of Gukurahundi would be rekindled—not necessarily by its original initiators, but this time by the MRP protagonists themselves. Yet common sense makes it impossible to drive out insanity by practicing the same insanity on others. This is common sense, not merely a religious philosophy.
It is a principle of mental health, not something that requires a specific religious doctrine. The idea of revenge springs from insanity. No happiness can ever arise from insanity. A person who loves his enemy can be counted upon to generate the scarce attribute of happiness. Loving one’s enemy carries a tonic effect that heals insanity. It takes someone who is free from insanity to heal someone who is affected by that insanity.
Some people advocate for compensation to ease the painful experiences of Gukurahundi. But compensation does not guarantee the deepest happiness, which originates from within a person rather than being externally driven. Funds may be deemed inadequate, keeping bitterness anchored, and no amount of money can replace lost lives. A billion dollars cannot fill the void left by the death of one’s wife or child.
How can anyone enjoy the value of money while fully aware that it represents the lives of loved ones? This is why the blood of Jesus cannot be compensated by anything except one’s own life. This is why the golden rule remains: “do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12). It affirms that happiness is found in making other people happy.
The most amazing reality is that victims hold an advantage over perpetrators—provided they do not pursue revenge. A person who carries out atrocities exists in a pitiful state of degradation. Such a person is the one we should feel sorry for. The victim remains perfectly safe as long as he or she does not entertain the thought of revenge. This was the principle Jesus highlighted, though it is often misunderstood, even by many Christians.
Jesus did not say that perpetrators should love and pray for their victims. There is no problem with the victims. It is the perpetrator, who brings devastating problems upon others and themselves, who needs help. Therefore, Jesus places the responsibility on the person who has the advantage, to pray for the disadvantaged one. This principle may be hard to grasp for those struggling under the scourge of insanity, yet it is scientifically true.
Happiness cannot be achieved by hating one’s enemies. It is achieved not only by loving them but also by praying for them. Those enemies are in deep trouble, even if unaware of their need for help. This may sound unworkable, but it is the only path to happiness. For those who anchor their faith in Jesus, there is no difficulty in understanding this principle. It means applying everything Jesus taught as reliable truth. The unhappiness projected in this life results from the failure to apply Jesus’ principles. All is well for those who trust His teachings.
Andrew Masuku is the author of Dimensions of a New Civilisation, laying down standards for uplifting Zimbabwe from the current state of economic depression into a model for other nations worldwide. A decaying tree provides an opportunity for a blossoming sprout. Written from a Christian perspective, the book is a product of inspiration, relieving those who have witnessed the strings of unworkable solutions, leading to the current economic and social decay. Most Zimbabweans should find the book to be a long-awaited providential oasis of hope, in a simple conversational tone.
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