Analysis Of The Second Sin By Thomas Szasz

"Happiness is an imaginary condition, formerly often attributed by the living to the dead, now usually attributed by adults to children, and by children to adults."
Thomas Szasz (b. 1920), U.S. psychiatrist. "Emotions," The Second Sin (1973).

Szasz is stating that since happiness is an imaginary condition, basically no one has it and it does not exist. Although it is a feeling and can be internal, happiness is what we make it out to be. Certain things such as money and having the most expensive clothes may make someone happy one day, but in two years, they probably will not be as happy when they have to pay off all of their credit card bills or they are in debt. Everyone choses when they want to be happy and why, therefore, happiness is
not just an emotion, it is an attitude and a choice. If someone is having a terrible day and failed their test, most likely they will not be happy.
But someone can always cheer them up by taking them out to dinner or even buying them ice cream. Happiness is what we feel when things go right or how we want ourselves to feel in certain situations. For example, if someone lost their hearing, they would probably be upset for a few months because they are not used to living that way. But, after about a year, they are accustomed to living without hearing and realize they do not have to have it, so they are happy again. Happiness is felt when someone loves somebody and that person loves them back. Love gives people feelings of happiness and makes us feel better not only about ourselves, but our relationships with others. For instance, if Stacy loves Tom and she tells Tom that she loves him, she would feel very happy if he said that he loved her too. But, if Tom told Stacy that although she loved him, he still hated her, she would not feel very happy at all. Happiness is what we want to feel. If someone lost a loved one, they would be very unhappy and upset because someone close to them passed away. They would probably go through a time when they had a lot of grief and anger, both of these are opposites of being happy. But throughout time, that person may realize that nobody lives forever and after a while, they become happy again, knowing that that someone is in a better
place. Szasz states that "happiness is imaginary", but it is not. Whether it is through money, love or friendship, everyone is happy at some point in their life. Whether someone portrays happiness as a feeling/emotion, an attitude or a choice, no matter how some people perceive it, everyone wants happiness in some way.