M. Scott Peck:<\/b><\/p>\n
“In my practice as a psychotherapist, I regularly told my patients: Psychotherapy is not about happiness, but about power. If you go the whole way, I cannot guarantee that you will leave here even one iota happier. What I can promise you is that you will leave here more competent.” And I would add: “But there is a shortage of competence in the world, and when a person acquires more of it, God or life gives them greater tasks. Therefore, it is possible that you will leave here concerned with larger problems than when you arrived. Nevertheless, the knowledge that you are worrying about important things and no longer bending your back before trivial ones brings a certain joy and peace of mind.” <\/em><\/p>\n \u2014 The Road Less Traveled and Beyond<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n Many people believe that a fulfilling life is a happy life. Secretly, they feel ashamed if they feel unhappy, thinking they have failed. This belief not only adds more suffering but also fails to correspond with the facts of life. If it were true, all those people whose lives we admire for their contribution to human progress would be failures, for their lives were not among the happiest. They were crucified, burned at the stake, criticized, lonely, and misunderstood. I think of Abraham Lincoln, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa…<\/p>\n The line of people who have sacrificed their happiness for the common good is endless. And sacrifice always means one thing\u2014suffering.<\/p>\n Therefore, it is good to know that the relationship between happiness and mental health is not directly proportional. It is possible for a person to go through intense suffering while possessing very high levels of mental health, and vice versa\u2014to lead a light and pleasant life but have low levels of mental health.<\/p>\n
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