The Tail Is Wagging the Dog--An Essay by a Student

The following is an essay written by a student in Class 314:

The Tail Is Wagging the Dog

Have you ever thought about what you are living for? Interestingly, almost everyone has pondered over the question sometime in their life, but not able to find the answer, they instantly forget it. Then, they keep going on with their normal lives as though nothing had happened, studying hard to get a higher diploma or working hard to earn more money, only to stop and think about the same question again when they can't be satisfied with what they have gained.

After thinking over and over again about the question: What am I living for, I prefer the answer, "To live happily." It overwhelmingly beats other answers, such as being rich, marrying a beautiful woman, having great power, etc. All these are sought after for the ultimate goal: happiness. People set various goals and try their best to accomplish them for the sake of the cheer which will come after the goal being reached. Nonetheless, when we sit down to scrutinize our lives, we might discover that, ironically, the tail is wagging the dog. We have fallen into an endless cycle of pursuit. We set a goal and try every means to fulfill it. Once we succeed, we may feel happy for a while. Right after that, we will badly need something we lack and then start to chase it. How sad it is! Forgetting the original purpose of pursuing something and feeling unsatisfied as well as unhappy is the worst thing in the world.

Although we all know it is extremely bad to forget the original purpose: to be happy, we should not blame people who do so. After all, we are just humans. Even I might soon forget I have thought over this question. (285 words) (314 簡喬)