“कोई घर जाने को आतुर है,
तो कोई घर से भागने की तैयारी में है।
बस जीवन अब यही है-
जो जहाँ है, वह वहाँ खुश नहीं है…!”
What a life!
A society full of people who are constantly running, escaping, chasing, and complaining. Everyone wants something else, someone else, some other life. And ironically, those who achieve that new life soon start craving yet another one.
Today’s world is suffering from a strange epidemic:
Nobody is happy with their present life.
The Great Contrast: Then vs Now
There was a time when our ancestors- our forefathers- lived with a deep sense of belonging.
They worked for the family, sacrificed for their loved ones, and took pride in relationships, not possessions.
A man’s identity was his character, not his salary.
A woman’s strength was her values, not her wardrobe.
Life then had fewer facilities but far more peace.
People had limited money but unlimited contentment.
Today, despite comforts, luxuries, global connections, and unlimited choices, we are restless, anxious, and perpetually dissatisfied.
What Changed?
1. Responsibility Has Become a Burden:
Earlier, responsibility was honour.
Today, it is an inconvenience.
People proudly announce:
• “I need space.”
• “I don’t want family pressure.”
• “I can’t handle commitments right now.”
We are running away from the very relationships that once gave meaning to life.
2. The Rat Race Has Become the New Religion:
Money, status, validation, and public image-
these have become the modern gods.
We work not to live,
but to outshine, outperform, out-compete, and out-display others.
In this endless race, we have lost the ability to enjoy the present moment.
We live either in yesterday’s regrets or tomorrow’s anxieties.
3. Desire Has Become Endless:
Our ancestors desired stability.
We desire constant upgrades.
New mobile phone.
New job.
New house.
New partner.
New life.
But satisfaction never comes.
Wisdom from the Geeta: The Curse of Constant Greed:
In the Bhagavad Geeta, Lord Krishna identifies the root cause of human misery:
“अशान्तस्य कुतः सुखम्?”
How can a restless mind ever experience happiness?
And further:
“त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मनः - कामः, क्रोधः, लोभः”
Desire, anger, and greed are the three gateways to misery.
Today’s society is trapped exactly in these three:
• काम - endless cravings
• क्रोध - frustration when desires are unmet
• लोभ - the unstoppable hunger for more
This trio ensures one thing:
No one remains happy with what they have.
Mahabharata: A Reflection of Today’s Society:
Mahabharata is not just an epic - it is a psychological manual.
Duryodhana had everything a prince could dream of.
Yet he said:
“I know what is dharma, but I cannot follow it. I know what is adharma, but I cannot resist it.”
Just like many people today,
he could not tolerate others’ happiness
and destroyed his own life out of jealousy.
Karna, a warrior of unmatched talent,
was consumed by insecurity and longing for validation.
His misery came not from poverty,
but from comparison.
This is today’s society -
we are not sad because we lack something;
we are sad because someone else has it.
Teachings from Great Indian Thinkers:
Swami Vivekananda said:
“The greatest sin is to think yourself weak.”
But today, people drown in self-pity, playing victims, blaming everyone -
their family, society, culture, even fate-
for their unhappiness.
Chanakya wrote:
“A person who is unsatisfied with himself will never be satisfied with anything in life.”
And this is precisely the disease of the modern mind.
Sri Aurobindo taught:
“True happiness comes from within, not from without.”
Yet today, happiness is outsourced to:
• likes on social media
• people’s opinions
• artificial admiration
• external achievements
My Personal Observations: Studying Human Mentality:
After years of observing people,
one fact stands out sharply:
People today are ready to sacrifice relationships, trust, ethics-even humanity-to achieve their vicious goals.
For:
• a job promotion
• a relationship desire
• a false social image
• earning praise
• proving superiority
they can:
• lie
• manipulate
• betray
• break families
• destroy friendships
I have met people who:
• appear successful but sleep with anxiety
• have perfect families but feel empty
• earn lakhs but live in fear
• achieve fame but lose identity
This is the tragedy of our times.
Where Does True Happiness Lie?
Happiness is not in:
• running away
• changing cities
• changing relationships
• buying expensive things
• winning social approval
Happiness lies in:
• responsibility
• gratitude
• simplicity
• meaningful relationships
• self-discipline
• being present
• accepting life as it is
Our ancestors understood this deeply.
We have forgotten it completely.
Conclusion: A Dangerous Notion - A Wake-Up Call
This epidemic of unhappiness, dissatisfaction, and escapism is dangerous.
A society where no one is content slowly loses its:
• moral values
• emotional stability
• trust
• compassion
It becomes a society of:
• competition without purpose
• success without peace
• relationships without depth
• lives without meaning
If we want true peace,
we must return to the fundamentals our ancestors lived by:
family, values, responsibility, contentment, and inner balance.
Only then can we say:
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