Where happiness is determined by a burden I place on others, noble happiness recognizes that this burden is not required. Typically, what I receive from others or how I perceive things external to myself act as signals that guide my happiness. These guideposts point to happiness that is misleading and fleeting. As it inevitably recedes, I feel an urge to renew it again and again and create strategies to obtain it. This greed is more often destructive than beneficial. It undermines happiness for others and myself.

Noble happiness fosters the skill to recognize what is happening here and now and consciously choose how to react in each moment. The burden of happiness does not rely on something external to myself. It is reliant upon me recognizing this moment, my sensations to it, and my skill at effectively responding to it. I need to work toward realizing the opportunity to be the chooser rather than choosee, unconsciously wobbling from one moment to the next.

Working toward noble happiness requires curiosity. I must be curious about what is going on, pay attention to my senses, and study how they respond to what is happening around me. Looking at the minutiae of my sensory activity helps me understand that those responses are conditioned by everything that has happened up to this very moment. The more aware I am, I see that I am not bound to that conditioning. Rather, the more skilled I am at understanding what is happening now, the more I am readily available to choose the way forward. Developing the skill of noble happiness helps me be an active actor in my life instead of a passive, jaded actor.

There’s no passive path to understanding; you must diligently explore the concepts to see them for yourself. It’s up to you to decide how much you want to master the skill. How far will you go to be a benefit to the world?