The pursuit of pleasure – Henry Ford (Automobile king)

This article is from the paper cutting treasured by my Dad in his diary. This article was published in the “Times of India” newspaper many years back. He wanted me to read and imbibe it in my own life. I read it and here I save it on my blog for friends to read it.

The pursuit of pleasure

Whenever you seek pleasure, pleasure eludes you. But when you get everything you want whenever you want it, you quickly discover how meaningless pleasure really is. The only way you may find pleasure is by seeking something else first. It could be nothing more than paying someone a sincere complement, or giving someone a hand with an unpleasant task.

“The idea is that when you least expect it, happiness suddenly bubbles up like a well inside you. You don’t pleasure; pleasure finds you. Pursuing pleasure is like chasing after the wind. “If not pleasure, then what? Wealth? Do you think you should dedicate your life to the pursuit of wealth? Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.

A rich man doesn’t even sleep well at night. He’s too worried about his money. “Money has its uses, but don’t lose perspective. We were born naked, and we die, we’re going to take with us just what we brought into this world. Whatever we acquire will be left to someone who had not worked for it.” If neither pleasure nor wealth are worthwhile pursuits, how about the scholarly pursuits of knowledge?

What did Ifind out?

Only this: The more you learn, the more you discover there is to know. Even the brightest of us are ignorant of many things. Certainly, wisdom is better than foolishness, but remember, in a few years, both the wise man and the fool wind up in the grave. Before long both are are forgotten.”

So pleasure, wealth and knowledge all have limited value.

What’s left? Work?

Yes, I worked. I delighted in my work. That was my reward. Of course, it was merely a temporary ‘feel-good-about-it’ sort of thing. In the long run, all our toil is useless. Whatever you make, you can’t take with you. And in due course, whatever we create will be torn down or destroyed and soon forgotten.”

So, the wise man threw a blanket over most of the things people devote themselves to today. Then what should we do? How should we spend our brief time on earth?

The answer is simple: “A man can do nothing better than to eat, drink and find satisfaction in work. Enjoy life with the one you love. Be happy and do good as long as you live.Whatever you do, do it with all the might because you never know when life might end. “While we are young, enjoy life as much as possible. But don’t forget, God will judge everything we do.

The years slip by quickly. Infants turn into youth. youths into adults, adults into middle age, and middle age into old age. It doesn’t take long at all. “All too soon, the troubles and afflictions of age sap the strength and weaken the mind. Then death calls your number and body returns to the ground where it came, and soul returns to God who gave it.

I believe God is managing my affairs and that He doesn’t need any advise from me. With God in charge, I believe everything will work out for the best in the end. So what is there to worry about?

by Henry Ford