Are you feeling sad or tearful for no reason at all? Is there a feeling of hopelessness, an emptiness, for no reason at all? Or do you often have anger outbursts, are constantly irritable or frustrated at the smallest of trigger? As per the experts, there is a strong possibility that you might be suffering from depression. While enough has been said and discussed about it, there are often differing arguments over the same. Popular actor Anupam Kher, in a recent podcast with spiritual icon AiR-Atman in Ravi, opined that he often gets the impression that depression might be a luxury that some people with a lot of money avail.
As the discussion began revolving around the correlation between success and happiness, Kher mentioned, “It is not so that rich people are not unhappy. In fact, it has been seen that very successful people have unfortunately committed suicide. They are often depressed, but sometimes I also feel that depression is a luxury of people who have a lot of money. A person working as a daily labourer doesn’t have the time to be depressed. I am not saying that people with depression should not be treated or empathized with, but people who are on the streets, working as coolies or vegetable sellers they don’t have the time to think about depression.”
The conversation initiated when AiR-Atman in Ravi asked Kher’s opinion on whether he believed that all the successful people were happy in this world. Kher responded with a story, “I don’t believe that more success equals to more happiness. I read this story recently where a fisherman was happily lazing near the seashore. A well-educated man comes up to himandasks ‘what are you doing?’ The fisherman replied that he is relaxing. So this man suggested that you should do the next shift, go back to the sea and catch some more fish. The fisherman asked, ‘what will happen after this?’ The man replied that you will be able to earn more money. The fisherman asked again, ‘what will happen after this?’ The man replied that you can then buy a boat instead of renting it. You can then catch more fish and buy more boats to become richer and ultimately you can buy a mansion. The fisherman again asked, ‘what will happen after this?’ The man replied that you can then relax in life. To this the fisherman said, ‘but I am still relaxing and I am happy where I am.”
It was indeed amusing but insightful too, as AiR pointed that it was actually the truth of life. He said that “peace is the foundation for happiness. You may have all the money in the world, you may be successful but if you are not at peace then you are not happy.” Further discussing about happiness, AiR referred to his book titled Live Life Moment By Moment, pointing that it was essential to live it to the fullest in each passing moment, and that more success does not guarantee more happiness.
