The Opposite of Happiness

Definitions have never been fun,

be it ‘emotional self-regulation’

or ‘zone of proximal development

or an abstract concept like ‘happiness’.

The allure of philosophy

oh! so enthralling,

does cover under its purview

the existence, bounds, and the opposite

of HAPPINESS.

“What a futile contrast to contemplate!”,

you may wonder.

We all exist in greys,

why then must one

compartmentalize and confine

one of the highest ideals: HAPPINESS

in Black & White?

As much as we exploit this phrase

to advocate for objectivity;

it still continues pointing emphatically

to the splendor of subjectivity.

Did I mention ‘ideal’ somewhere?

Who is to decide on ideals?

Is there a committee appointed?

Perhaps, there is no such thing as an ideal!

Or even if there is an ideal;

Happiness isn’t one!

Labeling happiness as an ideal

places kilos of pressure on us,

not just as individuals

but holistically as a community.

In order to find the opposite,

I have to virtually construct

a spectrum,

assigning one extreme to Happiness

and another to… a Question Mark?

The moderate, of course

occupied by My Usual State of Mind.

Perhaps, there is no spectrum!

It’s only as much as

a skeptical mind’s shenanigan

to start a dialogue

with a benevolent purpose

to make aesthetes consuming this poem

cherish ‘happiness’ and fret not!

After all, a skeptic always

sets sail with a sacred motive

to navigate its way

toward the shore of tranquility.

On the list of ‘Antonyms’

I had to learn verbatim,

the third stood Happy × Sad.

In retrospect, that sufficed my perplexity;

but I never sought closure with it,

hence the spiraling down into regress

still waiting for a satisfactory definition

to come along.

I’m paralyzed into indecision

as I sit myself down

to label the opposite of happiness.

However, amidst the cacophony,

there’s one unit of a sound,

measuring only minimum decibels.

A muffled, yet caustic

and charged with conviction;

such is a voice,

tethering me to my ground.

This is not an ordinary voice,

despite being subdued,

it demands to be heard.

I still haven’t settled

for one absolute answer,

but somehow, this voice makes profound sense:

“The Opposite of Happiness is Not WRONG!”