“A person who’s happy will make others happy; a person who has courage and faith will never die in misery.”
Anne Frank
Not many 14-year-olds could offer a quote of this caliber today, semi-colon notwithstanding. Yet, as my 8th-grade English classes read Anne Frank’s Diary of a Young Girl, I can’t help but be amazed at some of the golden insights she had at such a young age. It’s quotes like this one that I center class conversations on. I want students to grapple with these lively ideas.
In March of 1944, Anne Frank was contemplating her mother’s advice: “Think about all the suffering in the world and be thankful you’re not part of it.” Anne would have none of it. Rather, she believed in the power of nature and beauty. She thought that those two things would lead to happiness, and that happiness would provide the same for others. Moreover, beauty can be found internally as well as externally.
My Thoughts
I wonder if Anne thought making others happy was a duty or something natural. I have to suppose the latter. My experience is that happiness exudes on its own, requiring no prodding. Additionally, I don’t think any happy person finds it upsetting to assist others in being happy.
Trapped in the confines of the Annex in Amsterdam, I imagine nature was all she imagined. She must have felt drawn to the woods, the mountains, or the sea. Instead, she was surrounded by walls, listening only to the factory next door and the active city streets outside. What torture to be kept inside! It’s awfully sad that she was unable to experience the joys of the outside world for the rest of her life.
This quote strikes me with its intelligent yet simple statement. Well, it’s actually two statements. And I’ve covered just one. So let’s dive into the second part…next week
Have you found it to be true that happy people will make others happy?
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