What Makes People Happy in Life According to an Unknown Philosopher
What makes people happy in life? If you are wondering about that question, Émile Chartier, a French philosopher, has answers to that question for you.
“Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not the powers they are graced with.”
There is a power hidden in each of us. It was given to us when we were born.
We were graced with the power to do incredible things in this world—a power where we can determine the shape of the world, and of people’s destinies.
We all wield that kind of power, yet so few people use it—even though it brings out a greater version of us, one that makes us into heroes.
We were graced with the power to act.
One time when I was out drinking with my friends, I saw in the distance a girl struggling to get the chain of her bicycle back on.
There were hundreds of people passing her by, but no one stopped. I observed for a minute or two before moving to act.
No one did anything—everyone kept passing her by. So I took the step to act and do something. I pulled her bicycle chain back on, gave her a smile and wished her a pleasant evening.
Such a simple gesture, but one that could change someone’s world in a moment.
If a man were lying on the ground, how many people might pass him by before one would go and help?
Many.
And why?
Because many people are afraid to act. They are led by the thinking that someone else will come to help him.
In this way, we miss out on our power.
There are way too many people who do this, and it’s a shame. Don’t be like that!
Helping others is what connects us as human beings. It is what makes us great.
When you reach out and help someone, something in you awakens, and that something is love.
And it’s funny—many people strive to feel loved, and all the while it is out there, just waiting for us. By connecting and helping someone, you can awaken love.
A few weeks ago, I was traveling in Iceland. I was hitchhiking back to Reykjavik, walking on the road in the pitch-black darkness of night while it rained and the wind blew with a strength that could nearly blow me away.
Hundreds of cars passed, yet no one stopped.
And with each car that passed by, I thought, “You are literally going the same way as me. Why not stop and help someone in need? Why not use your powers for good?” I felt quite disappointed at all those people. Bit after two hours of walking in this terrible weather (it really was very terrible!), someone finally stopped.
That simple act produced an enormous feeling of gratefulness within me. That simple act made an enormous difference into someone’s life—in this case, mine.
I thanked them very deeply for helping me, even though all they had done was stop their car and pick me up. It was the willingness to act and use their power to help someone in need that made it so impressive.
It’s an enormous power you wield inside of you, and one that can be triggered by the simplest of things—act and take action. Do not turn those powers off.
Put them on, and keep them on!
“Strong people don’t put others down, they lift them up.”
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Show notes can be found here:https://theipsproject.com/2026/04/reason-we-stay-addicted-kevin-cornelius/
Addiction is complex, deeply human, and often misunderstood.
In this episode, we take a grounded and practical look at what addiction really is and how it can be treated effectively.
I’m joined by Kevin Cornelius, a licensed marriage and family therapist and clinical director at the Feeling Good Institute Silicon Valley.
Kevin specializes in TEAM-CBT, a powerful and evolving therapeutic approach developed by psychiatrist David Burns.
What I am hoping you get out of this episode, besides learning some of the reasons why people stay addicted, is that you will learn some practical techniques to start taking a small step toward freeing yourself from whichever addiction you might be struggling with.
If, after this episode, you’d like to learn more about the effects addiction has on the brain, do have a listen to the episode I did with Dr. Grisel, titled The Brain on Addiction.
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Simply go to https://theipsproject.com/academy. Each course has a few lessons to try for free, so you get a taste of what the course is like. We have countless reviews from other students so you can see what others think, and there is a 30-day money-back guarantee if you end up not liking the course.
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What makes people happy in life? If you are wondering about that question, Émile Chartier, a French philosopher, has answers to that question for you.
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