“Happiness is real only when shared” | Quotes from the Cinema

This week the column Citations from the Cinema aims to talk to you about the quote “Happiness is real only when shared”, taken from Into The Wild – In the wilds by Sean Penn

Into The Wild-In the wilds is a biographical adventure film about the life of Christopher McCandless. The intention of this film is to open the viewer’s mind, showing the spirit of adventure and the desire to discover on the part of man.

The protagonist, played by Emile Hirsch, is a young man who wants to travel around the United States and discover every side of himself better, living in complete solitude.

During his journey he examines the concept of happiness and finds its right definition:

Happiness is only real when shared.

What he realizes is that there is a constant human need to share all emotions, especially the positive ones. The feeling he wants to understand is the one related to happiness and he discovers that this occurs only when there is someone next to whom to share it.

Happiness according to Christopher is something that must be cultivated and manifested. There is no need to keep it for oneself and the purpose should be to seek and find it everywhere.

Research, change and happiness

The film of Sean Penn, who is also famous as an actor in films such as Mystic River, is an adventure drama that deals with human psychology, focusing on the needs and requirements of the individual. In the film, a critique of constant unhappiness is exposed, which is maintained because you are not ready or do not want to make any changes. In fact, in a phase of reflection Christopher exposes his thoughts:

There are so many unhappy people who nevertheless do not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned by security, conformity, traditionalism, all things that seem to ensure peace of mind, but in reality for the adventurous soul of a man, there is nothing more devastating than a certain future. The very core of a person’s life spirit is a passion for adventure. The joy of living comes from the encounter with new experiences, and therefore there is no greater joy than having a constantly changing horizon, of being every day under a new and different sun. We just have to find the courage to turn against the usual lifestyle and throw ourselves into an unconventional existence.

The element on which it focuses is therefore uncertainty. Rather than being a barrier, it should be seen as an incentive to change one’s vision and habits. It is thanks to uncertainty that man is tempted to discover new worlds, while life of habit does not lead to any happiness. Christopher advises to jump headlong into new experiences because, although uncertain, they can help the person discover new traits of himself and his surroundings.

Happiness is a feeling that can be experienced in different situations and phases of one’s life. It can happen at an unexpected moment as well as after a long struggle to get what you want. It is discovered only when one’s spirit is free from the restrictions dictated by society and in that moment one feels the need to share it. Living moments of happiness without the possibility of sharing them with those close to us is like limiting this same happiness. The most appropriate advice is to follow Christopher’s idea, which is to share our moments of happiness with those who help us to be happier and feel good.