Francis Bacon – On Happiness
It cannot be denied that external circumstances contribute to well-being: favor, opportunity, someone else’s death, situations that align with virtue. But for the most part, the mold of happiness lies in the hands of the individual. “Faber quisque fortunae suae” (Everyone is the architect of their own happiness), as the poet says. And the most common among external causes is that one person’s misfortune is another’s happiness.
For no one progresses as swiftly as the one who benefits from someone else’s mistake. “Serpens nisi serpentem comederit non fit draco” (A snake does not become a dragon until it devours another snake).
Open and obvious virtue brings praise; but there are also secret and hidden virtues that bring success, certain manifestations of one’s personality that have no name.
The Spanish word “desemboltura” partially expresses them; when there are no obstacles or disturbances in a person’s nature, but rather the wheels of their mind move in sync with the wheels of their happiness. For example, Livy described Cato the Elder in these words: “In illo viro, tantum robur corporis et animi fuit, ut quocunque loco natus es” (In that man, there was such strength of body and soul that wherever he was born) It seemed that he was going to create his own fortune (He was so strong in mind and body that he could achieve prosperity wherever he was born), he noticed the fact that he had a versatile nature (of versatile spirit).
Therefore, if a person looks attentively and carefully, they will see Fortune; because even though she is blind, she is not invisible. The path to happiness is like the Milky Way in the sky, which is a gathering or swarm of small stars that cannot be seen individually, but together they give light. So there is a certain number of small and hardly noticeable virtues or, rather, abilities and habits that lead to happiness.
Italians notice some of them, especially those that hardly come to mind. When they talk about someone who never fails, they will attribute to such a person that they are poco di matto (a little foolish).
And indeed, there is no happier trait than being a little foolish and not being too honest.
Therefore, those who ardently love their homeland or its rulers are never favorites of fate, nor can they be. Because when a person directs their thoughts outside of themselves, they are not following their own path.
Hurry By acquiring knowledge, a person becomes adventurous and restless (the French say it better: entreprenant or remuant); but the experienced happiness makes a person more capable.
The Goddess of Fortune should be celebrated and respected because of her two daughters, Trust and Reputation, as they create bliss: the first within the individual, and the second in others in relation to them.
All wise people, in order to protect themselves from envy, attribute their virtues to Providence and Fortune. Because this way they can embrace them even better: moreover, the greatness of a person is under the protection of higher forces. Thus, Caesar said to the helmsman during a storm: “Caesarum portas, et fortunam ejus” (You carry Caesar and his fate). Similarly, Sulla chose the name Felix (Fortunate) instead of Magnus (Great). And it has been noticed that those who openly and excessively attribute their wisdom and cleverness do not end up happily.
It is recorded that Timotheus of Athens, after presenting a report on his rule and repeatedly adding: “Fortune had no part in this”, did not succeed in anything he undertook. Indeed, there are those whose happiness resembles Homer’s verses that flow better and are more natural than the verses of other poets; as Plutarch says about Timoleon’s happiness, compared to Agesilaus’ or Epaminondas’. And why is that so, undoubtedly has a lot to do with the person themselves.