There is no duty in life
except the duty of being happy.
It is our only reason for being in this world.
With all our duties,
all our morals,
all our commandments,
we seldom make one another happy,
because these do not make us happy.
A person who is good
can only be so when he is happy,
when there is harmony within him,
in other words,
when he loves.
This has been the rule,
the only rule, of this world -
thus taught Jesus;
thus taught Buddha;
thus taught Hegel.
For each of us
the only thing of importance in this world
is his own inner self -
his soul,
his capacity for love.
When this is working,
we may be eating plain porridge or cake,
we may be wearing rags or jewels -
but the world will be resounding
in the clear tones of the soul.
It will be a good world,
a world going on in proper order.

-Herman Hesse-