There lived an old man in the village. He was one of the most unfortunate people in the world. The whole village was tired of him: he was always gloomy, always complaining, always in a bad mood, always sour. And the longer he lived, the more bilious he became, the more poisonous his words were. People avoided him: unhappiness became contagious. It was somehow insulting not to be unhappy around him. He created a feeling of unhappiness in others too.
But one day, when he turned eighty, the incredible happened. Instantly the rumor spread around everyone: “The old man is happy today, he doesn’t complain, he smiles, even his face has changed.” The whole village gathered. The old man was asked:
-What happened to you? What's the matter?
“Nothing,” answered the old man. “For eighty years I tried to become happy, and nothing came of it.” So I decided to do without happiness. That's why I'm happy.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru