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There is a great poem call "If" by Rudyard Kipling. I feel it defines pretty well the traits of a happy person.

Ive always hated "If" as it captures that British Imperialist viewpoint at that point in history

Its background is that it was written as a tribute to Jameson after the failed Jameson raid - which was an attempted South African coup

I didn't know the background but I'd agree though not necessarily as strongly as hating it.

To me, the poem paints an unreachable ideal of being that just doesn't resonate with me at all. It may just be me but in my mind it feels naive.

There is a beautiful (to me) recitation of "If" performed by Dennis Hopper that I have saved along with several other similar recordings, all of which have helped me immensely over the years. Thank you for reminding me that it's about that time of year to watch/listen to it again!

YouTube link of the recitation for anyone interested: https://youtube.com/watch?v=4EZhc_YZ2fs

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