In the crisp autumn of October 2025, as the battle between day and night rages on, ushering in the winter season, one of the most profound timeless questions, “How to be happy?”, lingers deep inside me. In our hyper-connected, AI-driven world where every day more and more depressing news is the norm, further accentuated by social media creating a conundrum of negativity every minute, the achievement of happiness seems frustratingly elusive.

Interestingly, the Oxford Dictionary defines happiness as “the state of being happy.” It defines happy as “feeling or showing pleasure or contentment.” Thus, being happy is ephemeral and relative and cannot be defined in absolute terms. Contrary to the past, when happiness was primarily a philosophical construct, it is now measured against different KPIs, gamified on apps and commodified in wellness businesses. The entire advertising industry relies on the linchpin: “How to make customers happy?”

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Being a social animal, human beings have, from the birth of their species, been closely knit. The human child is, if not the most, then one of the most brittle offsprings in the world of mammals. Without continuous protection, love, and support, no child can survive, and this is essential for their first 2–5 years of life. So, right from the first breath, Homo sapiens get connected physically and emotionally to another. And this contact, which is initially developed in the mother’s womb, continues till the last breath.

Despite an avalanche of technology unleashed by the digital revolution, human closeness is still a basic ingredient of our society. The entire edifice is built on the family, which defines a person’s........

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