Contentment: A Way to True Happiness (Paperback)

~ (Author), Jerry M. Ruhl (Author) "Who does not want contentment?..." (more)
Key Phrases: more contentment, King Lear, Garden of Eden

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This slim volume by noted Jungian analyst Johnson (Lying with the Heavenly Woman) and psychotherapist Ruhl (who also coauthored Balancing Heaven and Earth with Johnson) doesn't purport to have all of the answers to today's psychological ills, and therein lies its strength. While acknowledging the myriad possible reasons for our discontent, the authors present a winning argument for why we should cease to seek a fix or an answer and find deeper satisfaction in things as they are. Society may tell us to keep looking for the next purchase, person, job or feeling to fill the void, but, as the authors point out, "contentment comes from the inside." In addition to the examples Johnson and Ruhl draw from Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Taoist and other traditions, they present an extended discussion of the themes of spiritual blindness and insight in King Lear to illustrate the inward and outward examination necessary for growth. Their contemplative strategies for achieving happiness take into account the pace and complexity of modern life, and are not merely a call to simplify and reduce. Closing with a discussion of "gifts" that can be difficult to recognize (confusion, paradox, ordinariness, detachment), this small book is surprisingly weighty. Author tour.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Prominent Jungian psychotherapist Johnson and fellow therapist Ruhl, Johnson's collaborator on Balancing Heaven and Earth (1998), take on the great question of how to find contentment while remaining alive to life's struggles. In a small set of pithy, wise essays, they argue that contentment means learning to live wholly with what we have rather than ceaselessly straining for more. This is, of course, a common theme in inspirational literature. Johnson and Ruhl add something new, however, in what they say about being content while also growing psychologically. The paradox of simultaneous contentment and growth is basic to the life quest, as exemplified in the great Shakespearean story of King Lear, who goes mad because he cannot be content with Cordelia's truthfulness. Johnson and Ruhl also cite a great Hindu story, the Mahabharata, in which unhappiness follows happiness whenever "the well of suffering runs dry." Happiness must never be mistaken for contentedness, they say, for one can have the latter in the absence of the former. Patricia Monaghan --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne; 1 edition (July 3, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062515934
• ISBN-13: 978-0062515933
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #104,631 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful examination of the core of human experience, June 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Contentment: A Way to True Happiness (Hardcover)

This is a powerful book, full of concise wisdom. Rather than telling you how to interpret an idea--too many books tell you what to think--this thin volume, echoing Shakespeare's King Lear, allows you to integrate the wisdom deeply into your consciousness. What I have always marveled about Johnson's books is their ability to suggest ideas without talking down to you, evoke wisdom without hitting you over the head. Johnson lets you find your own answers to the big questions. This book points me closer to God. What more could you expect from a mere book? (Another bonus: it's inspired me to read Lear again, this time from a new perspective.)

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful & simplistic , July 25, 2005

By	A. Biesen (Oakland, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am reading it for a second time because I loved it so much. Very simple, but insightful book on everyone's search for contentment. It shows how the American culture does not support the journey required to find true contentment. I liked it so much I've bought a few copies to give to my friends!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars a few good bits of insight, April 5, 2007

By	C. Smiley (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book contained a lot of stuff that I did not find useful. The King Lear examples were dreary. Here are the best nuggets of knowledge from the book:

Contentment - to be at home with what you already contain - your existing contents. Contentment isn't found on the outside or from getting what we want. It is our capacity to mediate our desires with "what is". Accept what is rather than insist that life be a certain way. Contentment comes from the inside rather than "just as soon as" I get x or event y happens. Honoring and embracing "what is" is the opposite of living a "just as soon as" mentality. Rearranging life on the outside will not produce lasting contentment no matter how much you do or get. Contentment can't be found out there - it is inside of you.

Let the daily upsets, disappointments, and changes pass by like clouds in the sky. In the scheme of theme they are no more important or permanent than the clouds. You can participate in the daily frustrations and absurdities of life while simultaneously observing them as a great movie show.

The past is gone and the future is yet to be. All that exists is now. Try to imagine how life might be if you were able to let go of a predetermined course of action and instead accept what life presents to you. When you bump up against a rock, try moving in a different direction. Letting go is not giving up. In letting go you consciously do what can be done. Become aware of how the urge to act interferes with true knowing. Try simply being aware rather than doing or demanding.