he supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we have the freedom to pursue the things we really admire, in my perspective, including love and knowledge.

Love was praised throughout the long history of humans. Shakespeare sang in his sonnet, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and temperate.” Summer, the same as spring in Chinese poetries, has been the eternal theme in European poems. A man who has the beloved one shall pray daily for his brilliant fortune; a man, without such a fate, may also feel lucky to chase the one until the arrow of love befalls.

The meaning of love doesn’t limit itself to couples. Love from parents, relatives, friends, teachers and sometimes even strangers compounds our common life. As people often say, life without love is the same as life without sun. When you are depressed or puzzled, or need some people to share your pleasure, they are available to be with you. Then you are not lonely even in an unfamiliar situation. Power and strength come out as water burst out of pipes.

One man shall never feel sad if he is accompanied with knowledge. Nowadays, people lay much emphasis on hard working and endurance. While for a man who is interested in seeking for knowledge, he will never regard learning as a hard task. He always has fun finding the secrets of history, the dedicate feelings in literature, the intelligence of ancient philosophers and all he’d like to know. Every time I unfold a book, a special feeling arises from the bottom of my heart, different from everyday feelings, but a kind of holy emotion. You may “talk” with the author through words, or start a new journey you may never predict. My soul was guided or even driven by the endless curiosity, leading me to rivers of intelligence or forests of secrets.

Life spent pursuing unfailing love and knowledge will never be boring, but neither will be effortless. The way to happiness needs more patience than you ever expect.

The author is a student at the School of English Studies and the Graduate Institute of Interpretation and Translation, Shanghai International Studies University.