Happiness is something that is pursued by all humans regardless of demographics, chances are if you are human you want to be happy in some way. The obsession with achieving and/or maintaining happiness is as old as human survival itself, this is just a plausible hypothesis, just look at how far we have come since the Stone Age. Humans have created many ways to be happy, from simple pleasures to lavish lifestyles, all in the pursuit of happiness and mental well-being. Happiness is a difficult state of mind to measure, and when we evaluate our success in achieving happiness in life, the results will vary from one individual to another. Some people need so little to be happy while others are never satisfied and find it impossible to reach their desired level of happiness. The only common goal that every human being has is to achieve happiness, some focus on the present while others work hard to be happy hopefully in the near future. Tolstoy's short story “The Death of Ivan Illych” describes how Ivan measures happiness and why he failed to achieve his life's goal. Elmire in Moliere's “Tartufo” represents an excellent example of a happy life even in a difficult situation. Happiness is not the product of favorable circumstances or of always making the right decision, but of having the ability to value what you have and make the best of it. In this text I will discuss the contrast between these two characters and the role that a positive state of mind plays in the pursuit of happiness. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayIvan Ilych seems to have followed a guide to success and happiness set by people he considered important and admired. “Neither as a boy nor as a man was he a bootlicker, but from early youth he was naturally attracted to people of high rank as a fly is attracted to light, assimilating their ways and views of life and establishing friendly relations with them” (Tolstoy 9). Ivan has followed the roadmap he considers most prosperous to achieve the goal of happiness, and in doing so, he has adopted others' perceptions of what success and happiness should look like. He determined at a young age that he would have to work hard to be successful and live a happy and meaningful life. Ivan's perception of making happiness a goal rather than a present and ongoing state of mind has caused him to lose sight of the simple pleasures of childhood and other stress-free activities. The character of Elmire in "Tartuffe" is a strong, elegant woman who displays great self-esteem. control and resilience in the face of life-changing decisions that could affect his happiness. Unlike Ivan, who is well educated and finished law school at the top of his class, not much is known about Elmire's background. Above all, Elmire showed more elegance and class in clarifying the misunderstanding with Tartuffe. Her knowledge of people, especially men, and their weakness gave her the confidence to defeat Tartuffe and expose him to her husband. Not only was she witty and cunning, but she made the best of the situation, instead of letting Tartuffe harass her, she took advantage of the situation to solve another problem that was affecting her current happiness. That problem was Valere and Mariane's marriage. “Some may be offended by your confession, but I will show some discretion and keep my husband in the dark about these sinful feelings you express towards me. But I want something from you in return: there is a wedding.