I read an article not too long ago about how higher level educated people are less happy than their non-educated counterparts. It went in depth to say that when intelligent people are presented with an obstacle, they weight the moral, social, personal, future, and other impacts of their decision before choosing. Needless to say, much effort and thought is put into what they may choose to do or not do. The article assumes that the lesser educated people tend to ignore potential consequences of their actions and proceed to follow the path to whatever makes them happy at that moment.

Perhaps that is the key: the moment. I don't believe I am wrong to say that the aspiring intellectual often lives to achieve their dream of their future.They avoid commitments and decisions that may deviate them from their path or burden their journey. Conscious (and perhaps unconscious) decisions are made everyday to ensure that they achieve their own idea of success.

Is there a connection between the well educated person's perceived lack of happiness and substance use? Alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs are used by many people, educated or otherwise, but the reason they are used is what is intriguing. The dulling of the senses and decision making capabilities of most of these substances allow their user to forgo their natural logical thinking and simply follow their emotional and instinctual desires. The result: a release from their organized and structured life if only for a moment. 

I cannot argue against having done exactly just that. 

Writing just for the sake of writing. It's somewhat alleviating to transfer thoughts from mind to paper or computer screen. A cleansing ritual of sorts that wipes the mind clean of disheveled thoughts that run rampant and chaotic within their confines. They become organized as they journey to their new medium, emancipating the conscious from their occupation. Somehow, and always, they are never satiated in their new dwelling and creep into the mind yet again.

Will

The human spirit has a substantial capacity for hope. Despite all odds, circumstances, or even sound logic, hope drives a being to it's very limits to accomplish its goal. Hope is fuel for a person's willpower, which is consumed with the menial tasks and hard labor of everyday life. Willpower is used to get past the trials and tribulations on the road to one's goal in life, whatever it may be.

Used as a vehicle to transport a human from one stage of his life to the next, will is completely essential. Drivers may change over time: hope, anger, fear, regret, ambition, perseverance, love, etc. Unfortunately, drivers have only so much influence on the integrity of the vehicle, as willpower fades and slows its user down. Fixing it can be a long process, but a speedier one with the support of family and close friends.

Somehow, willpower get's a person to his/her destination, with every person's destination being exponentially farther than the next. The question is: what drives an individual's willpower the most, and is it enough to take him/her to where they want to go?