Chinese proverb: "If you want to be happy for an hour, take a nap. If you want to be happy for a day, go fishing...

The article revisits a Chinese proverb that contrasts short-lived pleasure with longer-lasting sources of happiness. It explains that in Chinese traditions shaped by three major schools—Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism—happiness is often framed as two types: hedonic, focused on immediate pleasure, and eudaimonic, tied to deep well-being and purpose. The proverb states that a nap brings happiness for an hour, fishing for a day, inheriting a fortune for a year, and helping someone else for a lifetime. It argues that rest relieves physical fatigue, while fishing slows life routines but remains temporary. By contrast, inheritances ease financial worries only briefly. Ultimately, the piece says the only lasting form of happiness is altruism, because helping others creates purpose and connection beyond self-interest.