Happiness is the reward we get for living to the highest right we

In the words of Richard Bach, “Happiness is the reward we get for living to the highest right we know,” there lies a truth older than kings and temples, older even than written wisdom. It speaks to the divine harmony between the soul’s integrity and its joy — that true happiness is not a gift granted by fate or fortune, but the sacred fruit of righteous living. To live to the highest right is to walk in alignment with one’s conscience, to follow the whisper of the spirit even when the world tempts with easier paths. And when such a life is lived, happiness arrives not as fleeting pleasure, but as quiet peace — a crown placed upon the heart by the hands of virtue itself.

In this saying, Richard Bach — author of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, that parable of flight and freedom — reveals that joy is not found in the possession of things, but in the pursuit of truth. The origin of this quote arises from his deep reflections on the nature of the human soul: that each of us is a being of infinite potential, capable of transcendence, but only when we act according to the light within. To “live to the highest right we know” is to obey that inner compass — that divine spark that tells us what is noble, what is pure, what is right — even when no one else sees or praises us for it.

In every age, mankind has sought happiness. Some have searched in gold and conquest; others in love, pleasure, or power. Yet all who sought it without righteousness found only emptiness in the end. Look upon Socrates, who drank the hemlock calmly rather than betray his principles. Though condemned, he was free. Though dying, he was at peace. For he lived to the highest right he knew — the pursuit of wisdom and truth. His happiness did not fade with his breath, but grew immortal in the hearts of those who learned from his example. Thus, happiness is not pleasure, but peace born of integrity.

In contrast, consider the tyrants of history — those who gained every throne, every jewel, every indulgence, but could not find rest in their souls. They lived against the truth they knew, and their reward was torment. The ancient king Nero, draped in gold, feared the shadows of his own guilt. Alexander wept, not because he lacked worlds to conquer, but because the inner world of peace eluded him. Their happiness was counterfeit, for it was not earned by righteousness but stolen from desire. The soul cannot be deceived for long; it withers when separated from what is just.

Happiness, then, is not a thing to be hunted. It is a reward, as Bach says — a gift bestowed by the universe upon those who have lived with honor, with truth, with courage. It comes when one’s thoughts, words, and deeds stand in harmony. It comes when one forgives, when one acts with compassion, when one follows the voice that says, “This is the way of rightness — walk in it.” The ancients knew this well; they carved it upon temple walls and taught it to their children: that virtue is not the enemy of joy, but its mother.

Consider Mahatma Gandhi, who renounced comfort and walked barefoot through dust and suffering for the sake of justice. Though imprisoned and beaten, he was serene. His happiness did not depend on circumstance, but on alignment — his life was one with his highest right. He knew that to betray conscience is to lose peace, and to honor it is to gain heaven even in hardship. So too can we find joy when we live with moral clarity, when we act from love instead of fear, truth instead of convenience.

Let this teaching, then, be passed down: Do not chase happiness; chase righteousness. Let your every act be guided by the best truth you know, even when it is hard, even when no one sees. Speak honestly, love deeply, forgive quickly, and serve humbly. For each such act builds a foundation upon which happiness will naturally stand.

And when you have lived thus — when your heart is pure and your will is steadfast — you will discover what Richard Bach meant. Happiness will not come to you as a reward from the world, but as a quiet radiance from within. You will have found the secret of the ancients: that joy is not the destination, but the divine echo of a life lived in truth.