I occasionally drop by the local Rants & Raves forum in Craigslist; usually there is inane banter and idle discussion. But sometimes, just sometimes, there are some thoughtful questions, of which this was one. What defines you, the anonymous poster asked.

A friend posted a note on Facebook about the Bhutanese and why they are the happiest nation on Earth. While it sounds truly idyllic, a success story of human contentment, it worried me that perhaps their example, which traditionally inspires praise, might be flawed. So I replied.

In preparing a cover letter for an application to the Grand Orient de France, Europe’s premier Masonic lodge, I took the liberty of pondering why exactly I wanted to join, what I want to achieve and put those thoughts to paper.

Funny story, that. It all started with me relocating from India to Singapore when I was 7. New country, new languages, new friends, a whole new genre of food and fruits, what was there to not like? Unfortunately, it didn’t take; the grafting process must’ve been flawed somehow. Cue slow plodding passage of time. So let’s flash-​​forward 11 years. 11 long years…