X-Message-Number: 15842 Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 07:45:13 -0500 From: Thomas Donaldson <> Subject: more on happiness Hi everyone! The notion of happiness without any specific thing about which to be happy is very common. People often say that everyone seeks happiness, for instance, while freely admitting that what THEY seek isn't the same as what someone ELSE may seek. It's notions of that kind that make me think that the idea of happiness as a goal is quite contrary to what really happens or ever could happen. The recent message by Mark Plus basically provides more info in support of this notion. We are happy when we make progress toward our goal (often independent of how important that goal may be to ourselves or to others)... or in other words, the feeling of happiness comes as a consequence of seeking a goal, it has no independent existence (yes, it can be produced by drugs, but who really wants happiness of that kind). If sometimes you happen not to have any particular goal, then you won't feel happy, either. Among other issues, that makes the provision of happiness by one person to another something in which both parties must participate: it can never be done by one person alone. Nor could one person or institution give a right to happiness; at most it would be a right to seek happiness (or in other words, seek your own goals). This latter point brings in different political systems, too: though the correspondence isn't perfect, a polity which allows its citizens to seek their own goals (seek happiness) would also be one which allows its citizens more freedom rather than less. The possibility of a society which merely gave its citizens a "happiness drug" of course remains. A consequence of this viewpoint would be that no amount of technology will bring us happiness, nor can we expect an understanding of happiness to make everyone happy. What makes you happy will always be the pursuit of YOUR goals, and those goals depend on many things outside yourself. No pure psychology will tell us how to become happy. Just some thoughts brought on by Mark Plus's recent discussion. Best and long long life to all, Thomas Donaldson Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=15842