Philosophy of Happiness

Discuss

That’s good, but you need to admit there’s nothing new in there.

My wandering life was inspired by those ideals, which have been shared all over and for ages as the video points out, and are even self-discoverable .

Happiness is a misleading word. I think about my daughter’s wedding and the mix of memories each with its own emotions attached, from dark and sad, to the joyous and the downright cosmic. A lifetime of mixed memories, emotions adding up to a supremely satisfactory smile. “What a ride” and we’re all still here to hug and celebrate through all the changes. You know, it’s all tied together, and we can’t tear out one part, and not expect everything else to shift, so we smile and glory in being part of the pageant.

Sort of like the value of appreciating the difference between a fantasy and trying to make it reality. It rarely works. Respect the difference, and let it go at a respectful humorous smile, or less.

Rather than “happiness” I prefer something like contentment, sense of being at home, a smile of wellbeing.

Being needed and respected by other humans also matters. Helping others. Working together on joint projects creates relationships and understanding.

And here’s where my frustration with all of that philosophizing starts coming in - it is not moving the dialogue forward.

Notice still not a word about Earth, biosphere, other creatures, it’s beyond our sense of awareness. Like it doesn’t matter, but it does.

That’s what I’m calling out.

What about our relationship with other animals?

When do they start bringing in the idea of consciousness as a product of our body ‘interacting’ with life into the discussion?

Looking back to premodern times and to a lesser extent today,
How much of human happiness has to do with sense of place - even though the place and times are full of difficult and painful events, they are also full of glorious events, and there’s a connection that goes beyond sentiments and into the physical and the exchange of matter, air, food, water.

I keep thinking Evolution and Earth centered thinking deserves to be brought into that traditional framing which is for the most part repetition. Like the video points out, these lessons have been well known for ages, I believe it’s time to catch up to modern realities which requires deeper Evolutionary understanding. (Well, at least if we dare dream of turning the tide a wee bit - of course, there’s always the option of Business As Usual.)

He goes through a list of dead people, so, not too much insight there. You know there are a lot of unhappy in the world, right?

Okay, so go ahead and do that.

What did you want to discuss, that people have been thinking about human happiness for a long time?

That people recognize certain fundamental keys to human happiness?

That most don’t actually understand what happiness is?

How can they if they don’t strive to understand who they themselves are?

Kinda squeezing things in between family, so the post was short. If I don’t put up links, I lose them. So, yes those first three questions were good. I could add to them.

I have time now because my wife just left to help a sick single mother. The mother’s mother broke her hip yesterday so they needed our help. Not sure what the rest of the day will bring. So,

Considering your limits vs needs is moderation is understanding your self. So is justice. You can’t think about these things without including your connection to others, your ancestry, your connection to the planet.

Einstein’s letter to children for Christmas, written in 1935 :christmas_tree:

It gives me great pleasure to picture you children joined together in joyous festivities in the radiance of Christmas lights. Think also of the teachings of him whose birth you celebrate by these festivities. Those teachings are so simple – and yet in almost 2000 years they have failed to prevail among men.

Learn to be happy through the happiness and joy of your fellows, and not through the dreary conflict of man against man! If you can find room within yourselves for this natural feeling, your every burden in life will be light, or at least bearable, and you will find your way in patience without fear, and will spread joy everywhere.

With warm wishes,
Albert Einstein