Comments on: Is Happiness a Worthwhile Goal?

By: simply stephen

simply stephen — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:16:28 +0000

Mary…as usual a thought provoking post with lots of great responses.

Happiness is a very worthwhile goal. Perhaps one of the most important ones – it’s eluded me for much of my life, so much so that I had to put a real effort in to discover it. I’m starting to get it. As for buying it…no.

So happiness is a by-product of attitude. Teaching people about the right attitudes and having strong support groups in place is the key…not everyone gets that support, so we need to be generous with the love we share…it shouldn’t be a commodity.
simply stephen´s last blog ..Who I Love Following On Twitter

By: Jane Doe

Jane Doe — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 18:23:07 +0000

And look at Barbara Ehrenreich’s new book too which critiques the positive thinking movement. Also William Jame’s “The Varieties of Religious Experience” about sick minded vs. healthy minded people. Even the Jungians recognize that if the shadow side, the chthonic depths, are not honored, they will come back big time and bite you in the ass and bring you down. Look at Job. Did Job simply not think positively enough? I think not.

By: Jane Doe

Jane Doe — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 18:22:08 +0000

Read this as a realistic antidote to the positive thinking movement that essentially blames the individual’s “bad attitude” for everything bad that happens to them:
http://happydays.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/dance-with-the-devil/
Also, would any of you dare look in the eye and blather on this positive thinking nonsense to women living in places like Afghanistan and Africa, women who are raped, dying, and tortured just for being women? Just one example of human suffering. Would you dare go into a Shriner’s hospital and tell the children their bad thoughts caused their deformities and innocent suffering? (I spent years in one of those places as a child and know what I am talking about.) This positive thinking is about the most superficial, shallow, ignorant response to the problem of suffering, salvation, and theodicy. You all should study the history of philosophy and read classical literature and get a grip on the human condition before you make other people just feel bad for the bad things other people and unjust social systems do to them. Happiness is more to be found in engaging in direct social/political action to change unjust power structures than in sitting around blaming one’s own “bad attitude” for one’s misfortunes. Try listening to death metal music.

By: Trent M.

Trent M. — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:28:45 +0000

Wow. There are quite a few comments.
I feel that most of what I’m going to share is just repeating what the others have said, but oh well.
Struggling with depression most of my life has certainly had a negative and dark effect on my life and psyche.
I first started looking up meditation to learn to get away and go into your own little world, away from everyone, and to get away from people.
And while looking for tips on meditation, I found this blog.
It has encouraged me to improve myself. And to grow and mature and evolve.
Some say happiness can be bought with money. Or by having money.
I’m sure there is some truth to this. And while we may ENJOY luxuries and material items, do they make us HAPPY.
I don’t think it does. I think some confuse a positive and excited emotion as being happy or feeling joy.
But it’s neither.
That unhappiness. Which will come around the corner whenever it wants, to whomever it wants. Could easily take away these worldly possessions.
I suppose I could say that for a while, happiness was a goal for me. It’s no wonder I never found it. Pursuing happiness only results in a false sense of happiness or feeling even more unhappy.
What is my goal? Well, now it is to enjoy life. To enjoy those who I love. To LEARN. Fill myself with knowledge and my life with experiences.
To be positive. Dwelling on unhappiness does nothing but make you feel even worse.
So why do that?
I know I’m not going to. Day by day I’ve been striving to do these things. Things which may result in happiness, but not happiness itself.
And you know what? I think these dark clouds are lifting.

By: jules

jules — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:39:48 +0000

excellent question mary

I’m all for happiness but I appreciate the darker times as well – kind of the sweet not tasting as sweet without the sour
jules´s last blog ..low maintenance pesto + a killer vego pasta recipe

By: Patrick @ unwrapyourmind.com

Patrick @ unwrapyourmind.com — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:38:40 +0000

As much as I enjoy happiness – I think that real growth often times comes from those “dark nights of the soul”. How can we recognize the light sides of our life, if we skip the dark passage that let’s us become aware of what is missing in the first place.

And buying happiness – what a ridiculous concept.

Very often this chasing after happiness is nothing but trying to sedate the feeling of emptiness. Find out what is worthwhile to work on and happiness will come without an iphone or a personal trainer.
Patrick @ unwrapyourmind.com´s last blog ..UNWRAPPED: The Fountain of Bliss – a 1 Minute Exercise

By: dissertation buy

dissertation buy — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:22:58 +0000

Thanks a lot for a bunch of good tips. I look forward to reading more on the topic in the future. Keep up the good work! This blog is going to be great resource. Love reading it. dissertations buy

By: Penstalker

Penstalker — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:52:52 +0000

Happiness is a worthwhile goal. But I kinda agree with Malgorzata’s comment above. that happiness is more a by-product of our pursuits in life. We can pursue it indirectly by understanding what makes us happy. Say, for example, writing a book, helping others, accomplishing something worthwhile. Those could be great sources of happiness. If happiness is pursued for the sake of happiness, it might be a short-term kind of happiness that won’t last.
Penstalker´s last blog ..Aiming and Working for Six Figure Copywriting

By: Josh

Josh — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:07:38 +0000

Happiness and distress sometimes seem like two sides of the same coin or, as the Bhagavad-gita points out, like the winter and summer seasons – they come and go of their own accord. It’s argued by spiritual pandits that no one ever ‘plans’ to be unhappy; we don’t say to ourselves or write in our diaries: “be miserable this weekend.” Yet somehow unhappiness comes, sometimes regardless of our attempts to avoid it. When unhappiness does come, we often ask, “why is this happening to me?” or “what did I do to deserve this?” In this way, with unhappiness, we often readily acknowledge that its appeareance in our life is independent of our control. Conversely, happiness also comes and goes, but the difference is, when it appears in our life, we congratulate ourselves as being the ultimate cause of the experience. However, both happiness and unhappiness come and go like the winter and summer seasons. So rather than focusing on being happy we should focus on developing clear consciousness (serenity) – like that of a crystal-clear and calm lake – so when either the winds of happiness of unhappiness blow, we remain equipoised, detached from their inherent duality and confidently situated in our own innate peace. That’s not to say we’re indifferent to life, far from it; we just learn to float on the crashing waves of life as much as possible instead of being constantly dunked and thrown by them. It’s natural to want to be happy; that is a basic, sane goal for anyone. Focusing on the experience of happiness, however, rather than the causes of happiness, makes happiness seem like a cheap over-the-counter pill that anyone can acquire, regardless of their lifestyle, or state of consciousness. It’s far more important to focus on inner peace and clarity through meditation, so one develops the compassionate, ethical lifestyle that will in time attract happiness to us, like the sea is drawn to the moon.
Josh´s last blog ..Earth, the next red planet?

By: Pat

Pat — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:06:51 +0000

Happiness is absolutely a worthwhile goal to me, but the happiness I am after is a deep soul satisfying happiness and contentment, not a shallow surface-y happiness though momentary simple happinesses do have there time and place. I hear a lot of what sounds like resentment and judgement in this post. I love sharing love and happiness with the world and I do that best when I am actively cultivating love, happiness, and contentment in myself.