Reply to: The Dark Art of Happiness

[SpontaneousOrder]

Happiness is not to be achieved at the command of emotional whims. Happiness is not the satisfaction of whatever irrational wishes you might blindly attempt to indulge. Happiness is a state of non-contradictory joy—a joy without penalty or guilt, a joy that does not clash with any of your values and does not work for your own destruction, not the joy of escaping from your mind, but of using your mind’s fullest power, not the joy of faking reality, but of achieving values that are real, not the joy of a drunkard, but of a producer. Happiness is possible only to a rational man, the man who desires nothing but rational goals, seeks nothing but rational values and finds his joy in nothing but rational actions.

Just as I support my life, neither by robbery nor alms, but by my own effort, so I do not seek to derive my happiness from the injury or the favor of others, but earn it by my own achievement. Just as I do not consider the pleasure of others as the goal of my life, so I do not consider my pleasure as the goal of the lives of others. Just as there are no contradictions in my values and no conflicts among my desires—so there are no victims and no conflicts of interest among rational men, men who do not desire the unearned and do not view one another with a cannibal’s lust, men who neither make sacrifices nor accept them.

-- John Galt

Give up on magic. Embrace reason & rationality. Reject contradiction. Work hard. Achieve productively.

The result is real happiness, derived from the self-pride one feels in being the best man they can be.

[Gibbon]

Only when man's life comes to its end in prosperity can one call that man happy.
Agamemmon 928

[Cloudrider]

I felt sad until I sawit was a photography project:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater

I'm really glad you pointed that out. Thanks.

[Cloudrider]

Fakeness aside, do you think that the fact that there are people who are worse off than you is a good reason to feel happy? It may make you thankful that you're not them, but that in itself doesn't make you happy. If anything, it makes you feel sad, and guilty that you're not able to do more to help.

Fair point. I wouldn't say it makes you feel happy. We all reach our own lows whether it be a divorce, illness, or simply an off day. It merely serves to allow you to realise what others are going through and that however low you may feel, it may not be as bad as you feel. Only oneself can realise one is happy don't you think?

[vetran]

Fakeness aside, do you think that the fact that there are people who are worse off than you is a good reason to feel happy? It may make you thankful that you're not them, but that in itself doesn't make you happy. If anything, it makes you feel sad, and guilty that you're not able to do more to help.

It makes me thankful I'm not them and then it reminds me I have many reasons to be happy.

It also makes me sad.

[scooterscot]

What's the secret of not letting life get you down?

Sun shining is certainly helping in my corner of the 'hood.

Put yourself in others shoes and live their life for a moment. Helping others. Changing your social circle. The useful stuff and it needn't cost you a penny.

[d000hg]

Me too on the whole. But it 'can' be more stressful than sitting in a nice relaxed, nothing-ever-changes permie job and just plodding along. Like I always say, money doesnt make you happy.

End result is being happy and having money ;-)

A stressful job doesn't mean you won't be happy any more than plodding along in a permie job means you would. Some of the happiest people I know are the busiest.

[xoggoth]

Fakeness aside, do you think that the fact that there are people who are worse off than you is a good reason to feel happy? It may make you thankful that you're not them, but that in itself doesn't make you happy. If anything, it makes you feel sad, and guilty that you're not able to do more to help.

xoggoth says you're wrong.

Real person behind xoggoth agrees.

PS Actually, there isn't one. I'm an Android APP.

[administrator]

And in fact was link #1 (photo 7) on Nick's Monday links this week

http://forums.contractoruk.com/gener...ol-cclxii.html

Yes! I had read that, honest!!

[mudskipper]

You don't have to look very far to see that there is always someone worse off. If you truly want to understand how happy you are, go and spend some time with people that are really suffering. He's a starter for ten..

https://www.facebook.com/benjahmusic...198695/?type=1

Fakeness aside, do you think that the fact that there are people who are worse off than you is a good reason to feel happy? It may make you thankful that you're not them, but that in itself doesn't make you happy. If anything, it makes you feel sad, and guilty that you're not able to do more to help.

[mudskipper]

I felt sad until I sawit was a photography project:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater

And in fact was link #1 (photo 7) on Nick's Monday links this week

http://forums.contractoruk.com/gener...ol-cclxii.html

[OwlHoot]

Me too on the whole. But it 'can' be more stressful than sitting in a nice relaxed, nothing-ever-changes permie job

OTOH, after a while time passes ever faster in "nice relaxed nothing-ever-changes" circs ...

[administrator]

You don't have to look very far to see that there is always someone worse off. If you truly want to understand how happy you are, go and spend some time with people that are really suffering. He's a starter for ten..

https://www.facebook.com/benjahmusic...198695/?type=1

I felt sad until I sawit was a photography project:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater

[Cloudrider]

You don't have to look very far to see that there is always someone worse off. If you truly want to understand how happy you are, go and spend some time with people that are really suffering. He's a starter for ten..

https://www.facebook.com/benjahmusic...198695/?type=1

[psychocandy]

That would stress me out no end.

Money isn't what motivates me to contract, in any way.

Well yeh it does for a lot of people too but a lot of people like this :-) Permies etc.

Just pointing out that things like depression/anxiety etc dont know how much your day rate is.