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Post by Oliveman on Dec 26, 2007 22:01:53 GMT -5
So, I was thinking recently... I do that sometimes... and something struck me about the concept of happiness. It seems that, regardless of the type of happiness being talked about, happiness is viewed largely as a feeling to be obtained. The emphasis, therefore, is placed on the need for the feeling to be obtained, rather than the action to get it.
This conflict being the action that grants happiness, and the feeling of happiness, is one that stems from what I think to be our inherent need for the feeling.
But I think to dwell on the feeling alone is a mistake, and we blind ourselves to what, in the end, determines our happiness. Actions.
For instance, say that some scientist found the exact chemicals that are released into the brain when the highest, most fulfilling levels of happiness are reached. If you take certain supplements every day, then, you could feel the most rewarding happiness.
But compare this to someone who has done something good for the world, and the difference between this person and the "chemically enhanced" person becomes clear: The person who takes the chemicals to become happy is looking to achieve a feeling, while the other person finds fulfillment through actions. The primary objective of the second person is the action itself, and through that he finds happiness. The first person merely wants the feeling of happiness, and will take the easiest path to get there.
Thoughts?
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Post by michelle on Jan 3, 2008 17:21:01 GMT -5
This sparked a memory of a book I read in my childhood, that in the end said something along the lines of:
Happiness is not something which can be pursued, it must ensue from our actions.
I really agreed with it at the time.
However, with the case of the two people I wonder is fulfillment a part of happiness? Because while the two are both happy, the person who has done something good for the world is fulfilled as well. Or perhaps, the person who has done good is happy with themself, while the chemically enhanced person has only the physical feeling of it.
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Post by Oliveman on Jan 3, 2008 22:56:44 GMT -5
Yeah, basically what I was saying, but with just the word "happiness".
As with alot of our discussions, definitions are a trip-up point at times.
But yeah, the reason I didn't expressly say "fulfillment" (but meant it), is because many people obsess about happiness, and in the process gravitate toward the physical feeling of it that many first think of. Also, fulfillment has more of a long-term connotation, and the happiness I'm talking about is the happiness people would want to strive for day to day.
Of course, my own example was a long term one (doing something for the world).. and that was just to give examples at the extremes. However, I'm arguing that you can look at short-term actions that result in happiness with the same scrutiny that you examine your own long-term goals that result in fulfillment. Essentially, then, it's the same effect.
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