Thought for the day

[noirua]

Happiness is understranding the human condition and accepting that we all will die one day.

No! No! No! Happiness requires no thought of the future and so death is an irrelevance. Must live only in the present.

 

[Wysiwyg]

Life never turned out the way I planned it.

 

[jono1887]

Life never turned out the way I planned it.

nothing ever does...

 

[Buckeroo]

No! No! No! Happiness requires no thought of the future and so death is an irrelevance. Must live only in the present.

I've heard & have experienced that people going through hardship together usually are at their happiest. Helping each other to get through adversity can be uplifting.

It seems the richer we get the more we want, We are only then happy when we think of buying a new toy? Once we own this, then the drive is on to buy the next.

So maybe noirua, your onto something. By thinking about the present, we are content with our lot, rather than looking further afield & being depressed about something we are not.

Cheers

 

[MrBurns]

It seems the richer we get the more we want, We are only then happy when we think of buying a new toy? Once we own this, then the drive is on to buy the next.
Cheers

Ain't it the truth .....but while the money holds out it really is fun.

 

[jbocker]

I've heard & have experienced that people going through hardship together usually are at their happiest. Helping each other to get through adversity can be uplifting.

It seems the richer we get the more we want, We are only then happy when we think of buying a new toy? Once we own this, then the drive is on to buy the next.

So maybe noirua, your onto something. By thinking about the present, we are content with our lot, rather than looking further afield & being depressed about something we are not.

Cheers

Well said Buckeroo and Noirua. Absolutely agree. I would only add that to strive for something is very healthy, just make sure you celebrate achievements along the way. Dont be dissapointed about not getting what you want (you have yet to get there) be thankful for what you have achieved along the way.

 

[Sean K]

Want nothing.

 

[Julia]

The secret of happiness is living in the present without need for a future.

Want nothing.

Lots of warm fuzzy feelgood stuff on this thread. I'd just question how realistic either of these two statements are?

It's not practical to have no plans for the future, Noirua.

And Kennas: 'want nothing'? So it's enough to just 'be'?
No need to satisfy hunger, provide shelter, engage in soul satisfying activity etc?

 

[Julia]

I've heard & have experienced that people going through hardship together usually are at their happiest. Helping each other to get through adversity can be uplifting.

True. During the blitz in London the suicide rate fell markedly.
An extension of this philosophy can be as simple as more of us making a voluntary contribution to our communities.

It seems the richer we get the more we want, We are only then happy when we think of buying a new toy? Once we own this, then the drive is on to buy the next.

This might be the case for some but by no means all. Many people, once they have enough to provide for their own needs, will give money away rather than waste it on superfluous trinkets.

So maybe noirua, your onto something. By thinking about the present, we are content with our lot, rather than looking further afield & being depressed about something we are not.

Perhaps, but there's nothing wrong with healthy aspiration.

Happiness is understranding the human condition and accepting that we all will die one day.

And remembering to leave a Will so that the government doesn't get all we have worked for!

 

[noirua]

True. During the blitz in London the suicide rate fell markedly.
An extension of this philosophy can be as simple as more of us making a voluntary contribution to our communities.

I believe there was a blitz in Coventry as well. Some people stayed in their houses and hoped Hitler would get them - maybe.

 

[noirua]

True. During the blitz in London the suicide rate fell markedly.
An extension of this philosophy can be as simple as more of us making a voluntary contribution to our communities.

I believe there was a blitz in Coventry as well. Some people stayed in their houses and hoped Hitler would get them - maybe. Air raid shelters, Underground/Metro or I think Anderson shelters. People were bombed in Darwin as well by the Japanese, not to forget.

 

[Julia]

I believe there was a blitz in Coventry as well. Some people stayed in their houses and hoped Hitler would get them - maybe.

What makes you think that?

Air raid shelters, Underground/Metro or I think Anderson shelters. People were bombed in Darwin as well by the Japanese, not to forget.

I don't see your point.

What I was reinforcing, in keeping with the discussion, was the idea that when people are striving towards the common good, there is a reduction in individual sense of misery.
For a recent, close to home example, consider the Victorian bush fires where people focused as much on helping their neighbours as on their own losses.

I can't see the connection with such an hypothesis and a description of air raid shelters. Neither do I get the connection with your earlier suggestion that the only real happiness exists in the present moment.

 

[insider]

Why are carrots more orange than oranges?

 

[noirua]

What makes you think that?


I don't see your point.

What I was reinforcing, in keeping with the discussion, was the idea that when people are striving towards the common good, there is a reduction in individual sense of misery.
For a recent, close to home example, consider the Victorian bush fires where people focused as much on helping their neighbours as on their own losses.

I can't see the connection with such an hypothesis and a description of air raid shelters. Neither do I get the connection with your earlier suggestion that the only real happiness exists in the present moment.

Hi Julia, Starting with the latter. Animals do not have the misfortune of worrying about the hereafter or the need to have a God, or concern about life after death. [how can the world go on without me, said the dying man]
From this we can see that the need for a future is solely human and taking that away, living for the present, brings about a getting on with life, day by day. This in itself is happiness and no worries about the future.

On the matter of air raid shelters etc., I was pointing to the needs of people to survive and point to a situation where some refused to shelter and "maybe" asked Hitler to land a bomb on them and end it all.

I note your other points but see them as much like my air raid shelters etc.,

Good fortune - noi

 

[noirua]

"These carrots are poor, small crooked and difficult to peel. Was it you who grew these, forgot to water, feed and spray aye mate", he said?

"Nay, no, not, not me, fed, watered, sprayed, indeed. Poor stock! I blame it on the parents", she replied.

 

[johenmo]

Happiness is wanting what you have, not having what you want.

 

[Julia]

Happiness is wanting what you have, not having what you want.

Really? Say I have just had an accident, am now quadriplegic, absolutely dependent, my family don't want to know me because I'm no longer a breadwinner, are you seriously suggesting I should be happy about that?

Obviously I'm just picking one very obvious example, but gazillions of people are existing in lives that are frankly pretty crappy, and you want them to be happy about it?

These warm and fuzzy cliches are all very well, but in the real world they are hollow nonsense.

Not getting at you, johenmo, but just rather at the unrealistic stuff that is perpetually trotted out by the feelgood brigade.

That's not to say we all shouldn't make the best of what we have, but imo it shouldn't go to the point of being ridiculous.

 

[MrBurns]

Happiness is achievment, it could be making millions, helping others, you name it if it's worthwhile and you can do it and it feels good that constitutes a big part of being happy.
Bringing up kids, training a puppy........ you name it.

 

[Tink]

Julia, I dont see them as hollow nonsense at all..

Isnt it all in the way we look at something?

If we focus on the negative, of course a person will be unhappy.
What about the other things they have got, rather than what they havent got..?

I dont see them as unrealistic at all..

Bring on the feelgood brigade : )

 

[Julia]

So, Tink, if you were a quadriplegic in a nursing home full of demented aged persons, completely helpless, deserted by your family, you'd be perfectly happy because you could feel good about absolutely anything, huh?