Happiness

Bloe Joggs

It seems to me that in the west, much of the pursuit of happiness centres on the goal of emulating the wealthy in some distant future stage of one's life. You see it in a lot of Irish families, with the whole cliché of the cabinet of prized silverware and cutlery in the back room, much of which has become embarrassingly tacky these days.

People can be surprisingly dismissive of the whole notion of happiness being something you live from moment to moment, a state of mind that at once makes it possible to achieve bliss right now and shows up certain material frivolities for what they are.

Sure, even the most contemplative and reflective of us still have goals but we shouldn't let them dictate our state of happiness until we reach them, that is what sets up the whole illusion of dreams deferred.

In short, don't gamble your state of mind on unknown outcomes, the odds of which you don't even know because even if you make it, one measly rung higher on the social ladder, will you really think it was worth missing out on all those years of comparative bliss?

Torakx

I think happiness is a dream. It never lasts and is based on our ideals.
Or even that it is a feeling, it is therefore finite.

I always say I don't aim for happiness, I aim to be content.
Sadness and happiness are the two apposing sides to contentment.
They are both corrupting and off balance.
I think it's ok to be off balance now and then(its how we learn and appreciate things). But make sure you are not striving to always be off balance.
Contentment might be the appreciation, upon reflection on our happiness or sadness.
Or maybe it is a lack of desire. And so desire is the cause of happiness and sadness?

Black Swan

Omar Khayyám's philosophy, as poetically illustrated in his Rubaiyat, was to live one's day-to-day life to the fullest. He has grand answers to your questions from observations made a thousand years ago.

Bloe Joggs wrote: »

People can be surprisingly dismissive of the whole notion of happiness being something you live from moment to moment, a state of mind that at once makes it possible to achieve bliss right now

"Come, fill the Cup, and in the fire of Spring
Your Winter-garment of Repentance fling:
The Bird of Time has but a little way
To flutter--and the Bird is on the Wing."

Bloe Joggs wrote: »

In short, don't gamble your state of mind on unknown outcomes, the odds of which you don't even know because even if you make it, one measly rung higher on the social ladder, will you really think it was worth missing out on all those years of comparative bliss?

"Some for the Glories of This World; and some
Sigh for the Prophet's Paradise to come;
Ah, take the Cash, and let the Credit go,
Nor heed the rumble of a distant Drum!"

Torakx wrote: »

I think happiness is a dream.

"A Book of Verses underneath the Bough,
A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread--and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness--
Oh, Wilderness were Paradise enow!"

Torakx

Black Swan wrote: »

"A Book of Verses underneath the Bough,
A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread--and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness--
Oh, Wilderness were Paradise enow!"

Does that mean he is saying we make our own happiness wherever we are?
Or that the simple wants is all we need, to turn to paradise, what once was weeds?
I could type all day my poetic prose, but if not understood, they shall hold up their nose.
Better to blurt out the ugly truth now and save us all having a riddle to cow.
hehe... I enjoy poetry, but its more fun to write, because I know what it means when I write it!

Black Swan

Torakx wrote: »

Does that mean he is saying we make our own happiness wherever we are?

"Ah, make the most of what we yet may spend,
Before we too into the Dust descend;
Dust into Dust, and under Dust to lie
Sans Wine, sans Song, sans Singer, and--sans End!"

squirestarter

Simon and Garfunkel summed it up well

"April come she will...... August die she must"

The circle of life will keep on going. There's nothing we can do to stop it

Tony Robbins (a modern day philosopher one might argue) claims that happiness is based on a person's progress. How much better are you as a person today than yesterday and how do you feel in comparison. This is the crux of it for me.

Its all very well to have goals in life and delayed gratification can be a great thing however if its to the detriment of one's happiness on a consistent basis I don't think its worth it.

Eckhart Tolle also refers to this, he claims that people often project an image of their future selves as being happy based on an imagined position; one that they either never reach or if they do, reset the standards for themselves or 'raise the bar' for what it is they need to achieve or be to be happy

I think the key is to have goals, make progress in your life daily and enjoy the journey in doing so and if fate, life or circumstance gets in the way, you gotta stand up, start again and focus on making progress from your new point of reference, however difficult that can be

SocratesXXX

Wow, Bloe Joggs, what a beautiful thing to post, so true, I feel this way too Just what I needed to hear today