Comments on: Why Happiness is Such a Struggle

By: David

David — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:58:01 +0000

You’re absolutely right Alex. As much as I value self-reliance, it is much easier to bear the rough parts of life when you know without doubt that there are people who will always love you.

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:34:07 +0000

David,
How blessed you are to have a friend like Kim. The love you both share is like rain in a drought of discontent. It’s that love that will safeguard your heart from the mind’s cruel wanderings.

By: David

David — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 02:47:15 +0000

Hi Reed. It’s nice to hear somebody who is completely on the same page.

This was the first article I wrote for Raptitude, and I have some misgivings about the way it’s written, but I still think the main point is completely true.

Interesting note about the Greeks. That’s something to think about, thanks.

By: Reed

Reed — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 07:20:20 +0000

As somebody who grew up privileged and unhappy with a love for psychology and evolutionary science, I’ve thought the same thing for a year now. I’ve waited a while for somebody to say something like this, and I remember discussing something similar with my therapist. This is probably a large reason that people become so addicted to drugs. Without some outside help, it is damn near impossible to overcome evolutionary responses such as this. This aspect of human beings lead the Greeks to believe that only Gods themselves were capable of attaining happiness.

By: Dray

Dray — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 18:30:21 +0000

Insightful and compassionate. In my over half-century as a human I have observed as well as suffered from my own habit of unhappiness. This essay makes me feel like one of the advance guard in a long fight to turn the attention of the human species to aims higher than survival. My highly personal struggles to live up to my own values seem a lot more meaningful in the perspective of species evolution. Thank you so much for this post and for the thought, beauty and honesty of Raptitude.

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By: sandspace

sandspace — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:13:26 +0000

I am so glad that you came up with such nice post.
However, we should not forget that ’survival’ is still the prime motive in many under developed world. It is easy to say that ‘quality-of-life’ is the focus, hailing from a well developed nation.
The Best Happiness comes from spreading Happiness. So I suggest that instead of gobbling up natural resources in the name of ‘quality-of-life’, let us be sensitive and spread happiness … which definitely seems to be your mission.

By: David

David — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:39:02 +0000

Hi Beth, thanks.

That’s right, happiness is more of a byproduct than a goal in itself. Reaching right for it creates attachment, which creates suffering. As Admiral Ackbar would say, it’s a trap!

Thanks for your comment, hope to hear from you again soon.
David´s last blog ..What I Learned From My Stint in The Traveling Reptile Show

By: Beth L. Gainer

Beth L. Gainer — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:20:32 +0000

This is an excellent, well-written posting of concepts I hadn’t quite considered in that way before. I come from the school that happiness is also a choice. We choose our happiness, and if we are unhappy, we are allowing ourselves to be so. It is OK to be unhappy in dire circumstances, but it’s also important for the person experiencing these things to reflect on what he/she has to be grateful for.

Also, happiness is an effect, not a goal. The problem arises when some people strive for happiness — often in the form of material possessions and social status — but of course, they eventually fall short. Living one’s life the way one wants to, following one’s own moral compass helps achieve the aftereffect of happiness.

I look forward to reading your future postings. And I’m subscribing to your blog now.
Beth L. Gainer´s last blog ..I Just Fired My Baby’s First Pediatrician

By: Veda

Veda — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 01:20:19 +0000

Yes – I do agree that ‘happiness’ is the natural state of human mind and that its distrubances are temporary.
“Aananda’ the eternal bliss as in olden Hindu Indian thought is the highest philosophical bliss sought after – and that is advised to be attained through a minimizing of Egoism and subjectivity and a maximizing of ’service to others and better still service towards causes’ per se.