Comments on: Is Happiness Just Success? http://www.thinkhappythoughts.com/2007/04/21/is-happiness-just-success/ Happiness and Personal Development Blog Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:30:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.5 by: Swan http://www.thinkhappythoughts.com/2007/04/21/is-happiness-just-success/#comment-755 Sun, 22 Apr 2007 17:23:17 +0000 http://www.thinkhappythoughts.com/2007/04/21/is-happiness-just-success/#comment-755 But you would know it wasn't real. It would be like a drug, a false sense of courage or wholeness. We are completed by our accomplishments I think, but mainlining a feeling, whether euphoria or pride, if so addictive, would mean I have to subsume myself to the process. I would lose my identity. A sense of accomplishment, moments in time, all help us feel good - but I think what makes us feel the best is a sense of identity. Of course, under duress or torture, you do what you have to in order to survive. But even in those situations, the victim develops habits or traits - often licking their lips or rubbing their fingers together - that allows them to remain an individual, and not just a victim. The human touch is soothing, and also that sense of independence, that idea that you are somehow thwarting your captors. But simply as a normal person, in normal circumstances, I think we are always looking for who we are and trying to keep that together and/or project that image into the world. That makes us happiest of all I think, being self-aware and confident of who we are. I think we are most sad when this image of ourselves is challenged or punished. And finally, may I add what I think is the most source of joy of all: love. I think if you made a machine that mainlined love, that is the only thing you could offer where people would subsume their identity in droves, in order to experience love constantly. Maybe this would be reckless on their part, because constant love is suffocating - but I'm sure so many wish to be loved that you would get a lot of takers. But you would know it wasn’t real. It would be like a drug, a false sense of courage or wholeness. We are completed by our accomplishments I think, but mainlining a feeling, whether euphoria or pride, if so addictive, would mean I have to subsume myself to the process. I would lose my identity.

A sense of accomplishment, moments in time, all help us feel good - but I think what makes us feel the best is a sense of identity.

Of course, under duress or torture, you do what you have to in order to survive. But even in those situations, the victim develops habits or traits - often licking their lips or rubbing their fingers together - that allows them to remain an individual, and not just a victim. The human touch is soothing, and also that sense of independence, that idea that you are somehow thwarting your captors.

But simply as a normal person, in normal circumstances, I think we are always looking for who we are and trying to keep that together and/or project that image into the world. That makes us happiest of all I think, being self-aware and confident of who we are. I think we are most sad when this image of ourselves is challenged or punished.

And finally, may I add what I think is the most source of joy of all: love. I think if you made a machine that mainlined love, that is the only thing you could offer where people would subsume their identity in droves, in order to experience love constantly. Maybe this would be reckless on their part, because constant love is suffocating - but I’m sure so many wish to be loved that you would get a lot of takers.

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