Why Total Happiness Takes So Long
The brain is a sophisticated machine.
During your lifetime, your brain has been automatizing all types of thought patterns. Perhaps your mind has automatized 1,000 or even 10,000 distinct thought patterns. The sheer number of thought patterns must be huge, but of course, we are only concerned with the subset of thought patterns that cause suffering. Nevertheless, even this number is probably very large.
Your thought patterns have been etched in your neurons over decades. A mental habit conditioned over a period of months (or even hours), may take years to break completely. For example, think of all the people haunted by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
You may not be fully aware of these automatic thought patterns. The thought patterns might execute so quickly that you do not recognize them as discrete thoughts.
Thoughts are slippery. We do not have a strong handle on our thoughts. We struggle to control them. We may even consciously hope not to think of something, yet proceed to think about it.
Life gets in the way. Our jobs, our mates, or children all demand time and attention. Numerous distractions prevent us from actively cultivating our own happiness.
So briefly, total happiness takes a long time because,
- There are so many automatic thoughts that produce negative feelings
- These thoughts can be etched deeply in your mind
- The automatic thoughts may function below your awareness
- The tools available to manipulate your thoughts have limited effectivness
- Life’s interruptions distract you from your goal of happiness
