• Moliere
    4k
    Well, sure -- but then, nothing is inherently better or worse than anything. Things are better or worse in relation to a judgment we make, not because goodness inheres in a state of mind or object or action.

    If someone wants to be miserable and elated, there's nothing you can do to persuade them to think or feel differently. Such changes only happen because a person changes. But the distinction should still be recognizable, all the same -- there's a meaningful difference.
  • schopenhauer1
    9.9k
    Well, sure -- but then, nothing is inherently better or worse than anything. Things are better or worse in relation to a judgment we make, not because goodness inheres in a state of mind or object or action.Moliere

    I can agree with that.

    If someone wants to be miserable and elated, there's nothing you can do to persuade them to think or feel differently. Such changes only happen because a person changes. But the distinction should still be recognizable, all the same -- there's a meaningful difference.Moliere

    Agreed. Though a lot of this is how you characterize it. Miserable might be the wrong word, and not capturing what is really going on by not accepting the situation.
  • Shawn
    12.6k


    Sound advice. I wonder why people don't pay attention to it? They seem possessed with the idea of obtaining happiness over all else over the detriment of never attaining it.
  • Shawn
    12.6k


    Well, sure. Schopenhauer talked about happiness being a state of equanimity between conflicting desires. It's not a matter of preference than to want what is least painful.
  • WhiteNightScales
    10
    anything painful and that brings problem will be considered the
    opposite of happiness Every single human wants to be happy but it is just chemicals in the brain that
    brings that happiness The love of someone brings more happiness than anything else in the world
  • Shawn
    12.6k


    Indeed. Now give me back my avatar, hehe.
  • Shamshir
    855
    I've been down this path. It mainly starts with believing that happiness is supremely good, and needs to be attained over all else.Wallows
    Happiness doesn't need to be attained, but savoured.

    The pursuit of happiness over all, denies happiness - as the pursuit of victory over all denies enjoyment from playing.
  • god must be atheist
    5.1k
    "Someone to love, something to do, and something to look forward to"TWI

    Some things came easy to him, some harder. "Someone to love", well, he was popular.

    Something to do... yes, he had he means and the motivation.

    Something to look forward to... what brand new, novel experience do you give to a man who has everything?
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