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Philosophy and happiness

Moiety

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What is, in your opinion, the philosophy that is more conductive of happiness?*

Bonus question : can an ascetic approach to life lead to happiness?
 

Moiety

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Why didn't this thread appear on new posts when I've created it? And how come there are never any responses when I post in this subforum.

I know I'm not as charming as SolitaryWalker people, but c'mon.
 

ThinkingAboutIt

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Philosophy is play doh for my brain. Happiness is a choice. It isn't always easy to make that choice though.
 

Moiety

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Philosophy is play doh for my brain. Happiness is a choice. It isn't always easy to make that choice though.

I don't understand. Philosophy is play doh? As something that effectively molds your brain and the way you carry your life, or simply as a curious pastime?

Happiness is a choice. And philosophy is also about choice. I'm not talking about discussing philosophy...but about living philosophy.

Like Diogenes of Sinope or some other loser/hero (person).
 

ThinkingAboutIt

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I don't understand. Philosophy is play doh? As something that effectively molds your brain and the way you carry your life, or simply as a curious pastime?

Happiness is a choice. And philosophy is also about choice. I'm not talking about discussing philosophy...but about living philosophy.

Like Diogenes of Sinope or some other loser/hero (person).

Philosophy is just the love and pursuit of 'wisdom' and 'knowledge' - which to me is play doh for the mind. Philosophy is something to play with until you decide what you believe, which becomes your "worldview".
 

Moiety

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Philosophy is just the love and pursuit of 'wisdom' and 'knowledge' - which to me is play doh for the mind. Philosophy is something to play with until you decide what you believe, which becomes your "worldview".

Exactly, and deciding what you believe is your worldview is important....what is then, in your opinion, best belief to be happy?
 

Pixelholic

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Probably would depend on what someone considered happiness to be.

Personally I find comfort in post-structuralist theories that kind of veer towards entropy or lack of ideology. Anything that refutes ideological truth and breaks down things like "wrong" and "right" make me happy.
 

Redbone

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Did anyone see or remember the PBS special on Philosophy? I can't remember the name of the series or the man's name (he was British) that did it but he delved into this. I don't remember all of them (watching it at 3 a.m.) but I did like the one dealing with anger/disappointment. He basically said that anger happens when you want expect--and most of the time, unreasonably so--something and it doesn't happen. Cure for that? Stop having expectations; you know shit happens. If it's not; then the pipe is temporarily clogged. He may not have put it like that but that was the basic gist of his message gleaned from...oh, damn, a senator's writings (?) during Nero's time.

He had another one dealing with love, the "good" life, and a few other things.
 

ThinkingAboutIt

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Exactly, and deciding what you believe is your worldview is important....what is then, in your opinion, best belief to be happy?

I think you are asking what/who my belief that 'happiness is a choice' is based on? If so, then Yahweh God. He said 'in whatever state you find yourself in, be content'. Happiness is not something you pursue (though many do to no avail) - you can't buy it, you can't meditate or think your way to it, it is simply a choice.
 

Moiety

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Pixelholic said:
Probably would depend on what someone considered happiness to be.

Personally I find comfort in post-structuralist theories that kind of veer towards entropy or lack of ideology. Anything that refutes ideological truth and breaks down things like "wrong" and "right" make me happy.


I'd like to take utilitarianism to heart possibly...but as a Fi user I find that impossible. I don't think there is anything like ideological truth out there to be found.....hence the topic. We are what we think, and I wanna think something useful for a change.

Redbone: I find that quite impossible. No expectation, means no visualization...I can't reality what I want it to be....and I'm a slave to reality. Talk about tragic existence....


I think you are asking what/who my belief that 'happiness is a choice' is based on? If so, then Yahweh God. He said 'in whatever state you find yourself in, be content'. Happiness is not something you pursue (though many do to no avail) - you can't buy it, you can't meditate or think your way to it, it is simply a choice.

I can see happiness defined as a choice, but you don't think you can't mediate or think your way to it? A choice requires thinking or meditation. Specially if you want permanent effects or for it to be easier to constantly make the choice to be happy.
 

Redbone

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Redbone: I find that quite impossible. No expectation, means no visualization...I can't reality what I want it to be....and I'm a slave to reality. Talk about tragic existence....

I didn't explain it well. I think he meant in the sense that expecting a certain outcome especially when past experience shows that it most likely will not go that way is a common trigger for anger.

Example: There was a truck driver in the film that was subject to road rage. He ranted and raved about the drivers out on the road...finally the guy asked him, "Why do you expect these drivers to do right? You see this everyday--why should it be any different than what it is?" Guy was like, "I don't know--it just ought to be. They should drive like they have sense and I get mad when they don't." He was told his anger came from his expectations and not what was based in reality.

I can see what the guy was saying but still...I don't necessarily agree with it all.
 

Blank

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It's kind of hard to say what branch of philosophy works best with happiness...because ultimately, happiness is subjective. Some people won't be happy until they can reduce everything until they can't be reduced anymore. Then what's next? Nothing. Emptiness. A void. Some people won't be happy until they have an answer for all of their questions...and some answers can be very disappointing. Others may just want a code to go and live their life by. But that's all unimportant.

Happiness is way too personal to tie into such a broad topic. There is no one branch of philosophy that I know of which is one size fits all.
 

Zoom

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For me... it was the idea that I can only control the positive aspects of my life. That the negative stuff will indeed happen, and occasionally be thrown in my face. So I figured that focussing on it any more than is required to learn from and deal with it is... counterintuitive. For me, that is.

Also, being fully present in my own life when good and pleasurable things happen... leaving my shite at the door when I get home, might be one way to put it, though slightly inelegant in wording.
 
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