True JOY cannot be achieved as a goal unto itself.

[Richard Steele]

All happiness is a by-product of otherwise useful activity.
This is not the nature of activity, it is the nature of humanity.

Discuss.

[pacalo]

1. I've always looked at happiness as being a personal choice. It can only come

from within oneself. Positive thinking is the best gift one could give to oneself because it gives a person the strength to overcome the greatest of circumstances.

I was fortunate to have worked for one of the greatest companies ever when I began my career after college. It was very professional, very giving to its employees, &, most important, the atmosphere was so positive. It created a positive attitude in myself; I was young & my spirit was like a sponge absorbing the value of being positive in solving problems & in dealing with difficult employees.

That experience proved to me that people are capable of training themselves to think positively, then happiness will come naturally.

And I agree that productivity plays a big part in happiness & self-satisfaction. :)

[Richard Steele]

3. Agree totally. nm

[gratuitous]

2. That's just, like, your opinion, man

Another triumph for dudism.

[Richard Steele]

4. ZEN dudism. What's SAD is that so many of you think it's a joke.

It's not. It's really not.
You have the answers to all the questions,
and you're throwing them against the wall
like cheap chinese-made party favors
that you bought at WalMart.

Sad.

Seriously yours,
Richard Steele
AKA 'Pope Richard the frequently ADEQUATE'

[gratuitous]

7. Bless me faddah for I have sinned

I failed to take the anonymous internet stylings of a guy whose handle is Dick Steele seriously enough.

So what, watch three You Tube videos and respond to a Nigerian Prince e-mail for penance?

[Richard Steele]

15. What you failed to take into account was the fact that my real name is RICHARD STEELE.

It's not a "handle", it's a line of type on my FUCKING BIRTH CERTIFICATE.

Did you ever wonder what something like that might do to an intelligent
and sensitive child?

No, I didn't think so.


Lest you start WONDERING astray at this late date, I'm gonna do you a favor
and put you on "ignore".

Bye bye now.

[gratuitous]

16. Two Nigerian Prince e-mails?

Dickie boy will never see my proffered olive branch. :cry: Oh well, that's what I get for not taking the Lounge seriously enough. Shoulda stayed in GD, where people don't check their sense of humor at the door.

[RandomThoughts]

5. I posted something similiar in another thread before reading this thread.

So I think I agree with your comment.

[Richard Steele]

9. Your agreement means a lot to me. nm

[RandomThoughts]

10. I felt the same way when reading your comment.

:hug:

[Recursion]

6. Let me contrast Aristotle's opinion

Well, first, let me say that you seem to be saying that "joy" and "happiness" are the same thing, which I'm not sure about.

Let me offer the alternative view (which I also do not necessarily endorse): Aristotle said that happiness is the activity of being the best human being you can be (which to him meant being Greek, male, freeborn, rich, and educated, but let us abstract from that). On the face of it this seems to be what you are saying, but his conclusion was that happiness is the goal of all activity: we do what we do so that we can be the best human beings we can be.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Recursion]

14. Your right. It's stupid to ask what people in other times and cultures thought about a question

:eyes:

[Recursion]

13. Delete

Wrong post

[kimmerspixelated]

8. Permit me to interject:

Laughing, Loving, Playing, Creating, etc. are all joyful things in which we participate. But Happiness can also be the product of just ...BEING...

The Power of Now-E.Tolle

I am not quoting, but there is a great deal of his message concerning the ability of just being still and quiet to soak in the moment and to be happy to be a part of the NOW.

My thoughts: To actually be able to FIND joy in say, the simple view of something pleasant(esp. in nature) brings on happiness. This should be practiced everyday, and is complimented with gratitude.

[Richard Steele]

11. yes, happiness can be a by-product of "just being", as you say.

This does not contradict my initial statement in any way.
Rather, it leads towards the more obscure and INSIGHTFUL
thought-trails of my personal philosophy.

I take "just being" very seriously. Very seriously indeed.

[handmade34]

17. no discussion

absolute truth....

(I realized years ago) true joy came to me after sweating and working, along with a few friends, to get all the hay into the barn before it rained... and many completed activities since have produced the same result

[thirtiesgirl]

18. Agreed.

I don't think happiness and joy are just a product of *being*. As you've written, Richard, I believe they are a product of useful activity. What I'll add is that what's considered 'useful activity' differs from one person to the next. What I might consider useful activity might not be deemed the same by another person. That said, though, I don't think you can just *be* and expect happiness to follow.

I also agree with what others have suggested here, that happiness can be a choice - a choice in attitude. But that doesn't mean you can just *choose* to be happy and joyful if you don't have things in your life ('useful activity,' as it were) that help create that happiness for you. But while working on achieving those things in your life that make you happy, you can choose your attitude as you go about it. You can choose to be miserable or happy, and then achieve greater happiness when you accomplish the things in your life that you want.

[Richard Steele]

19. Hello thirtiesgirl. Welcome to DU!

Nice to meet you. :hug: