[Aquinasfan]

you're making me laugh. now you're trying to redefine happiness for people who have different opinions?

Yes. Will a life of virtue make a person happier than a life of vice? Is Mother Theresa really happier than Scott Peterson, or merely subjectively happier?

Plus, delayed gratification (if they believe living moral life is the best gratification) is not most people's forte.

True. Does this invalidate the point, that a life of virtue will make one happier than a life of vice?

Americans want fun and they want it now.

Are they even subjectively happy?

Because the intellect is the greatest human power

for real?

In essence. You can't will anything unless you first know it. We know things through the intellect.

Nazi Germany was the most intellectually and academically advanced country of its time... so much for intellectual powers.

The abuse of a power doesn't negate its goodness per se.

[Sapirit]

Is Mother Theresa really happier than Scott Peterson, or merely subjectively happier?
Did Scott Peterson ever aspired to be like Mother Theresa? I can write a huge and interesting essay here about how he feels and thinks: probably misundertood and how in his life he had at least couple moments of joy and fun, and how these bad dorky unpopular women hate him now, because they couln't get him, and how these homely men hate him, because they are envious of his success with women and financial affluence, and how he would be joyoys and happy forever only if these stupid bored people didn't turn him in. One little thing, and they ruined his fun and happiness.

Does this invalidate the point, that a life of virtue will make one happier than a life of vice?
Only for those for whom virtue is a value.

The abuse of a power doesn't negate its goodness per se.
it's not that - just cult of intellect is what dangerous.