Posted on 07/05/2024 9:53:13 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
When Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that our unalienable rights include life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, he had a very specific definition of happiness in mind. He believed that happiness was the result of living virtuously — that becoming a fully happy human required devoting yourself to service to your fellow beings.
His words galvanized generations of Americans to seek out their own personal well-being. Yet the happiness we pursue today is a far cry from that which Jefferson envisioned. It’s putting us in conflict with ourselves, and with others.
Modern Americans have been conditioned to believe that happiness is something that we get for ourselves, by ourselves, through achieving material wealth, personal success and individual gratification. I call this belief Old Happy. It is powered by systems of individualism, capitalism and domination that have fueled our culture for generations.
Growing up in this individualistic culture, we are taught to see ourselves as separate from other people. We’re taught that happiness comes from focusing more and more on ourselves and that we can perfect and grow this happiness through personal achievement. This does not work. In one 2015 study, researchers tried to understand why Americans who aggressively pursued happiness were, in fact, more likely to be lonely and depressed. It was because they believed that focusing on themselves was the secret to finding happiness.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
The beatings will continue until morale improves.
B....S....! since the dawn of time all of mankind has sought meaning to life to ascertain what would make them happy and then individually pursued what makes one happy. for some it’s as simple as a full belly. for others, sleeping off a bender on a friends couch because they got kicked out for going on a bender. in the modern era some prefer to make themselves happy touching young children and enticing them to become doctors, lawyers, teachers, firepersons or “special friends”. for others happiness lies in making enough money to control the entire world and everyone in it. my personal happiness goal is to avoid people who’s happiness is based on taking my peace of mind away. I know...it’s a simple thing but I want it anyway.
Try not to roll your eyes when you read this garbage. Another liberal pleading for wealth distribution. I guarantee this writer is probably a pretty well off white lefty from the San Fernando Valley north of LA or maybe the beach communities (South Bay) to the west. Lots of very wealthy white liberals living in those areas who will not and won’t “share” their wealth with anyone else.
Pursue the Lord.
In his presence is fullness of joy and at his right hand are pleasures for evermore.
[The beatings will continue until morale improves.]
Said that exact thing to myself not 4 days ago.....
Sounds like something Mika might say about DJT...
...he's trying to tell people what should make them happy!
...THAT'S OUR (leftist MSM/leftist academia) JOB!
I have found that making liberals cries is the true path to happiness.
Yet you posted this article in the "News/Activism" forum. :-)
Good point.
Happiness isn’t something that you experience, it’s something you remember.
We remember the pre-pandemic Trump years.
“We have the highest number of billionaires and millionaires of any country, who collectively could use their power and resources to permanently end the struggles of millions of Americans. “
Must be the pre-election talking point - seeing this in a lot of places all at once.
“Permanently end the struggles of millions...” The only way to do that is to round them up into camps and exterminate them. Life is struggle.
These people are sick and evil.
Happiness is a byproduct of one’s purpose or contentment in the processes of every day living.
This is the attitude among the elites on the Left (and the same on the Right elites, but for different reasons)
They write this BS, always assuming they won't have to be part of the "little people", that they will have the "freedom" to pursue what THEY think is important. Things like like multimillion dollar beachfront homes, vacations to great places, cars that are comfortable good shoes, expensive meals, the top electronic devices, and you could go on and on and on. These jackasses are the ones who deliberately destroyed family, religion, and community of any kind in their quest to reform our society into people cut off from each other, isolated, and lonely. THEY are the ones primarily responsible for this.
It is telling that this ignorant jackass of an author said these things:
"Modern Americans have been conditioned to believe that happiness is something that we get for ourselves, by ourselves, through achieving material wealth, personal success and individual gratification. I call this belief Old Happy. It is powered by systems of individualism, capitalism and domination that have fueled our culture for generations. Growing up in this individualistic culture, we are taught to see ourselves as separate from other people. We’re taught that happiness comes from focusing more and more on ourselves and that we can perfect and grow this happiness through personal achievement. This does not work.
"If we contribute our knowledge, talents and humanity to our collective happiness rather than the pursuit of personal wealth, power and fame, personal happiness would likely also be achieved."
This thought process, shared by all Leftists, is entirely contradictory to what the founders of this country, INCLUDING JEFFERSON, thought. They recognized fully the concept of collectivization as inherently and unfixable EVIL.
And the Founders also believed and understood that Personal Freedom and Economic Freedom are inextricably intertwined.
You CANNOT have Personal Freedom without Economic Freedom, and you cannot have Economic Freedom without Personal Freedom.
Eat bugs, be happy? I’m not going to read the article. I’m already happy.
The author needs crayons, a coloring book, milk and cookies, then a warm blanket and a 2pm nap.
At least we don’t live on less than $2 a day
As feral liberals have taken over every public space, normal people have had to retreat to their own homes and backyards for any sense of safety.
This is why nearly anyone with enough money has transformed their backyards into parks, and their homes into theaters.
Yeah, they write a lot of nonsense for “others to live by” - not themselves - they’re special!
Just like Al Gore
Just like John Kerry
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