Friday Night Philosophy
So, what is happiness? This thought was prompted by a blog on a Brisbane paper where the religious blogger was pleased to tell us that surveys had shown that those with religion were happier than those without religion. I was obliged to respond that for many that is not a happiness they would want. I remembered that phrase from something I’d read many years ago. Quite by chance, a few days later Lightchaser posted the story here where that phrase was used. I was pleased to read it again.
This story raises many interesting questions. For instance, is happiness our goal on this Earth? Most would answer yes. And for most of us enduring the daily grind of existence, happiness could easily be defined as satisfying the needs of the Maslow hierarchy. Yet, the man in the story had satisfied those needs. And he wasn’t happy.
His unhappiness was caused by his frustration at not being able to answer the deep questions about this life. He said, "I was born, I live in time, and I do not know what time is. I find myself at a point between two eternities, as our sages say, and I have no idea of what eternity means. I am made of matter, and I am able to think, yet I have never been able to find out how thought is caused." He wanted to know the meaning of life, and hadn't found it. I think this leads to a further question. Must a meaningful life necessarily be a happy one? For some, the answer would be that only a meaningful life is a happy one. So, what is a meaningful life?
For the religiously inclined, a meaningful life is one lived
according to the dictates of the religion they follow. For others, this is the lazy
way of doing things, for by doing so, we allow others to tell us how to live
our lives. This just doesn’t sit well with me. By subjugating my life to the
dictates of others, I feel that I’m missing out on the big one. And that is the
privilege of determining for myself the route of this wondrous journey we take,
in full knowledge of my obligations to others on this planet, and in the
expectation that that courtesy will be reciprocated. Yes, I know that is an
ideal that will never be attained, but who ever expects that any ideals will be attained on this Earth. That doesn't mean we shouldn't aspire to them.
So, what then is a meaningful life? It is a question that I’ve mulled over for quite some time. The existentialists would say that we each have to decide for ourselves what constitutes a meaningful life. I think we do that, either consciously or unconsciously. For me, it is looking out the window as we travel this wondrous journey. It’s marvelling at this universe and the miracle of life; and distilling the wisdom of my fellow man. Every day brings a new morsel of knowledge to be wondered at, mulled over, and filed away in that marvellous brain with which we are gifted, but use far too little.
That gives meaning to my life. Is this happiness? No, but it isn't unhappiness either. Voltaire said, "Better to walk in darkness than be guided by false light". For many of us, walking in darkness is preferable to a happiness we would not want.
Comments
For me, it is looking out the window as we travel this wondrous journey. It’s marvelling at this universe and the miracle of life
Well-said, Snowy. Very nice post.
Chasing happiness is an exercise in futility. Sit down, enjoy life, appreciate what you have and the love all around, and happiness (or, if you prefer, contentment) will follow.
It seems to me that happiness is something best explained on two levels: The first consists of this Maslowian hierarchy [to the "n"th degree] where we feel "happiness" at having a full meal, being loved, etc. The second is a state of mind that one chooses to be in.
What I mean by this is this: Let's say someone was fired recently. From here person X can either sulk and become "unhappy" or see this in a different light, choosing to see this as an opportunity to go back to school, something that X wanted to do but couldn't because of the long work hours.
With this view happiness is not something that strikes man every once in a while, it is something able to be enjoyed at all moments, something possible thanks to the power of the mind to construct [or reconstruct] a situation that would allow "happiness" to transpire.
From what I've seen, our emotions are controlled from a certain part which does in fact interact with the part that deals with reason, so that what you say about how we deal with negative emotions does in fact happen. I've got a lot more reading (and thinking) to do yet though. I will be posting my thoughts about this on a future FNP.
It has been suggested that the reason that people with strong religious connections are happier is not because they are religious but because religions create social networks that enhance happiness. The way it works is that when someone in the network is happy, they share that feeling with others in the network, thereby making it contagious. Similarly, when they are unhappy, others in the network help them, reducing their unhappiness. Or, as the old Swedish proverb put it “pain shared is pain halved and joy shared is joy doubled”.
John
Not necessarily. Consider the eremites and anchorites - groups of early Christians who sought to triumph over sin by avoiding all unnecessary contact. Though the groups were socially cohesive, they nevertheless had poor social networks. Thus, one may surmise that members of these groups were less happy on average than the general populace (even leaving out the mortification of the flesh).
John
I like your explanation, and I couldn't agree more with your thoughts on religion. For me, religion simply clouded the tough questions in life with the easy way out...because that's the way God wanted it. Don't try to guess God's plan, etc. Freeing myself from the subjugation involved in religion has been a double edged sword. It does leave one with a more complex, weightier struggle to determine where meaning in life is, versus being spoon fed the answer. Always having a stock response might be easy, but it dulls and blunts sensation, the pursuit and joy in learning and expanding one's worldview, and leads one to be more easily manipulated, IMO.
So, I think it's harder...but really, I am happy to be living through that struggle and maintaining my own identity and the freedom of thinking for myself in the process! Like you said, the joy comes in mulling and reflecting upon new information and knowledge every day, without a very restrictive lens clouding analysis of that information. It feels a lot like freedom to me. I don't think I would have it any other way!
Well what I mean is that happiness is felt very often and if nothing interrupts this process you get used to it, loosing all the excitement it initially brings. Just like a smell, it is there, no doubt but you stop feeling it after a while. Nevertheless it is there, although you don’t think about it, Unhappiness is horrible and it can hurt you so much that you just cannot stop feeling it.
i'm with you
that quote by Voltaire sums it up for me perfectly:)
You know, I thought you would be Paikea. Just a gut feeling I had...
My first question would have to be this: what surveys, where, who paid for them, and how were they conducted? How did these surveys determine who "had religion" and who didn't? What about people who consider themselves spiritual, but not religious, per se? There are too many variables to make a blanket statement like, "religious people are happier" without providing some qualifications.
Actually, the current research shows that a person's happiness is mostly genetically set (about 60%). Things happen in your life that make you more or less happy for a time, but after a few months most people tend to go back to their pre-set level. Some people are blessed with a high happiness set-point, and others, like me, have to struggle to be happy.
But let's assume for a moment that it's true: religious people are happier. My next question would be, "So?" Could I knowingly force myself to believe something that isn't true just to try to make myself happier? It's probably true that children who believe in Santa Clause are happier than those who don't, but that doesn't make the big guy any more corporeal. I have a stronger respect for the truth than to believe in something because it's convenient or makes me feel good.
Following this question, I might ask: "Why?" Is it because God blesses them with joy? If this is true, then does this mean that only Christians are happy, or that people of any religion are happier than people without any religion? My guess is that the community, comradery, structure, and social support that comes from belonging to a religious organization may have a positive impact on happiness. The good news is that people can have all that without believing in an invisible man in the sky.
Concerning Maslow's hierarchy, it is a bit of a misuse to apply it as an explanation of happiness. Meeting the needs of your hierarchy does not make you happier - it just makes you want the things on the next level of the hierarchy. Maslow's hierarchy is model of motivation, not happiness.
Your observation that the Maslow hierarchy is not a recipe for happiness is so true, but in this materialistic world we live in, many mistake it for that.