I just wanted to ask the philosophical question, what is happiness, and see what different people think. I love to debate philosophy but unfortunately no one I know does.
Anyway, I think happiness is simply the sum of one's moments of pleasure. I don't think there is long term happiness except for the memories of the moments. I don't think there is any deeper moral meaning or anything like that. But of course, being a determinist, I look at things very bluntly. Could someone set me straight?😛
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Originally posted by ark13I think that equating happiness with pleasure is slightly off. Pleasure can never be long lasting, being as it is the experience of a desire met and therefore can only be experienced during that moment. Pleasure can be found in a good back scratch, a beer sipped on the porch during an autumn sunset, it can be good sex (or even bad sex, who am I trying to kid?) it is even present at the cumulation of a sneeze. My point is that although these things are all great, they cannot be added up to equal anything for they are representations of temporary satisfaction. They are there, they are great, they are gone. Moments of pleasure often don't stick well in the memory, and can rarely if ever relived. If you want that pleasure again, you have to have the same experience again.
I just wanted to ask the philosophical question, what is happiness, and see what different people think. I love to debate philosophy but unfortunately no one I know does.
Anyway, I think happiness is simply the sum of one's moments of ple ...[text shortened]... , I look at things very bluntly. Could someone set me straight?😛
Not that I'm trying to complicate the issue; my final solution for the definition of happiness is just as simple as yours. The above babbling is merely my response to you attempt to equate pleasure and happiness. They are two great things, but certainly not synonomous.
In my humble over-educated completely untrained opinion, happiness is achieved simply by living your life right. There is no specifics for this; the instructions are in your heart and your soul and are very individual. The little voice in your head is whispering directions to living your life right. If you follow that feeling of rightness, you will find happiness. Of course, that little voice may be insane and it may often change its mind. Oh well. Who said happiness and sanity go hand in hand?
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Your definition misses out an important element: pain!
If one has lived happilly for 70 years with endless pleasure and then contracts a painfull disease for the rest on one's life, then life is miserable from that moment on!
For interesting philosophical debates on happiness, research John Locke and his theory of Utilitarianism.
This is the doctrine that morally good actions are ones that lead to the maximum "amount" of happiness.
Originally posted by ark13Well, that's a pretty deep subject my friend. But since you asked for an opinion I'll give you mine...
I just wanted to ask the philosophical question, what is happiness, and see what different people think. I love to debate philosophy but unfortunately no one I know does.
Anyway, I think happiness is simply the sum of one's moments of pleasure. I don't think there is long term happiness except for the memories of the moments. I don't think there is any ...[text shortened]... of course, being a determinist, I look at things very bluntly. Could someone set me straight?😛
Happiness is simply a state of mind. It has nothing to do with one's success or failure. Some people are not happy no matter how successful they are in life.
Hence, happiness really depends on the individual's reference to his/her surrounding environment and expectaions.
Originally posted by ark13A warm gun?
I just wanted to ask the philosophical question, what is happiness, and see what different people think. I love to debate philosophy but unfortunately no one I know does.
Anyway, I think happiness is simply the sum of one's moments of pleasure. I don't think there is long term happiness except for the memories of the moments. I don't think there is any ...[text shortened]... of course, being a determinist, I look at things very bluntly. Could someone set me straight?😛
Originally posted by ark13Here's another question the answer to which may throw light on the question of what happiness is?
I just wanted to ask the philosophical question, what is happiness, and see what different people think. I love to debate philosophy but unfortunately no one I know does.
Anyway, I think happiness is simply the sum of one's moments of pleasure. I don't think there is long term happiness except for the memories of the moments. I don't think there is any ...[text shortened]... of course, being a determinist, I look at things very bluntly. Could someone set me straight?😛
Is it possible to be unhappy and not to realize it?
Originally posted by ark13To what extent is answering the question "what is happiness?" an exercise in unpacking the semantic implications of the word "happiness" or an exercise in attaining deeper phiosophical wisdom--or do the two reduce to one another?
I just wanted to ask the philosophical question, what is happiness, and see what different people think. I love to debate philosophy but unfortunately no one I know does.
Anyway, I think happiness is simply the sum of one's moments of pleasure. I don't think there is long term happiness except for the memories of the moments. I don't think there is any ...[text shortened]... of course, being a determinist, I look at things very bluntly. Could someone set me straight?😛
Originally posted by PawnokeyholeBasically you are asking whether happiness is an internal experience based on one's individual feeling of doing the right thing, or an external one based on some universal state that is the same for everyone. If it is the former, which is what I believe, then no, if you are unhappy then you are not happy. For the latter, then yes, if you live in that special predefined state called "happiness" that commercial TV seems to suggest exists but you do not feel satisfied, then you could be simply unaware of the condition in which you live.
Here's another question the answer to which may throw light on the question of what happiness is?
Is it possible to be unhappy and not to realize it?
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Originally posted by STANGNow you're just saying that happiness is unattainable, not that contentment couldn't be happiness.
Not really. 'Life wasn't meant to be a bed of roses'.
Wait, I just had another idea. For you, happiness could be the pursuit of peace and contentment, not the peace itself. I had to remind myself what I said earlier: it is the feeling that you are doing the right thing that creates happiness.
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