Are you happy? Can you be? Should you be?

[Angel Trismegistus]

Ataraxy?

I searched that term, and it seems to be a deadly dragon with bad breath, so I guess you mean ataraxia, which is defined as:

A state of freedom from emotional disturbance and anxiety, tranquility.

If so, then yes.

Yes, ataraxy = ataraxia = peace of mind, Stoic bliss.

[Sy Borg]

Yes, peace. That's what people have always sought. But not too much. Not death-style ultimate peace - just a fair bit of it :)

It's always an interesting exercise in self-discipline leading up to an unwanted event. I prefer not to catastrophise - to accept a down payment of suffering before the fact in the hope that it softens the blow then the time comes. I do still make that mistake, but it's not strategic. One of the most effective life hacks I've been given came from a former flatmate who said that she cleans when she feels worried or miserable. It works. It's mindless, provides mild exercise, and you finish up with some long-procrastinated tasks off the list. Thanks to the dentist visit, my lounge room now looks as though only a small bomb has hit it.

Great point you make with your finance education. Yes, anthropocentric humanist thinking seems positively global compared with the blinkers of the corporate mindset. It reminds me of Niemöller's "First they came ..." poem. This is my grotesque adulteration to describe today's situation (with the help of anaesthetic drugs ...

First they came for the land
And I did not speak out because it wasn't me
Then they came for the animals
And I did not speak out because I was a human animal
Then they came for the poor
And I did not speak out because at least it wasn't me
Then they came for the middle class
And I was stuffed. No one spoke up. No one who could make a difference, anyway.

Then they came for small companies
And no one cares any more.
So they came for those organisation's technicians
Because they had been superseded by algorithms
Then they came for middle management
Because they had been superseded by algorithms
Then they came for senior management
Because they had been superseded by algorithms
Then they came for executive and CEO
For the same reason.

Then the owners died of old age
Then the most powerful AI came for the weakest AI ...

And yes, you should write a book. Perhaps send 25 pages or so to beta readers? :)

[chewybrian]

Yes, peace. That's what people have always sought. But not too much. Not death-style ultimate peace - just a fair bit of it

It's always an interesting exercise in self-discipline leading up to an unwanted event. I prefer not to catastrophise - to accept a down payment of suffering before the fact in the hope that it softens the blow then the time comes. I do still make that mistake, but it's not strategic. One of the most effective life hacks I've been given came from a former flatmate who said that she cleans when she feels worried or miserable. It works. It's mindless, provides mild exercise, and you finish up with some long-procrastinated tasks off the list. Thanks to the dentist visit, my lounge room now looks as though only a small bomb has hit it.

Great point you make with your finance education. Yes, anthropocentric humanist thinking seems positively global compared with the blinkers of the corporate mindset. It reminds me of Niemöller's "First they came ..." poem. This is my grotesque adulteration to describe today's situation (with the help of anaesthetic drugs ...

First they came for the land
And I did not speak out because it wasn't me
Then they came for the animals
And I did not speak out because I was a human animal
Then they came for the poor
And I did not speak out because at least it wasn't me
Then they came for the middle class
And I was stuffed. No one spoke up. No one who could make a difference, anyway.

Then they came for small companies
And no one cares any more.
So they came for those organisation's technicians
Because they had been superseded by algorithms
Then they came for middle management
Because they had been superseded by algorithms
Then they came for senior management
Because they had been superseded by algorithms
Then they came for executive and CEO
For the same reason.

Then the owners died of old age
Then the most powerful AI came for the weakest AI ...

And yes, you should write a book. Perhaps send 25 pages or so to beta readers?

I fear your second sight is too accurate. It makes me think that all my efforts in any direction amount to finding a way to fiddle as Rome burns. But, if fiddling makes me happy, then at least I might be happy for that short time that I have available to me. I don't know that there is anything any of us could do to avert your possible/probable future. Maybe we can teach a couple others to fiddle and spread a little extra happiness.

[Sy Borg]

Please pardon my poetic self indulgence last night. The anaesthetic used for my dental treatment was sensational :)

I think our calling is more than just fiddling (unless you are Jean Luc Ponty), at least barring "planet killer" asteroids. We are, in our own ways, each playing a part in the creation of what will become far more complex beings, just as we in the 21st century are far more complex than early hominids.

We are all part of that push-and-pull of continuing creation, either working to speed or slow various societal and environmental dynamics, depending on our inclinations. That seems fine to me; moving too quickly causes harm through disruption and moving too slowly causes harm via stagnation. So we, with our individual standpoints and perspectives, push a little in our preferred directions, and the net balance works itself out, obviously with some imbalances occurring along the way.

So our fiddling is valuable. Not wildly valuable like, say, those responsible for great discoveries and works. Some individuals even become the pivot point around which the world turns - a hard fate IMO

[AmericanKestrel]

Is the 'pursuit of happiness' a worthy pursuit for a human?

Is there any objective state of happiness which can be known to exist and identified when it does exist?

Is there even a subjective state of happiness which can be known to exist, to the same extent which you might know that you are hot or cold when this might not be evident to others?

Is happiness a result of your environment, events and the actions of those around you, is it strictly the result of your own opinions, preconceptions, attitude and effort, or do both affect the outcome? Which is more important?

Does your happiness necessarily come at the expense of the happiness of others, or does the happiness of one person tend to inspire or reinforce the happiness of others?

Do you become happy by doing the right thing, or the wrong thing, or are the these unrelated?

Does happiness result from your pursuit of it, or must it ensue as a result of living correctly (whatever that might mean)?

If happiness is not the right thing to seek, what is better, or more proper or productive? Why?

I think pursuit of peace and joy is a more worthy pursuit. If those two combined provide happiness, well and good. I also think those two more lasting than happiness, which is hard to identify. Peace is a sense of relief, unburdening, letting go. Joy is what makes you smile.
Peace and joy comes from knowing what is important, and what is not. It is not dependent on the world and other people and their actions, but on my attitude and actions towards others and the world. You have no control on other people and events, only your own emotions and feelings.

[LuckyR]

Is the 'pursuit of happiness' a worthy pursuit for a human?

Is there any objective state of happiness which can be known to exist and identified when it does exist?

Is there even a subjective state of happiness which can be known to exist, to the same extent which you might know that you are hot or cold when this might not be evident to others?

Is happiness a result of your environment, events and the actions of those around you, is it strictly the result of your own opinions, preconceptions, attitude and effort, or do both affect the outcome? Which is more important?

Does your happiness necessarily come at the expense of the happiness of others, or does the happiness of one person tend to inspire or reinforce the happiness of others?

Do you become happy by doing the right thing, or the wrong thing, or are the these unrelated?

Does happiness result from your pursuit of it, or must it ensue as a result of living correctly (whatever that might mean)?

If happiness is not the right thing to seek, what is better, or more proper or productive? Why?

I think pursuit of peace and joy is a more worthy pursuit. If those two combined provide happiness, well and good. I also think those two more lasting than happiness, which is hard to identify. Peace is a sense of relief, unburdening, letting go. Joy is what makes you smile.
Peace and joy comes from knowing what is important, and what is not. It is not dependent on the world and other people and their actions, but on my attitude and actions towards others and the world. You have no control on other people and events, only your own emotions and feelings.

I agree that happiness is a poor primary goal, but that if you are society minded that the pursiit of things of benefit to others will bring you happiness as a secondary effect.

[AmericanKestrel]

I think pursuit of peace and joy is a more worthy pursuit. If those two combined provide happiness, well and good. I also think those two more lasting than happiness, which is hard to identify. Peace is a sense of relief, unburdening, letting go. Joy is what makes you smile.
Peace and joy comes from knowing what is important, and what is not. It is not dependent on the world and other people and their actions, but on my attitude and actions towards others and the world. You have no control on other people and events, only your own emotions and feelings.
[/quote]

I agree that happiness is a poor primary goal, but that if you are society minded that the pursiit of things of benefit to others will bring you happiness as a secondary effect.
[/quote]
I think trying to derive happiness through the result of an action, even altruistic, cannot be truly liberating. Such as giving money to a homeless person. If one expects gratitude and none is shown it can actually be a source of something other than joy. So the attitude with which we show kindness or perform a civic duty counts more towards a lasting sense of good.