PHIL 3160 – Philosophy of Happiness

What is it, how can we best pursue it, why should we? Supporting the study of these and related questions at Middle Tennessee State University and beyond. "Examining the concept of human happiness and its application in everyday living as discussed since antiquity by philosophers, psychologists, writers, spiritual leaders, and contributors to pop culture."

Monday, November 22, 2021

Awake, elevated, grateful

 LISTEN. It's the short week before Thanksgiving break, and just a couple class days remain of the Fall semester after it. It's getting late real early, as Yogi said. (He really didn't say everything he said.) 

So we'll step it up in CoPhi today, looking at James on habit and consciousness. We'll preview some of our final reports as well, and get started reviewing for our last exam. Busy time. We should be grateful.

We saw Tick Tick Boom last night, Lin-Manuel Miranda's paean to his hero Jonathan Larson, to creative perseverance, and to friendship. I give it all the stars.

Oh, and by the way... on Saturday I finally went and did that skin-deep, self-indulgent thing I almost did last May, before surgery forced a postponement. I know it's no big deal to my students' generation, but to mine it still feels subversive and transgressive and a little risky. "Bad ass" even, said Younger Daughter. Stats and anecdotes are mixed on the matter of regret.

But I can't imagine ever regretting an arms-length reminder to regard the recurrent daily light of dawn as a perpetual invitation to wakefulness and, well, to creative perseverance. Morning is "when I am awake and there is a dawn in me," when (like Henry) I'm most susceptible of enlightenment... (continues)

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