ch1
1. Who has frequently been held up by philosophers as a paradigm of happiness?
2. What nation did Gallup find to be happiest in terms of daily experience?
3. What does Haybron say will most likely NOT be on your deathbed list of things you'd like to experience again before you go?
4. What was Aristotle's word for happiness, and what did he particularly not mean by it?
5. Which of Haybron's three happiness theories is not mainly concerned with feelings?
6. Why does Haybron consider "subjective well-being" unhelpful?
ch2
7. How does the author's Dad describe existence "on the Pond"?
8. What does Big Joe the commercial fisherman feel at the end of his working day, and how does he feel generally?
9. Your posture or stride reveals something deeper than what?
10. The author says moments like the one depicted in the photo on p.18 involve no what?
11. Who developed the notion of flow?
12. Tranquility, confidence, and expansiveness are aspects of what state of mind/body?
13. Though your temperament may be more or less fixed, your ___ may be more or less prone to change with circumstances.
14. What famous western Buddhist says happiness is an optimal state of being, much more than a feeling?
Discussion Questions (please add your own)
- Do you often, or ever, experience a state of mindless meditation? Are you happy in those moments? Or must such moments recur regularly over the course of a lifetime before such a judgment would be appropriate?
- How often do you find yourself fully engaged and absorbed in what you're doing? Do you think you could learn to experience such a state of being more frequently and reliably?
- How much attention do you pay to your posture and bodily presentation? When striding confidently do you feel more confident, when sitting erect do you feel more competent? Can acting happy make you happy?
- This isn't how most philosophers would define "rationality," but what do you think of it as a description of happiness? "When enjoying plenary freedom either in the way of motion or of thought, we are in a sort of anaesthetic state in which we might say with Walt Whitman, if we cared to say anything about ourselves at such times, " I am sufficient as I am." This feeling of the sufficiency of the present moment, of its absoluteness, — this absence of all need to explain it, account for it, or justify it, — is what I call the Sentiment of Rationality. As soon, in short, as we are enabled from any cause whatever to think with perfect fluency, the thing we think of seems to us pro tanto rational." William James
- Do you ever experience "flow," when your absorption in a task makes the experience of the passage of time drop away? Did you experience that more when younger? (Could that be what the poet Wordsworth was talking about when he referred to intimations of immortality in childhood?)
- How do you manage your bad moods? Does it work for you to try and ignore them, and just get on with your day? Or have you learned the Stoic/Vulcan art of distancing yourself from all moods? Is it possible to achieve selective distancing, drawing closer to happy moods and away from bad ones?
- Who's the happiest person you know? What have you learned from observing them?
- Do you agree that there's never been a better time to be alive? 1 (Steven Pinker in Better Angels of Our Nature, for one, says life's never been better.)
- "Life is good" - agree? What hypothetical circumstances in your life do you imagine might reverse your opinion?
- Do you think many poor communities are happier than the average college student? 3
- How important is health, and healthcare, in your conception of happiness? 7
- Do we need a theory or definition of happiness? 10
- What do you think of Aristotle's approach? 11
- Do you have views about eastern (eg, Buddhist) approaches to happiness?
- Can you be a genuinely happy individual in an unhappy society? 13
The happiest “person” I know is my dog, Paisley. Every time I look at her, she is wagging her tail and smiling. Even when she was sick a few weeks ago (she is better now!), she was still constantly wagging her tail and just overall happy to be here. I think, from her, I have learned to just not take things so seriously. She is so carefree. She is happy to do anything that I want to take her to do, but she is also happy just sitting at home and doing nothing. She is content just living life and enjoying her surroundings. Obviously she has things that make her happier than others (going to the park, getting into the trash, playing fetch, eating her food), but even when those things aren’t happening, she is still just happy to be here.
ReplyDeleteThat's so true, we have much to learn from dogs. The general contentedness of them is incredible.
DeleteLearning to appreciate and live in the moment is something we can all strive to be better at, and dogs are the best possible example of that. Like you said, they're just happy to be here. We could all benefit from that mindset.
DeleteThe answer to the happiest nation was Denmark which was said to have a habit of hogging the top spot.
ReplyDeleteItems listed in the book that you were not likely to want to do again on your deathbed were going to the store, using your phone, or another day at the office.I can relate to that...... not wanting to go to work one last time!
I feel the same way! Watching one more reel on instagram or how many overtime hours I'll get won't matter at the end
DeleteSome context for my questions:
ReplyDeleteIn my Persuasion class, we discussed Aristotle, his Rhetoric, and the fact that ancient Greeks educated themselves in topics like persuasion because, if they were ever sued, they would need to know how to defend themselves in court.
We know that ancient Greek philosophers regarded "self-actualization" and "development of the self" as important in this life. Upon hearing this in my persuasion class, I wondered if this push for individual growth was fueled by needing to do many things well on their own.
Which led me to question since modern humans are more interdependent upon one another in daily functions, (i.e., hiring a lawyer, taking our car to a mechanic, eating out instead of cooking, etc) does "self-actualization" and "development of the self" no longer hold the same importance, not just in consideration but in actuality, as it once did? Or rather, if the path to self-actualization has shifted from their understanding to an entirely new way, would their understanding still work today?
I often find myself fully engaged when I am writing or learning something new. I would love to experience this state more frequently and reliably, which I can luckily do at any time. Time escapes me when I write and learn, which sets off alarm bells in my American time obsessive conditioning, but the love I have for them helps me relax from those worries.
ReplyDeleteDiscussion question 10 - I do not think that we need a specific definition of “happiness.” I think happiness could be subjective for everybody. The part with this point of view that I do struggle with, however, is from our discussion in class about people who feel”happiness” from violent acts such as rape or murder. That would not be my definition of happiness. I do think if we tried to get a definition of happiness, we would have to define what the “correct” morals to have are.
ReplyDeleteAnother thought I had about this is that I think it would be possible to define happiness. We would have to take the morality/feelings out of it, and just focus on the chemical release of different hormones in the brain. Neurotransmitters and hormones of dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins are all released when experiencing happiness. I think it would be possible to define happiness from a scientific point of view.
DeleteI disagree that we could define happiness in term of chemicals released in our brain. Certainly we could define joy in such a manner, but happiness is more than joy. Robert Nozick brilliantly illustrated this point when he asked his readers whether they would be happy if they were hooked up to a machine that created nothing but the best of feelings inside of them. Despite the promise that the machine would never allow the participants to feel bad feelings and only experience great emotions, most people would choose not to be hooked up to this machine. Our intuitions tell us that happiness is more than just feeling good.
DeleteI think you're right about not needing a specific definition, and in fact, I'm dubious of providing a definition that covers all the conceptions of happiness. The German philosopher Ludwig Witgenstein (I'm sure I spelled that wrong) discussed the impossibility of providing all inclusive definitions that are narrow enough to not include things outside of the word being defined. He suggests having a definitional family of definitions that all apply to the same concept.
DeleteI personally think it extremely difficult to define happiness, let alone try to set parameters such as hormones or morals to confine it. While some of these definitions and situations describe how an "ideal" form of happiness might feel, I do agree with those that think it subjective. Morality is and always has been an issue of debate, simply because morality is a spectrum upon which everyone places actions differently. Ultimately, I do think that people who seem to exhibit "happiness" from immoral or unjust behavior may search for the fleeting feeling of happiness, rather than a state of attunement or endorsement.
DeleteDo you often, or ever, experience a state of mindless meditation? Are you happy in those moments? Or must such moments recur regularly over the course of a lifetime before such a judgment would be appropriate?
ReplyDeleteI try to meditate regularly. We are always moving and filling our mind with thoughts. I think it's important to give your computer some time to process without filling it with more thoughts. I don't know that I would call myself happy in those moments, but it certainly helps increase my happiness throughout the day by giving me more control over my emotions (by allowing me to recall myself to the present moment) and by allowing my emotions to process which leads to less anxiety throughout the day. I'm a high anxiety individual, so meditation is very helpful.
I find that meditation, at least in the traditional sense, is an impossible task for me. I either find myself being completely unable to empty my mind of thoughts, or I fall asleep and wake up 5 hours later because it finally happened. I've tried many guided meditation apps, and I can't seem to figure it out. For me, playing the drums and hiking in the woods is incredibly meditative. I've come to realize that I, personally, don't need to empty my thoughts to feel the effect, I simply need to replace them with something, for lack of a better term, meaningless. Meaningless, in that it will not have a real affect on my life. It may have a minor effect -- hiking and playing the drums are both forms of exercise, and that's good -- but it won't pay my bills, or take care of my wife and daughter, or replace the stuff I need to worry about. Basically these things allow me to escape to a place mentally where nothing at all matters except for the serene, beautiful forestry I'm hiking in, or keeping the tempo to the song I'm playing.
DeleteDo you agree that there's never been a better time to be alive?
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree. Our knowledge of the world has increased so greatly, even being able to take a sip from the ocean that is current human knowledge makes now the greatest time to be alive. The world was built on the shoulders of our forefathers, and for a large part of history that led to incredible development. Now as to if precisely NOW is the best time I'm not certain, the world seems to have taken a downwards turn as of late.
I agree. Everytime I hear "...these days" attached to the end of negative sentences it makes me want to rant to that person about how much better "these days" are than any other time in history--not only in America, but throughout most of the world.
Delete1. How important is health, and healthcare, in your conception of happiness?
ReplyDeleteHealth and healthcare are, in my opinion, extremely important when it comes to someone being happy. Even if someone is currently healthy, the worry and stress that comes from knowing that they don't have healthcare can negatively affect someone's happiness. Problems can arise regarding someone's health at any time, so it is best for people to be secure.
2. Who has frequently been held up by philosophers as a paradigm of happiness?
Socrates is frequently held up by philosophers as the paradigm of happiness.
3.What nation did Gallup find to be happiest in terms of daily experience?
Denmark was the nation found to be happiest in terms of daily experience.
Q - How do you manage your bad moods? Does it work for you to try and ignore them, and just get on with your day? Or have you learned the Stoic/Vulcan art of distancing yourself from all moods? Is it possible to achieve selective distancing, drawing closer to happy moods and away from bad ones?
ReplyDeleteA - For me, bad moods are not common, because I've learned how to control them. In my opinion, emotions are a tool that, if not used in the proper context, will only cause more harm than good. Let's use anger as an example. I like to compare anger to Spider-Man 3 (the Tobey MacGuire one). This movie was an attempt to introduce Venom into the series. Venom is a symbiote that attaches itself to a host, eventually taking control of the host. In the movie, Venom attaches to Spider-Man. At first, he loves it. It gives him even more strength, the ability to stop caring about consequences, and this feeling of invincibility. The first time he allows venom to attach to him, it's fairly easy to remove when he's ready -- meaning he can basically pull it off like it's a shirt or other clothing item. The more times he allows venom to attach to him, the harder it becomes to remove, eventually encapsulating him altogether, and becoming a version of himself that he, and those that love him, recognizes anymore. It becomes so difficult to remove that it almost kills him in the end, when he finally removes him for the final time. This is an analogy for anger, and even most other emotions. They are a tool. We have them for a reason -- to be used when it is *necessary*. However, if we are careless, using them at inappropriate times, it becomes more difficult to not allow them to control us going forward, and, for some of us, it can be an all-consuming thing that destroys relationships, jobs, marriages, etc.
With all of that said, the answer to most problems is the opposite. The opposite of emotion is logic. The two exist in a spectrum or on a sliding scale. When I notice I am in a bad mood, let's say angry about something, I begin to ask myself questions. Why do I feel so angry? Will I feel angry about this an hour/2 hours/a day from now? If someone else experienced the same thing I did, would they feel that my anger is justified? Would I want my daughter to act or feel the way I am in response to what occurred? I find that when you make yourself, or another person, think through their current emotion, they become less emotional and more rational/willing to calm down. This is a method I have developed through years of failure. I know it sounds easy in practice, but it's not. The easy thing to do is be reactive -- to feed the emotion. The hardest thing to do in that situation is to ask yourself questions you don't want to answer truthfully. However, I have found that I usually make the better choice when I interrogate the emotion rather than reacting based on how a ton of neurotransmitters are telling me to.
As for selective distancing, I'm sure it's possible to a select few individuals in a population of 7 billion people, but I know for a fact it's not possible for me. I am a father and a husband. Because of that, I always have a full plate of worries or tasks that need to be completed. However, I do think that, with a lot of practice and stubbornness, it can be easier to understand why you have the emotion, and then make the conscious choice in the moment to distance yourself from them.
4. Aristotle’s word for happiness (Ch. 1):
ReplyDeleteAristotle’s term was eudaimonia. He very explicitly did not mean “happiness” in the modern, subjective sense of just feeling good or having pleasant emotions. Rather, eudaimonia is about flourishing, living well, and realizing human potential through virtue over a whole life. It’s more objective and tied to character and activity than to moods.
11. Who developed the notion of flow? (Ch. 2):
The idea of flow was developed by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Flow describes the state of being deeply absorbed in an activity, where one loses track of time, self-consciousness fades, and the challenge matches one’s skill.
c.f. Discussion (6):
I used to take a Stoic approach in high school: trying to detach, practicing a dichotomy of control (i.e., focusing on what is in my control and learning to live with what isn't). Over time, though, I found that too rigid — so I moved toward a trichotomy of influence, recognizing things I can control, things I can’t, and things I can shape indirectly.
I grew into a distinctly Catholic philosophy in college. I found the cardinal virtues instilled in me by practicing Stoicism incredibly helpful but insufficient. Within a Catholic framework, these values and virtues integrated with the theological virtues especially caritas (c.f. 1 Cor 13; trans. charity, love) which shifted my focus from self-mastery to self-giving and mercy. By living my life in pursuit of willing the good of the other (as other) I've discovered a better path (i.e., per Aristotle through (/reframed by) Aquinas).
I shall argue that there has never been a better time to be alive, objectively speaking. While medicine, technology, transportation, and knowledge have allowed us to explore and understand the world from inside our own homes, it does create a disconnect between the attunement state of mind and the burden these novelties actually provide. Seeing as this is my first time living (that I am aware of), I can see these novelties and rejoice at their usefulness when compared to previous decades or centuries. However, no matter the technology or tool, the human condition of happiness still ultimately depends on how we allow the world around us to affect us.
ReplyDeleteI have experienced a flow state more recently in my life than in my childhood, and ironically enough aligns with the example of a musician. When I was a part of a drum corps and an indoor marching drumline, performances and even rehearsals would seem particularly endless. While the experience and memories were wonderful, it was a surreal feeling. Friends of mine, and even myself, would go into performance spaces mentally preparing ourselves, repping certain chunks of music or body movement, or just standing in silence to calm nerves. No matter the pre-show ritual, some members would still leave the field or floor not having any recollection of their run! It is almost as if the muscle memory had completely taken over, and the musician served no greater purpose than to perform. It is a truly strange but astonishing experience to behold.
ReplyDeleteI think healthcare is among the most important factors in allowing happiness. Even dating back to Maslow, we see this notion that the pursuit of happiness requires an adequate basis of security - interpersonal, financial (for what money can buy) and medical. Moreover, access to proper medicines and therapy is what allows every other basis to be established; it's difficult for a bipolar individual to have healthy relationships without access to therapy and medication, just as somebody with multiple sclerosis can't very well seek their happiness without certain provisions. It's also necessary for healthcare to be offered at no cost or at least a reasonable one, since the threat of financial ruin adds another ill to the sick and poor.
ReplyDeleteI also think that this is the best time to be alive. Even though history goes through cycles, the trend of those cycles seems to bend upward. Though our world has innumerable difficulties, it also contains innumerable blessings that my life would be worse without - to name a few trivial ones: Wikipedia, widespread translation efforts, access to every kind of music imaginable, a heretofore unseen freedom to create, diplomacy efforts in fraught situations that would have led to war in the past. Our world might be on the declining slope of one of these cycles at the moment, but that ditch is shallower than the ditches of the past eons.
Something I have learned over time is that the slope of the world (upward or declining) depends on the lens you choose to view it through. It reminds me of the quote "time is a flat circle" that I heard while watching the first season of True Detective. I could be wrong, but I believe Nietzsche is who they were quoting. Basically, it's saying that the world operates on a perpetual cycle of repetition where every horrible or incredible event will happen again, over and over until the end of time. The lens we view the world through has a giant impact on who we become, and I believe it should be chosen carefully. Viewing the world through a positive or negative lens doesn't require support or disapproval for those in the world that are responsible for it. It just means that I'm freely choosing how to feel, and thus how it will affect me now and in the future.
DeletePersonally, I agree with your comment about this period of history being the best that humans have ever experienced. But a concept that I often entertain is that humans aren't necessarily progressing or declining. The ebbs and flows of societal progress can be measured by some rights, but only in their respective subjects. For instance, technology has obviously seen leaps and bounds in terms of progression, but the individuals that use it are often stagnated by its convenience.
DeleteWhile the potential for humans to progress as a whole is constantly expanding, our actions and intentions seem to remain within a limited range--one that's very difficult for me to indentify fully, as expanding.
I honestly can't think of a better time to be alive. In modern times it seems like we have the highest average standard of living and lots of freedom to do what you want in life. Although, im defining what makes a life better one might decide that living a simpler life, where your only needs are to take care of yourself or your family. In that case, it may be better to have lived in a time where we were more biologically equipped to live, in a hunter gatherer society.
ReplyDeleteI have never been able to create a specific formula for managing my bad moods, but I have developed a list of rules I intuitively follow when reacting to my negative emotions externally. For example, if I start feeling suspicious about something or someone, I recognize that it could be motivated purely by stress-induced paranoia. In this case, verbalizing my suspicion to someone is not only a bad strategy, but it's also potentially destructive to an honest friendship. So, I force myself to stay silent about the subject until I have more rational justifications for suspicion.
ReplyDeleteRationalizing my emotions has seemed to be the most effective form of mood management in my life, but sometimes I feel that this detaches me from my purest feelings. Developing a habit of addressing my negative feelings with rationality has caused rationality to extend over all emotional processing.
I like to believe that this manner of addressing psychological and emotional issues can be developed to a point to where I can manually decide which feelings to "feel," but I also recognize a higher potential for it to lead to cynicism.