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."

Up@dawn 2.0

Wednesday, September 24, 2025

David Byrne | Reasons To Be Cheerful | About

He launched this in 2018. Time for a relaunch? Better than "burning down the house," right??

I'm starting an online project, reasonstobecheerful.world, that is an continuation and extension of some writing and talks I've done recently.

The project will be cross-platform—some elements may appear on social media, some on a website and some might manifest as a recording or performance… much of the published material will be collected here.

What is Reasons To Be Cheerful?             

I imagine, like a lot of you who look back over the past year, it seems like the world is going to Hell. I wake up in the morning, look at the paper, and go, "Oh no!" Often I'm depressed for half the day. It doesn't matter how you voted on Brexit, the French elections or the U.S. election—many of us of all persuasions and party affiliations feel remarkably similar.

As a kind of remedy and possibly as a kind of therapy, I started collecting good news that reminded me, "Hey, there's actually some positive stuff going on!" Almost all of these initiatives are local, they come from cities or small regions who have taken it upon themselves to try something that might offer a better alternative than what exits. Hope is often local. Change begins in communities.

I will post thoughts, images and audio relating to this initiative on whichever platform seems suitable and I'll welcome contributions from others, if they follow the guidelines I've set for myself.                           

These bits of good news tend to fall into a few categories:

  • Education
  • Health
  • Civic Engagement
  • Science/Tech
  • Urban/Transportation
  • Energy                   
  • Culture

Culture, music and the arts might include, optimistically, some of my own work and projects, but just as much I hope to promote the work of others that has a proven track record.

Why do I do this? Why take the time? Therapy, I guess, though once in awhile I meet someone who has the connections and skills but might not be aware of some of these initiatives and innovations, so I can pass the information on. I sense that not all of this is widely known...


https://www.davidbyrne.com/explore/reasons-to-be-cheerful/about

No comments:

Post a Comment

Why Are More Young People Getting Cancer?

Happy people stay fit, eat right, & avoid alcohol "…the evidence linking obesity, alcohol use and poor diet to early-onset cancer i...