It's both, and more. He really thought so too.
"Happiness, I have lately discovered, is no positive feeling, but a negative condition of freedom from a number of restrictive sensations of which our organism usually seems to be the seat. When they are wiped out, the clearness and cleanness of the contrast is happiness. This is why anesthetics make us so happy. But don't you take to drink on that account!"
The Letters of William James, jy 10 1901: https://a.co/5NnKUJh
After almost 20 years on air, “Dancing With the Stars” brought a surge of Gen Z viewers through its canny use of TikTok, casting of younger dance pros and the chance virality of “wow moments” from routines.
Black church congregations are struggling to attract younger members. That has consequences for social cohesion and Black political power writ large.
For the first time in modern American history, young men are now more religious than their female peers. They attend services more often and are more likely to identify as religious.
Many of Harvard’s Generation Z say “sellout” is not an insult, instead it appears to mean something strikingly corporate-minded.
A younger generation of crossword constructors is using an old form to reflect their identities, language and world. Here’s how Gen Z made the puzzle their own.
The Word of Dog (Rowlands) – because dogs, who can teach us much about attention and the present, make me happy. They model a kind of uncomplicated joy and loyalty that philosophers sometimes forget to take seriously. Why now: In an age of distraction, dogs remind us to notice—and savor—the moment we’re actually in.
My policy on using AI for learning is simple: be transparently honest. Never claim the AI's "thoughts" as your own, but do share them --suitably flagged, as with italics or some other obvious marker-- if you find them interesting, helpful, or provocative. And always corroborate any factual statements. Sapere aude, think for yourself... but not by yourself. Sometimes the machine can be a useful interlocutor. But it should never be a substitute for your own thinking.Wanderlust (Solnit) – because the peripatetic life makes me happy. Walking turns thought into a moving, breathing thing; Solnit’s history will make you want to lace up and go.Why now: Walking is a low-tech, high-return antidote to sedentary, screen-heavy lives.
Moral Ambition (Bregman) – because there's more to life than happiness, and more to happiness than pleasure and complacency. Bregman asks what happens when we aim our energy at making the world better, and how that quest can give life depth. Why now: The biggest problems—climate change, inequality, injustice—won’t solve themselves; a meaningful life requires more than self-care.==
I'm Dr. Oliver, teacher of this course in alternative Fall semesters at MTSU for many moons now.
I, like Thomas Jefferson, think the pursuit of happiness in the broadest sense (which includes something like the old Greek notions of virtue and excellence) is a human birthright, though that's not to say it's always easy to achieve. Its conditions are worth studying, to enhance its pursuit.
Who are you? Why are you here? Are you happy? What do you consider the conditions of your and others' happiness? (For me, the pursuit involves family, friends, baseball, books, dogs, health of course...)
Click on the comments tab below and share your thoughts. Whoever goes first second will be rewarded with a bit of swag on Opening Day. (Gary's already posted his introduction, and he already has all the swag. But you can have more if you want, Gary.)
See you all on the 26th!
