a real post, for once

[citizenwind]

In Happier, Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar's self-help book and reading material at Harvard University’s most popular course, he discusses how the relationship between accumulated wealth and happiness does not follow the linear relationship we expect it to. That is, people and societies are not happier when they are wealthier.  This is not a surprising

Comments

[ameyeforever]

this was beautiful and inspiring.

i've been dealing with similar struggles recently, despite not yet being a huge champion superstar.

thank you.

[citizenwind]

do you mean, you've been questioning why you slam?

i think it's a really healthy and necessary question for all serious slammers to ask themselves. slam fucks with you.

[ameyeforever]

it's more than just slam, for me...whenever i get all despairing about my life goals, i ask myself when will i be happy for good? when i make it to finals at nationals? when i publish a book? when i win a pulitzer?

the point, for me, is that 'greatness' and accomplishment do not necessarily lead to happiness.

THEN comes the question of why do i slam. and i can't answer that one well right now.

[citizenwind]

try. let's discuss.

[moondancer2212]

I'm glad to read this. Having known you from the beginning of your timeline to now, it has seemed that you've been less happy. I think the idea of stepping back and examining the motives behind our actions is a good one, and one we should all do every so often. I wish you happiness.

[citizenwind]

While I think I'm slightly less happy than I was in say, late college, when I was happily engaged and didn't have to pay rent, the highs have been really high and the lows have been really low. That comes with pseudo-celebrity status, to some degree, though yeah, poker wasn't a great mental choice, though a great financial one. Meh.

[citizenwind]

is it not going to make you happy, or is it going to make you unhappy? i think there's a distinction you need to make.

[titivillus32]

I'm happier to know that you're feeling happy.

Your choices all seem to indicate a real progression and maturity.

Happiness and choices.. it's amazing how difficult people make things. Since talking with you about this happiness book, I've started to weigh the question, "Do I make myself unhappy?" and it seems that I do a lot of shitty things for ideals I want to live up to.. whether it's being able to 'handle it' or simply thinking that I'm a weaker person not to.. when really, the question is, "why do I choose to make myself unhappy and is this 'unhappiness' really serving any larger purpose than just making me unhappy?"

I'm rooting for you and for your future happy accidents. :)

[citizenwind]

when you brought up utilitarianism, i think you were on the right track. assigning points of happiness, however arbitrary, is a good way to help decipher the balance. heck, we can put points of poems, surely we can figure out the value of a greasy cheeseburger.