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Are We Living in a Post-Happiness World?

nytimes.com

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Re: Are We Living in a Post-Happiness World?

#31

Post by voidhorse »

brodouevencode wrote: post #24

The author did not do a good job of spelling out the differences in the two types of happiness. In fact, she didn't even address them by their proper names (hedonic and eudaimonic). Identifying the two and really digging in on their differences would probably have made for a more interesting article - and certainly a more enlightening one. Just saying "people are unhappy, don't confuse unhappy with unjoyful" isn't en…

While I stand by your desire for more nuance in the discussion, I'd be wary of assuming one theorization of happiness, and it's attendant conceptual divisions, is the only theory of happiness. While the hedonistic and eudaemonic conceptions come down to us from tradition for good reason, it seems somewhat presumptuous to call these categorizations the "proper names" for the kinds of happiness.

Since it's a humanistic concept, there are many ways to break it down and define it--some competing theories might not even agree with the hedonistic/eudaemonic split (some might find the division too simple, others unnecessary).

There's a lot of different ways one can approach it. For instance, the discussion gets even more interesting when we consider, on the hedonistic side, the world of Sadism--as concepts that seems diametrically opposed (pleasure/pain) intermingle quite interestingly. I would not be surprised if a similar phenomena occurs on the level of hedonism/eudaemonia--the pursuit of one may also mix with some of the incentives and pleasures of the pursuit of the other.

Re: Are We Living in a Post-Happiness World?

#33

Post by golemotron »

no_opinions wrote: post #26
seibelj wrote: post #4

Family, friends, health, purpose. Even without the latest gadgets and being a millionaire, if you have the love of family and friends you can find happiness. I guarantee you won’t find happiness by reading the NYT all day and getting worked up.

NYT used to be a really good paper though. I thought it was supposed to be this amazing intellectual, philosophical, humanistic thing spreading the courageous word of the truth to unwoked. These people were supposed to be focusing on what we have in common and building common ground. Fundamentally, the formula of news in 2019 is like this (working on the this): Create a topic that ignores basic human need that everyo…

Remember that news is a failing business. Most reporters and opinion writers are young (people with seniority who would have helped them with topics were laid off), they have massive student loan debt, they live in expensive metropolises (NYC in this case), are helped with rent by their parents, and are working at their first job. Those factors explain what you read on news sites and the distance between it and the concerns of 90% of the people in the US.

Re: Are We Living in a Post-Happiness World?

#34

Post by brightball »

seibelj wrote: post #4

Family, friends, health, purpose. Even without the latest gadgets and being a millionaire, if you have the love of family and friends you can find happiness. I guarantee you won’t find happiness by reading the NYT all day and getting worked up.

That and simply learning to ignore all the rage of the week stuff. It’s pretty easy to live happier by living simpler and realizing that the things that worked for the human race for centuries didn’t magically stop working because of some political marketing campaigns.

Re: Are We Living in a Post-Happiness World?

#36

Post by HNLurker2 »

seibelj wrote: post #4

Family, friends, health, purpose. Even without the latest gadgets and being a millionaire, if you have the love of family and friends you can find happiness. I guarantee you won’t find happiness by reading the NYT all day and getting worked up.

Being a millionaire won't make you happy. Now a billionaire

Re: Are We Living in a Post-Happiness World?

#38

Post by mjevans »

Maybe it's a question of having time to get together with others.

In the unending war for attention, I feel like I've lost; and through being out of all the social loops, also lost the chances for joy I used to have.

I can't be the only one that feels like there's just not enough time to go around, even less so than there used to be. That it's impossible to get together with friends to do anything on the weekend. That the transaction cost of trying to overcome physical distance is rising. That seemingly everyone has something else they're investing time in.

Re: Are We Living in a Post-Happiness World?

#39

Post by lonelyasf »

vorpalhex wrote: post #27

Happiness, in the fundamental sense, is a choice. That choice can be easier or harder at times, just like it's easier to speak your mind with a good friend then in a room full of strangers. It is however a choice, and it's a choice you can make even when it's really difficult. Happiness shouldn't be conflated with what the article calls "joy". Joy is good and fine, but it's a primarily external phenomenon. I find hap…

You didn't state your circumstances but in my limited experience I rarely meet happy people that don't have a sitaution for happiness. They have a loving partner and/or loving friends and family around and/or a fulfilling job. VS say myself which hasn't had a lover in > 16 years, no family within 7000 miles, and no hangout friends, only a few friends I see once every 1 to 2 months. In my 50s also makes it hard to find peers to make these things from vs say if I was 20 in college it's trival (or at least much easier) to find people to hang with who have time to hang out, to being around the same often enough that mutual attraction develops into lovers, etc...

If it's not clear what I'm saying I'm saying that just writing in a journal everyday and someone will be happy is not enough to make someone happy. They do actually need love and friends and physical contact and purpose.

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