A proposal to classify happiness as a psychiatric disorder (1992) • Hacker News Board

Re: A proposal to classify happiness as a psychiatric disorder (1992)

#61

Post by _doctor_love » Tue, Mar 17, 2026, 4:16 PM UTC

> It is proposed that happiness be classified as a psychiatric disorder and be included in future editions of the major diagnostic manuals under the new name: major affective disorder, pleasant type. In a review of the relevant literature it is shown that happiness is statistically abnormal, consists of a discrete cluster of symptoms, is associated with a range of cognitive abnormalities, and probably reflects the abnormal functioning of the central nervous system. One possible objection to this proposal remains--that happiness is not negatively valued. However, this objection is dismissed as scientifically irrelevant.

Reading this I can't help but feel that the person who wrote it is a POS.

Re: A proposal to classify happiness as a psychiatric disorder (1992)

#62

Post by dataviz1000 » Tue, Mar 17, 2026, 4:27 PM UTC

bensyverson wrote: post #19

Ha, this is fun. But there's a kernel of truth to it. The problem with American culture specifically is that it treats "happiness" as a goal, rather than a fleeting feeling that is probably better described with a more specific word (joy, accomplishment, excitement, satisfaction, contentment). Our culture leans on this so hard that people start to think there's something wrong with them if they're not feeling general…

"For truly to enjoy bodily warmth, some small part of you must be cold, for there is no quality in this world that is not what it is merely by contrast. Nothing exists in itself." -- Herman Melville.

He describing to enjoy the warmth of blankets on a freezing winter night, it is imperative the nose be exposed to the cold likely as a metaphor to enjoy "happiness" something is needed for contrast.

Re: A proposal to classify happiness as a psychiatric disorder (1992)

#63

Post by arizen » Tue, Mar 17, 2026, 4:33 PM UTC

Happiness is a derivative of purpose. If someone optimizes their life strictly for happiness while deprioritizing purpose, they likely won't achieve either.

Pursuing a meaningful goal almost always requires enduring unpleasant phases and friction along the way.

Re: A proposal to classify happiness as a psychiatric disorder (1992)

#64

Post by m463 » Tue, Mar 17, 2026, 4:33 PM UTC

bensyverson wrote: post #19

Ha, this is fun. But there's a kernel of truth to it. The problem with American culture specifically is that it treats "happiness" as a goal, rather than a fleeting feeling that is probably better described with a more specific word (joy, accomplishment, excitement, satisfaction, contentment). Our culture leans on this so hard that people start to think there's something wrong with them if they're not feeling general…

You could also say the same general thing for being goal-oriented instead of process-oriented for anything else.

Re: A proposal to classify happiness as a psychiatric disorder (1992)

#65

Post by limagnolia » Tue, Mar 17, 2026, 4:47 PM UTC

joshmarlow wrote: post #44

throw0101d wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> My takeaway is that (presuming the argument is correct) that much of human striving is probably better described with specific words (as you suggested - joy, accomplishment, fulfillment, excitement, etc). All those four words combined is something like the concept of eudaimonia that Aristotle describes in his Nicomachean Ethics : * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eudaimonia * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flourishing

I've not read Aristotle directly but translating eudaimonia was an example in the book that I mentioned. The argument was that eudaimonia is often translated as happiness but that doesn't make sense in contexts where we talk about a soldier dying experiencing eudaimonia (suggesting a loose translation).

You don't think it possible for some one to die happy?

Re: A proposal to classify happiness as a psychiatric disorder (1992)

#66

Post by autoexec » Tue, Mar 17, 2026, 4:50 PM UTC

_doctor_love wrote: post #61

> It is proposed that happiness be classified as a psychiatric disorder and be included in future editions of the major diagnostic manuals under the new name: major affective disorder, pleasant type. In a review of the relevant literature it is shown that happiness is statistically abnormal, consists of a discrete cluster of symptoms, is associated with a range of cognitive abnormalities, and probably reflects the ab…

I'm guessing that it's just a joke, but I'll admit that it reads like something you'd expect from somebody who doesn't know the difference between "sad" and "depressed" and thinks that there's some vast conspiracy to medicate people for normal human emotions. I'd bet this is smugly shared all over facebook by ignorant people who think that things like depression or ADHD don't exist.

Re: A proposal to classify happiness as a psychiatric disorder (1992)

#67

Post by setsewerd » Tue, Mar 17, 2026, 4:50 PM UTC

dataviz1000 wrote: post #62

bensyverson wrote: post #19

Ha, this is fun. But there's a kernel of truth to it. The problem with American culture specifically is that it treats "happiness" as a goal, rather than a fleeting feeling that is probably better described with a more specific word (joy, accomplishment, excitement, satisfaction, contentment). Our culture leans on this so hard that people start to think there's something wrong with them if they're not feeling general…

"For truly to enjoy bodily warmth, some small part of you must be cold, for there is no quality in this world that is not what it is merely by contrast. Nothing exists in itself." -- Herman Melville. He describing to enjoy the warmth of blankets on a freezing winter night, it is imperative the nose be exposed to the cold likely as a metaphor to enjoy "happiness" something is needed for contrast.

It's always fascinating to see how fundamental concepts of Buddhist teachings appear in different names, forms, and metaphors across cultures.

Dependent origination: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prat%C4%ABtyasamutp%C4%81da?wp...

While some ideas are more obvious than others I always wonder whether the same insights occurred independently (of each other -- excuse the poor choice of words), or if the ideas can all trace their roots back to the same teachings.

Re: A proposal to classify happiness as a psychiatric disorder (1992)

#68

Post by doubled112 » Tue, Mar 17, 2026, 4:58 PM UTC

amarant wrote: post #37

AnimalMuppet wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's Eeyore: "If it is good. Which I doubt." But I knew a guy who didn't answer with words. He would just growl until he'd had coffee.

That sounds like me. There's a 1:1 correlation between how many cups of coffee I've had and the number of languages I speak. And like a true computer nerd, of course it's an unsigned integer, meaning if I drink too much coffee I'm back to grunting only (this time on the toilet)

Seems like you could use a few more bits.

Re: A proposal to classify happiness as a psychiatric disorder (1992)

#69

Post by autoexec » Tue, Mar 17, 2026, 4:59 PM UTC

tss93 wrote: post #27

The critique feels valid to me. There’s a tendency in modern psychology/media to pathologize the average human baseline: if you’re not consistently optimistic and thriving, something must be wrong with you, or at least you need to be in a pursuit of this. But constant happiness isn’t realistic, it’s like a desire to be permanently high. From my own experience I’ve landed somewhere near the Buddhist framing: the healt…

> There’s a tendency in modern psychology/media to pathologize the average human baseline

Is there though? I don't think modern psychology does. Where are these psychologists who don't think emotional ups and downs are a normal healthy part of life? Even in media it's often recognized that people being happy (or even just too tranquil) all the time, is wrong and creepy/unsettling. That said, it's absolutely true that advertisers are constantly pushing a narrative that you should be in an endless pursuit for what you don't have and that if you only buy what they want to sell you it will make you happier and improve your life.

Re: A proposal to classify happiness as a psychiatric disorder (1992)

#70

Post by cortesoft » Tue, Mar 17, 2026, 5:01 PM UTC

fwipsy wrote: post #42

bensyverson wrote: post #19

Ha, this is fun. But there's a kernel of truth to it. The problem with American culture specifically is that it treats "happiness" as a goal, rather than a fleeting feeling that is probably better described with a more specific word (joy, accomplishment, excitement, satisfaction, contentment). Our culture leans on this so hard that people start to think there's something wrong with them if they're not feeling general…

I suspect you would agree with this: https://theoatmeal.com/comics/unhappy Even if feelings are temporary you can still have them more or less often. When somebody says they are happy, of course it does not mean they are experiencing bliss all the time; it means that the relative frequency of positive emotions is high and the relative frequency of negative emotions is low. I think a lot of people assume it's not poss…

I have often felt conflicted about happiness and what we should strive for in our lives.

It is true that most people seem to think happiness is the ultimate goal for life. They say they just want to be happy, that they just want their kids to be happy. Often times, though, it seems almost circular in logic; any time you pushback against the idea of happiness or why being happy all the time isn’t always good, people will just say “oh, that isn’t REAL happiness” or “that actually is happiness!”

Often this is when I bring up hedonism and say, “well, if pure happiness is all that matters, why don’t we all just do heroin all the time? You will feel great!” Of course, they will say “well the high can’t last forever and eventually your life will suck and that is why it isn’t real happiness.

I think it is more than that, though. Imagine you could feel the best feeling you have had all the time, just sitting there. You could just lean back and feel good for as long as you want. Would you want that?

I think most people wouldn’t, and not just because we don’t think it is possible. It is more than that. We want to do hard things that make us work and that hurt a bit and frustrate us, because there is a sense of satisfaction when you persevere. We need to feel pain and sadness, to feel the fullest connection with others through the full range of emotions.

It is not easy to articulate exactly what we want, but it isn’t simply happiness.