Lessons in happiness...

[Atilla]

He's had that many happy endings already? Crikey, it's only 1.30pm. Worth the money, then!!

Similar to Madoff - sometimes they are simply tunnelled and they are in constant darkness only able to see one small flicker of light at the end of the tunnel - which they never reach.

In that tunnel their view and joy of life is limited along with their ambitions. They are consumed. No amount of words can bring one to the surface. That enlightenment can only be envisioned from within out of a personal journey.

Gaddafi v Mandela??? One leaves a country in civil war the other unites a devided country. Yet the two have two different start and an end. Where does the greater collectively happiness lie?

I also feel harmony and consistency is so very important to our personal idendification. A sudden change either way disturbs and disrupts that balance of the self. I'm sure Gaddafi still believes in him self that his people love him and this is a conspiracy. So he has basically led a life of delluded luxery not being aware of reality and truth.

To say he is a mad psychotic would be pretty accurate. Any person who likes to think people like Madoff and Gaddafi are beacons of light are like wise. Some people like Leeson get caught others like Gadaffi, Mugabe and Mubarek live it out to the end. Happiness is not what I would associate them with. Were they personaly happy? Do they have regrets. An interview in HardTalk would be an interesting talk.


I recognise money is a key requirement of our modern life but this is a little beyond that. Referring back to the original article;


Do you worry?
Are you altruistic or egoistic?
Do you like where you live?
What have you learnt from living life?
Are you the Essence of life or a Material piece?

 

[shadowninja]

Not sure why you're rambling on about those people. You can be very rich without resorting to the kind of behaviours of those people mentioned.

The fact is, while money doesn't bring happiness, it can alleviate unnecessary pain and worry plus it gives you options. I'd rather be miserable and rich than miserable and poor. <--- THAT is what I've learnt from life.

 

[Atilla]

Not sure why you're rambling on about those people. You can be very rich without resorting to the kind of behaviours of those people mentioned.

The fact is, while money doesn't bring happiness, it can alleviate unnecessary pain and worry plus it gives you options. I'd rather be miserable and rich than miserable and poor. <--- THAT is what I've learnt from life.

miserable + rich v miseralbe + poor === miserable =//= happy



I know and I agree 100% re: importance of money fair stuff.

But happiness is something much more ellusive than what money can buy you.

 

[shadowninja]

Your equation is obvious. Money is irrelevant but I don't recall bringing money into it. The size of your bank account has no relevance on your true happiness but
miserable + rich > miserable + poor.

AND

happy + rich > happy + poor. I'd rather be rich in all cases.

 

[Chartsy]

but happy+poor>rich+ miserable

 

[shadowninja]

but happy+poor>rich+ miserable

Again, obvious and not relevant, so not necessary to write. The issue of money was brought up as if all rich people are miserable and all poor people are happy.

 

[Chartsy]

Again, obvious and not relevant, so not necessary to write. The issue of money was brought up as if all rich people are miserable and all poor people are happy.

Sure, i don't think all rich people are miserable

 

[Ambrose Ackroyd]

Rich people who are miserable are thick, period.

 

[shadowninja]

Or... maybe they are enlightened because they realise that the money they have acquired didn't bring the happiness they had hoped for.

Sorry, just bored on a Sunday afternoon.

 

[Atilla]

but happy+poor>rich+ miserable

What we need right now is for Mr Ambrose - beautiful mathematics - Ackroyd to throw some numbers at us.



I didn't refer to money - Squal did with his contribution "gotta get rich and low bodyfat
then happiness comes ". Perhaps money does lead to happiness. No doubt it does
on many occassions.

I was always interested in studying suicide and what drives people to it. Reason why I raise it - because it could be perceived as the opposite of bliss. Utter despair that leads one to take their own life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vPwO7m6zuA&feature=related

I always liked Inxs and whilst studying suicide heard he took his life by hanging himself. I was very saddened. Question is - here is someone who has it all and decides to end it all.

Statistically - these people commit more suicide

rich > poor,
educated > uneducated,
single > married,
atheists > religious

So one could raise the supposition that poor, uneducated religious married people are happier than rich, educated, single atheists. Assuming suicide on the spectrum of utter despair to bliss is some indicator of happiness or lack of happiness.



Ultimately - though when ever discussing happiness the argument leads to money.

This is because people have the false perception (imho) that money leads to happiness.

As this always seems to be the rudimentary outcome - perhaps that is the case???

 

[shadowninja]

rich > poor,
educated > uneducated,
single > married,
atheists > religious

For a rich person to avoid suicide, he simply marries a gold digger, thus becoming poor and married at the same time. Such a wife will also put the fear of god into him, thus putting a tick by point 4.

 

[Atilla]

For a rich person to avoid suicide, he simply marries a gold digger, thus becoming poor and married at the same time. Such a wife will also put the fear of god into him, thus putting a tick by point 4.

Too true... Brought this to mind...

Cape Town honeymoon murder:bride shot three times in chest.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...n-murder-bride-shot-three-times-in-chest.html

Here you have a rich single guy;

rich
educated
single
religion (dubious)

Attempts suicide - http://www.allvoices.com/contribute...nni-dewani-s-murder-as-part-of-a-plea-bargain


Pretty much to script really.

I'm not sure she was a gold digger though. Beautiful indeed and her family must have thought they'd landed the goose that lays the golden egg.

I think she would have been better off with the waiter from my local Bombay restaurant. but life is not like Bollywood either...

I hope if he did set it up - he rots in hell or uses all his money to bribe guards so he can have little luxeries in jail. At least he'll make the guards happy.

 

[shadowninja]

"That's a purty face you got there, boy."

 

[trendie]

Atilla:
interesting diversion into suicide, and the motivations.

You point out that:
rich > poor,
educated > uneducated,
single > married,
atheists > religious.

There is another component; that of "existential crisis". The realisation that physical existence is essentially pointless.
The above "rich > poor; educated > uneducated" etc, could also be re-interpreted as those with time on their hands to step back from the inane day-to-day nonsense, and with the time and ability to stop and think about life realise the futility of it all. And without any superficial fallback position of religion.

Purposefullness is also needed to make life meaningful.

(note to self: must stay off the Southern Comfort and stick with Krug.)

 

[DashRiprock]

I suppose I should counter my negativity with some useful advice.

1) Find some recreation you enjoy doing, whether it's a sport or playing an instrument. The enjoyment can be found in the participation and sense of achievement.
2) Learn to meditate - to still the mind by concentrating on the breath.
3) Learn to breathe into the abdomen - it has a strangely calming effect.
4) Learn to appreciate what nature has to offer, whether it's a sunny day (easy) or a rainy day (look at the beauty of the rolling clouds or the way water droplets trickle down a window), play some classical, ambient or new age music in the background.
5) Laugh a lot, but with people not at people. Try to get people to laugh. Nothing is more satisfying than making people genuinely feel happiness through something I do. Apart from the obvious.
6) Avoid music with lyrics in them; the more troubled you are, the more you'll try to listen for answers to your problems or get sucked into the whirlpool of emotions and thought that the lyrics will create.

good

 

[DashRiprock]

im not going to get into it all here but zen buddhism is awesome, I am a big fan. It can make you happy and is also very applicable to trading. check it out.

 

[Atilla]

Atilla:
interesting diversion into suicide, and the motivations.

You point out that:
rich > poor,
educated > uneducated,
single > married,
atheists > religious.

There is another component; that of "existential crisis". The realisation that physical existence is essentially pointless.
The above "rich > poor; educated > uneducated" etc, could also be re-interpreted as those with time on their hands to step back from the inane day-to-day nonsense, and with the time and ability to stop and think about life realise the futility of it all. And without any superficial fallback position of religion.

Purposefullness is also needed to make life meaningful.

(note to self: must stay off the Southern Comfort and stick with Krug.)

Yes absolutely. That is the state when a person becomes detached from very norms of social society. Where there is total freedom with no controls or boundaries. Emile Durkheim referred to it as 'anomie'.

I recognise the diversion but it has pointers to happiness. Having unattainable goals is like having no goals at all and so can lead to suicide. (ie students kill them selves if certain grades can't be met). If you have no goals or objectives you have no destination or purpose for life. Same if they are unattainable.

This is why married people have children and spouses to look after and thus they are integrated. Same goes for religious people. Did you know the stats for suicide is:

Protestants > Roman Catholics

This is because Protestants emphasise freedom and individualism more than Catholism.

Basically, we are social animals and beyond warmth clothing food and shelter the physical attributes - humans need the social element acceptance participation etc. However, we are becoming more of a materialistic liberal society and less social integrated one. I think suicide statistics are fascinating and tell a big story without delving into the individual case studies. I believe the stats still hold true today.

Interesting word - 'futility'! Has a mind set of giving up on life. The strange thing is when one ties a bolder to ones leg and jumps into the water - whilst the social animal wants to die the physical one fights for oxygen. Dichotomy of the human species...

When discussing happiness - when people talk about money wealth and material stuff it is the physical side of humanity.

When discussing social integration and interaction it is the social side of humanity.
This is the crux of it - you can have as much of the physical pleasures as you like it will not sustain the soul which seeks social nourishment too. Perhaps this is where religion also fulfills a role in filling a gap. This is why one may feel happier with faith in their soul than a lingering question about the big Q - why am I hear? what am I doing?