Why Chasing Happiness is Pointless (The Hedonic Treadmill)
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- Опубликовано: 1 июн 2024
- Could it be that chasing happiness doesn’t make us happier and could even make us miserable? And if so, how should we go about this ‘happiness’ thing? This video explores the nature of happiness.
Video: Why Stuff Won't Make You Happier | The Hedonic Treadmill
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#stoicism #epicurus #hedonism
00:00 Introduction
01:45 From happiness to distress
04:26 The trap of pleasure-seeking
09:12 Unreliable happiness
11:52 Choosing pleasure
It's funny that the more I grow in age the more it seems that so-called happiness is actually determined more by what you DON'T have rather than what you do have--sickness, debt, drama, strained personal relationships, a painful family divorce, a job that you absolutely hate, and so on. Not having these things is more and more becoming my idea of what "happiness" is actually about.
Definitely. Reduced stress and a naturally peaceful existence.
You are living on standards of society not on your principles
I would say you are half way to the ideal part of your life I felt like this several years ago soon I became to the man I am now by walking through it and soon after found that the dark was my wake up call to a better day after its good follow by dark or a old quote evil can only be conquered by good or it's better to have enough rather than too much or too little good luck I wish you
Very accurate👍🏻✌🏻
H.H. Dalai Lama once said: "Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stoke of luck.
Now at 42, I value peace in my life way more than happiness and you don't need much to be at peace with yourself.
Peace is (or feels) better than panic. But isn't 'peace' very passive, boring, numbing? For example, what we consider great art, usually didn't come from artists who felt peaceful and content. Is that what humanity should strive for, peaceful contentment? 🤔
I don't find peace boring, or passive. Peace is freedom to do what you want, to be with one self and not feel bored,or with others and feel like doing nothing, imo at least.
Happiness depends on conditions being perceived as positive; inner peace does not. What if we want to be happy because our lives are disturbed. And we miss this absence of disturbance, a state in which there is no disturbance of any kind, a peace which is not put together by the mind. @@nolanhitchens
@@nolanhitchens For me inner peace can only be achieved by, besides other things, accomplishment. Which in it self requires challenge and overcoming.
@@nolanhitchensyou never know real peace then
The more we pursue feeling happy all the time, the less satisfied we will become as pursuing something only reinforces the fact that you lack it in the first place.
- Allan Watts
The backwards law.
That’s basically no advice at all, typical Alan Watts empty rhetoric, who drowned himself in alcohol to cope with his unhappiness btw.
Alan watts died a drunk and gave his daughter acid
@@vizuzfrom a state of acceptance all will be revealed, empty rhetoric how?
@@vizuz each time I listened to Alan Watts, I left feeling more uninformed and useless
Joy NOT pleasure
Wishing NOT craving
Caution NOT Fear
Acceptance and contentment not wishing or craving
My experience is: leaving your daily surroundings, your house, your country can change the way you think. When my husband died in 2018 I went into mourning. I really thought I would never get over it. After five years I decided to leave my country, The Netherlands, skip the winter and enjoy the soothing climate of the Algarve, Portugal. And then a miracle happened. I could let go of the loss, the sadness, the guilt, the lost dreams. When you're in a different culture you get confronted by the trivial things people worry about in your own country. It's good to see the situation from a distance. A lot of people think their country is the centre of the universe. But The Netherlands are so small, you can hardly see it on the globe. And still politicians act like they play some major role in worlds history. I think it's refreshing to live in a different culture for a couple of years. You learn what's important and what's not. You don't get caught up by some feeling of ridiculous nationalistic superiority. But you also recognize what rules,laws or habits you value.
That's great. But I think in this video, the idea being discussed is seeking pleasure in the external world instead of looking within. I think there are videos in this channel that focus on finding oneself. I personally thought the message was happiness is what you are not where you are.
U totally missed the point of the video lmao
I love cocktail of stoicism and buddhism. It brings me inner peace.
But does it bring purpose?
Is peace without purpose actually valuable, or does it just numb, like taking a drug would.
@@nolanhitchenswhen you have peace you dont have to go anywhere. You already have everything you need. Though i think we all desire purpose. But theres not much purpose out there that isnt actually just taking advantage of your fellow man for your own gain. Ive been struggling with purpose for years. Every time i get something ive been striving for especially materialistically, i just dont really care. Used to it would last for a week. Then 2 or 3 days. Then a moment. And now i lose interest at even the offer, knowing i could have it. And now i know i could know i could have "that thing" so now i dont even wait for the permission of someone else to offer it to me. Bc sadly, it just sounded cool in my head, and i have to acquire it to find out, and the reward for the chase was disappointment and more work with diminishing returns.
@@nolanhitchens There is no universal purpose. Everyone can have their own, but even if you do, pursuing it won't bring you peace. Peace comes from letting go of that pursuit, and this can be achieved by understanding and accepting that everything is interdependent, so impermanent. The pursuit for purpose is another stone you carry in your backpack. Make the backpack light and just enjoy the ride.
@@tomaszcodasz If "inner peace" is the ultimate thing to strive for, we might as well start using morphine or heroin to feel 'content'. Or just sit still on a mountain top somewhere, meditating, disconnected from the influences of the world. Not caring about silly things like inventing the steam engine, or the future of humanity. Seems rather empty and shallow to me if life is just about "inner peace" for individuals. 🤔
@@nolanhitchens It's a bit of a paradox, but you don't achieve peace by striving for it :) Also, meditation is not sitting with a blank mind, it is the opposite - coming into full awareness of the world and the mind. Anyone can achieve full enlightenment, as Buddha did with his meditation. Both issues (the pursuit of peace and meditation) are explained very well by Ajahn Chah - I highly recommend his teachings. He had a very hard life, but he was one of the happiest and most peaceful people you can imagine.
I’m a materialist, in that I love materials. Solid good quality wood, textiles and stone. Things of beauty made by people passionate for their craft. That makes me happy.
That's a grate thing to consider I found a secret in my same joy of the craft and that is a person can be the same as those or to state it as a person willing to change is like an art canvas and you holds the pen or brush as a person who doesn't is like the stone in the river to get out is not going to happen
Fair enough.
Then ponder a minimalist insight from Fumio Sasaki. ( topic hedonic adaptation, + shiny new object fallacy)
Let’s say you buy a gold ring for 1000$. But after a while you want a new more expencive brand ring for 10000$.
How much more joy do you think the new ring gives you?
The illusion from adverticement and influencers is that the luxury ring will give you 10X in pleasure/exitement/joy/contentment.
But reality is that most of the joy came from not owning a ring to owning the first ring ( from zero). But going from owning the avarage gold ring to the luxury ring, just brings some joy at first. But then this exitement fades away and you are back to « baseline».
The hunt for « shiny new objects», and the people who hunt them. Are never content, always insecure. Not realising the truth of suffering/discontentment. And that materialism/maximalism is never going to lead to long term contentment. The « fear of missing out will always return»
Almost everything labeled "handmade" nowadays, is made by machines. And how would you know otherwise? Any measurable quality can be reproduced by a mechanism. If you could witness something being made by human hands, you would call it inferior to all the "hand made" items you've enjoyed all your life.
Are you?
Gratefulness is Happiness. Theres my enlightenment. Being “Rich” just gives you more things to be Grateful for.🧘🏽♂️ Gratefulness IS Happiness but we just don’t realise it. Be Grateful about Everything and you will be happy forever.
Contentment is a deeper and more lasting emotion than happiness.
Practicing gratitude has definitely helped me a lot in life. Being homeless taught me gratitude.
Feel myself starting to think, "God I hate this fucking leaky fridge."
And then I switch to, "I'm glad I even have a fridge to use and a safe, dry place to sleep."
This is it. Not, "why don't I have a built in Sub-zero fridge." @@scarlet12234
@@scarlet12234 This is why I think people who have had to endure very difficult circumstances are often the happiest and most contented people (not always, but most of the time).
💯 agree. I've seen people with nothing to their name, and a happiness that the richest man can't buy. The less you have had, the less you miss or expect
It's funny because I don't see traveling as something that brings pleasure only. A couple of months ago I was hiking with my brother in La Patagonia. He was very tired and told me: is this really you idea of fun? And I told him: when did I say that traveling was fun? I said it was interesting!
I traveled for 3 years in a row, and it was amazing because I knew that it was not gonna be pleasurable all the time. Sometimes I had to sleep in horrible cold places, sometimes I had to wait by the side of the road for so many hours in the pouring rain, extreme heat or snow storms. Sometimes I just had rice to eat, or a 1 euro burger from McDonald's. But then I would meet incredible people, hike to an amazing view, eat something delicious, and those little thing would bring huge joy.
And even when things were going bad, I was still grateful for them, because they made me stronger, wiser and resilient.
Now I'm having a ver calm life in Chile. I have passive income from something I created when I went back to my country in 2020 and I'm reconfigurating my views on happiness, pleasure, fun and fulfillment since my options of things to do are completely different.
And I believe that's the way to be contempt, just go with the flow and accept change.
I left behind most of my possessions to travel the US for a couple years. It was either that or "unaliving" myself. That's how i felt at the time. I decided to metpahorically do it instead.
It ended up helping me realize that my perspective was severely limiting me, and i learned who I really am. Traveling and homelessness were very spiritually enlightening for me.
And what do you do now for living?
@@Igor-my6mlI'm a stay at home mom
@@scarlet12234 lol well done. Unfortunately men can't pull this trick off
@@jdr4674 what do you mean by that?
Edit: I'm just not clear on how the fact that women are more likely to be the stay at home parent makes it a trick? A trick relating to what? Like you think I'm saying that it's the "trick" to me being content in life? Because that would totally negate everything I'm trying to say about how homelessness was enlightening for me.
Homelessness and traveling taught me that happiness was something I build and maintain inside of myself and that I can carry it with me wherever I go, and that even when the conditions are tough for building fires, I can keep the one in me burning.
@@scarlet12234 Homelessness granted me the same! You learn what IS important when you have nothing but courage to go on.
Happiness is good, the feeling we get when we laugh at a joke or eat tasty food. But contentment is consistent, the peace we feel when we live in accordance with our virtues.
Yep.
Would you like to say more about what it means to you, to live in accordance with our virtues?
Everyones virtues are different. But an example of just one for me is to never become ignorant of the suffering that is inherent in life, no matter how far removed I am from it. Being aware of the suffering of life limits the chances that I will become complacent and ignorant of reality, thus better prepared for setbacks. Another benefit is that it helps maintain compassion and relations with others when we are able to genuinely empathise with their suffering.
@@user-uq1lf1yk2g Well said. Thank you.
Our notions of happiness entrap us. We forget that they are just ideas. This idea of happiness can prevent us from actually being happy. We fail to see the opportunity for joy that is right in front of us when we are caught in a belief that happiness should take a particular form.
As long as we keep attaching our happiness to the external events of our lives, which are ever changing, we’ll always be left waiting for it and the tragedy of an attachment is that if its object is not attained it causes unhappiness. But if it is attained, it does not cause happiness; it merely causes a flash of pleasure followed by weariness, and it is always accompanied, of course, by the anxiety that you may lose the object of your attachment.
Very well said!
“People settle for a level of despair they can tolerate and call it happiness.”
― Søren Kierkegaard
I have a brand new car, 10K in the bank, bills paid, my own place and plenty of food…maybe not happy but definitely not depressed or stressed out.
I never have any expectations nor have any idea of happiness or whatever. I just do what I want to do. Don’t think of anything. I think it’s simple and more often than not, I’m at peace…
Happiness isn't just knowing what you want and going after it. The other half is knowing what you don't want and avoiding it.
I came to this understanding at the end of my marriage. Chasing the Jones is a short lived rush that leaves you feeling empty most of the time
Einzelganger, first thanks for all your videos, I recall being in school thinking I love to travel so at age 22 I begin traveling, I went to many states in the United States 22 different states so many cities and towns I could not begin to count just how many, and I travel to many places I never been before
that was 44 years into my past life, I discovered wherever I went to my thinking went with me,
so, I turn to self-learning that why I listen to your videos I find much pleasure in listening and watching videos and its lot least stressful than actually getting on jet planes, catching trains, driving a vehicle to all those places I also went on a ship that was so scary for me. Many things seem more frightening than pleasurable to me than anything else, so I appreciate your videos it gives me pleasure to listen and watch than going out in the real world to travel. Thank you again.
pre-meditated pleasures and the expectations that come with them are ultimately not going to be a dependable source of happiness. We are better off tapping into the infinite possibilities of the present moment. I once had a friend who would get really excited for his birthday every year, hyping the day up weeks in advance, and when it came he would always cry because his expectations were too high and it was never what he thought it was gonna be
Awesome work. Over the last few days, I've been thinking a lot about happiness. And you've described exactly how I feel. Feeling full of life in the moment. Tasting a cup of coffee in a sunbeam. Walking in nature and simply catching some pristine air. Gazing at the golden light of a city in a distant skyline. Happiness is there, just grab it. A successful life is a conscious one
💯👍Like Carl Gustav Jung said "Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness. It is far better to take things as they come along with patience and equanimity."
My goal for the near future is to reduce the amount of suffering I face in my life-rather than chasing lofty goals, perhaps I can bring myself to a healthy baseline in this way
Your definition of lofty might be different from mine, but I fear I'd lead myself to a lukewarm life and look back at it with regret if I continue choosing the path of lesser suffering.
@@SctsceDuwn Don't get me wrong; I've definitely sought after and even achieved some relatively lofty goals. But simpler problems I could have been focusing on throughout life have held me back tremendously in the pursuit of my health and happiness. I actually regret not giving the suffering I faced and/or continue to face the attention it deserved-sometimes to the point of willfully ignoring it. I believe I should have more taken heed of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and not allowed these more basic problems to fester for so long. So my goal going forward is to knock out these issues. Maybe then I can return to higher goals such as self-actualization or making the world a better place. But even if I never achieve anything beyond this again, just having my basic psychological needs met would be a huge win for me. At some point it makes sense to put the world's problems aside and start trying to solve your own. I'd like to see where my life goes from there.
I find I have many a flourishing existence when I am out for a walk. Like you, while walking, I listen to music or podcasts or just the sound of the universe doing its thing.
"....I don't mind what happens. That is the essence of inner freedom..." -- Jiddu Krishnamurti
I traveled tho not so vast. A few countries, learned, ate different foods & met a few people etc. I don’t find it very appealing ! So I care less to travel.
I do road trips, fishing trips, hikes, exercise .. 🏊🏻♂️ and spend a lot of time in quiet solitude. Spend time with family & friends & my loved one’s, feed the hungry etc …
Yet I am quietly happy in small things. Not material things. I have a contented heart and live a simple life .. yet I live in abundance ! I’m happy some of the time. Not all of the time ! Stay Blessed ☕️🙏
I disagree. It depends on your interests. Traveling to other continents is definitely more fascinating and a stronger learning experience if you’re interested in the details. If you’re not then of course it’s meaningless
The 3 mental fallacy’s or illusions
1: Hedonic adaptation ( the illusion that more is more hides the fact that the mind adapts to pleasure, exitement)
2: Fear of missing out ( others say they are excited at about the next new thing, or of a laysure habit/lifestyle. When reality is that they are often insecure and fish for validation or are marketing/influencing to profit)
3: Shiny new object fallacy ( the illusion that new toy will bring 10X joy. That a ring to 10000$ will bring 10x the joy, than a ring to 1000$, when in reality it’s maby 1-5% more joy over time)
Chaseing the « next thing» ruins lives. Even marriges go broke because people are fool’s. Trowing away a good partner for a short term dopamin hit
Listening to you putting a romantic spin on experience from Japan through the "gloomy, melancholic lens of a sick, stranded traveler", I immediately thought "so wabi-sabi". Japanese philosophy pines for that emotion.
Every time I try to hide from happiness, it finds me.
More than seeking material pleasures, my search for happiness often simply goes back to solving the problems that arise in my life. One curious aspect of this cycle is that solving those problems leads me to paths of knowledge I would not have taken spontaneously and teaches me lessons I would not have sought intentionally. In this regard, this pursuit seems to be a bait to force me to gain some wisdom as well as become prosperous in the process.
I love this perspective
Solving my problems and making progress = motivation and happiness.
@@princejohnson5852Thanks for your appreciation ✌ Also, I don't know if you've noticed this but I've realized that we tend to seek comfort, meaning we thrive to find the things, ambiences and opinions that suit us best. Then once we've reached that point, we repeat the same patterns and hardly get out of the cozy little box we've built for ourselves. Neurology and behavioral research have shown that it's in these situations that our brain activities become lethargic. So it's odd but we need challenges, difficulties and problems to rock the boat throughout our life in order to learn and cultivate our mind. It reminds me of what some people who had an NDE say: "It's just a school, we're all acting in a play whose purpose is to teach us a number of lessons we signed up for before coming here!"
Take care.
That's a very perceptive and constructive perspective. I've only just began to view my problems in life in a similar way (I'm 42). It's still work, but I feel better about my ability to push through whatever life throws at me. Thank you for sharing this.
Agree with consuming in moderation as balance is key in every aspect of life. I relate more to people who are down to earth and stay grounded at the baseline regardless of anything external. Joy, peace, and truth/enlightenment are the highest frequencies and are certainly not found outside of oneself. So when we know ourself, there's intention behind actions without expectations about how events will pan out. I engage in nightlife, which could be considered hedonistic, and enjoy traveling, though it’s because I love music, dance, and learning about different cultures -- not to escape myself (anymore) or to chase happiness. Your insights are appreciated and glad you're feeling better.
7:02am and as soon as the sun rose i got a notification for a new einzelganger video. good timing
The fact that we're all looking for happiness while living life, tells us something about the nature of life.
True it's different for everyone each person has to build what the meaning of their life means some find it in traveling others in there own hearts and the many like choses good is the ideal and the bad is just the way we must build our resolve to adversity
Yep. We live in a fallen world.
I think it tells us more about the insatiability of the human ego
It’s worth it if you don’t go overboard. The memories of happy moments are priceless
@@nickolassceltmorea travelling...sigh - the more I hear this nonsense the more I see it as another form of materialism and showboating.
4 years ago I moved to Spain. My friends ask me are you happy there. It doesnt work like that, you bring yourself and all that goes with it. Happiness is in moments and the rest is being contented or counting your blessings. Spain is in many aspects a blessing and I prefer being here than in a cold and wet country with many stressed people. Yet many expats here are very unhappy as they suffer from being disconnected to their friends and family. So going away short or long term needs a stoic approach. Being locked up in an apartment in spain with rain is a blessing because all spaniards will be super happy as it didnt rain on the coast for months..... so go out to the bar and enjoy the cheerful crowd, thats the stoic approach. Just like you got to enjoy japanese healthcare. Glad you're feeling better, we need you!
Perhaps that's were you are only just happier but consider that your path maybe good for one but not all tho I don't argue that one place could be better or worse than another but leaving a mark for good to one place over another underminds the story of the journey you were in the dark and then found the way out that works for you some find good in a move others find good in there hearts and others within another person or thing it's all the world trying to see what type of person each one on that road really is the meaning of life is what you make it the only way to see its meaning look to the whole story the good and bad the bad is just the obstacles to make you who you are and the good is just the will you have to get there may you have a good day
May I ask where you moved from? I live in Sweden and I hate the climate as well as the mentality here.
@@francisdec1615 What about the mentality do you like? I doubt your feeling is 100% hate.
I value my peace and that alone brings me happiness 😊 also raising my children as a single mother drama free and raising them on my terms and rules with no one telling us what to do. In fact we do whatever we want at home. That brings me happiness
If you want long term happiness try this: completely abandon your search for 'self' happiness instead focus on making the people around you happy. This paradox is the secret of lasting satisfacion hence happiness. I can recomment this practise to everyone although it won't always be easy.
How to have enough Iove to do this?
As taught in Pure Land Buddhism, the happiness that we know of is called "relative happiness". It is relative because this kind of happiness depends on external event and/or object. I.E If you bought a new car or you land your dream job ; these makes us happy. Since we depend our happiness in temporary objects or events, relative happiness doesn't last. When the relative happiness is gone, we chase next one that will make us feel happy again. Like a drug addict, we repeat this cycle again and again until we die.
Pure Land Buddhism teaches that we should strive to attain "absolute happiness". This kind of happiness is absolute and it doesn't depend on external event or happiness but rather depends on our mindfulness to our own mortality, understanding of the reality of our world (impermanence), and the believe of what happens to us after we die.
it is important to understand the nature of our happiness so that we understand why we suffer chasing it. This is the best answer I have found. I am sharing it to anyone who suffers just like me.
Doing nothing is a task that we forget to do, or some people will feel guilty doing nothing because than they think they are not worthy, that"s not the case at all.
This is totally me! I get really exited for some event and I always imagine how would be the event, all the fun amazing things and if it wouldn't happen like I imagine I get really disappointed. In a few month I will go to extraordinary trip and I try not to be extremity exited for this
I've learned that the only way to sustain happiness is to never stop seeking it. So I try to find ways to improve myself through different experiences. For example, I want to travel and experience other parts of the world, but I do it for the purpose of improving my worldview and empathy for others. I exercise, for the purpose of improving my appearance and testing my physical limits. I love to eat and it brings me happiness to explore and appreciate different flavors. I'll never run out of ways to be happy because I'll never run out of ways to improve myself. Additionally, this guarantees I never take these experiences for granted. I'm typing this after just finishing a challenging workout. I'm feeling pretty happy and I'm looking forward to improving next time.
We should consider ourselves
Not so much
With the pursuit of happiness
But with the happiness
Of pursuit
(Hector and the Search For Happiness)
I’m happy because I’m not happy. I’m thinking at least I I got a chance to live, and although I’m not happy, I’m happy I got the chance and experience it.
the brain can be your ultimate enemy if not controlled. no wonder major companies takes advantage of this weakness. but it doesn't have to be that way, people need to be more aware of this and take over. it can be yourworst enemy but you can also make it your strength.
As I grow older I realise one thing: You will find happiness when you realise it is nowhere to be found haha.
seems some people really like working a new job until they don't. I find happiness in learning technology that can help me and others around me, makes me feel like i've accomplished something good for others. People look at being rich the wrong way, I see being rich as a measure on how I've helped people with a productor or service. Don't ask how can you get rich, ask how can you help others with what you have.
I prefer contentment over happiness. It's independent from external factors and doesn't leave an emotional low once the hormonal rush of happiness is inevitably depleted.
Dhamma and stoicism ftw🖖
Thank you for sharing! So true, it’s very peaceful to be content with what you have! 🙏❤️
Happiness comes from within. Start there. Change your perceptions=change your life ❤
Your videos are excellent!! Thank you
Very true this is the video I needed ! Thankyou so much 😊
I want to thank you for your work on this channel. I have enjoyed your videos for a long time and have always learned something.
This has me thinking, what if we seek activities that are non pleasureable or painful? For example, I've been coding lately. When I finish a tutorial and I'm tasked with doing a project, I feel pain even reading what I have to do for the project. But as I pursue the painful experience, I feel pleasure from many things: seeing how my code does stuff on the screen, feeling accomplished for doing something hard that I didn't think I could do, etc. Maybe there's pleasure in chasing painful experiences. (I'm sure this isn't always the case. Don't intentionally break a bone to get pleasure)
I hate exercise, particularly running/jogging. I hate it so much that I've been doing it regularly for 20 years. The feeling afterwards is awesome.
Love your work.
It's always a pleasure watching your videos
Your 3 books are changing my life. Thank you so much ☘️
Happiness is always there , now at this time i am happy,but there is not big reason for it, i am happy, because i said myself that i am happy there is no reason for being sad, for being happy we have to be just happy,there is no need to keep a goal or desire and follw them for becoming happy,even you can become happy in pain ,just you have to say to yourself that this felling of pain is do good it givs me pleasure,it real pleasure and then you rally become happy. Just you have to change the perspective.
Thanks for another great video, always makes my day :)
Excellent video! Great reminder that chasing happiness is futile. It seems that chasing anything ends up being more of a negative experience in life. Instead, gratitude, contentment, and practicing the stoic virtues has helped me. It definitely takes practice letting go in order to work towards it, from my experience, easier said than done.
There are moments very seldom when, I whish time would stop flowing, freezes in itself to preserve this instant for me, then I see a beauty of the life and feel myself connected on a deep level to this world. I called it for myself feeling of existence. They are very rare events
But then, this moments gone, feeling of missery, anxiety and despair overhelm me again.
But most often life is only succession of hope and despair between themselves
yes its kindaa meditation for you everyone experience these moments, for me its listening to music which takes me back in time and looking at the sunset and clouds.
Beautiful video!
I think realizing that happiness and pain for that matter are both short lived is an incredibly powerful insight. It allows us to make more intelligent choices on how we spend our time and money.
We should also not forget that challenges and adversity are a critical part of the formula in putting this whole project of happiness in its proper perspective. Even some challenges can be pleasurable with the right mindset. Thank you , excellent video sir.
Would LOVE a video on how to cope with health problems mentally.
Being creative is another wonderful way of stabilizing hedonistic pleasures. Just be careful. Looking to those to “like” your creations can place you back at square one.
Watching your videos adds to my happiness 😊
Man I just love you and your vids
please make a podcast TT i love your videos so much!!!!
Another great video big dawg
Great as always❤
One of ur best videos ❤
Schopenhauer was right intellectual pleasure.
Epicurus was right engage in limits to pleasure.
Epictetus was right ignore events outside your control.
Walk in Nature and be Happy.
A mind that wants to be happy will find a way to be happy, despite circumstances. My struggle is wanting to be happy to begin with.
Happiness is fleeting, ethereal and immature. Peace is lasting, durable and mature.
@@SuperheroArmorychannel I don’t want peace either. I have an instinct to self sabotage. I’m disgusted by my existence.
@@SuperheroArmorychannelThere's nothing immature in chasing happiness, just like accepting a lukewarm life that would fill you with regret in your old age isn't certainly mature.
@@justthunderbolt40 Re-read my comment. I never said chasing happiness was immature.
@@SuperheroArmorychannel You said that 'happiness is fleeting, ethereal and immature'. Why would that be, and why, if happiness is what you describe, would searching for happiness not be immature?
The video I was waiting for
Thanks!
I have the documentary on DVD THE BUDDHA for many years. I love it.
Awesome video 👏 so true
I'm traveling right now and have never been so unhappy in my life 😢 I can't wait to go back home.
"Chasing happiness" is like running uphill against a crowd to catch a bus already pulling away.
Cultivate contentment instead.
‘There are two tragedies in life, not getting what you want and getting what you want’. - Oscar Wilde. Ascetics m it could be argued is still another positive attempt to find happiness instead of abandoning the project all together and embracing dissatisfaction and uncertainty. Your previous video on Death Drive indicates that at a subconscious level we don’t want to be happy anyway and enjoy the problems we create for ourselves - what Jaques Lacan would have called Jouissance. Lacan argued as language based animals we are a divided lacking subject and our lack is the source of our desire but it cannot be overcome because to to so would negate our desire which is why we secretelt often don’t want what we want. Todd McGowan is good on this and argues we should learn to enjoy our enjoyment (enjoy the struggle to attain something) without accumulating.
There is a saying from cowboy philosophy that echos that Socrates quote. "No matter where you go, there you are".
Thank you!
Very good video. Makes sense.
It’s a failure of planning. You just have to sequence the happiness events in such a way that when the dopamine hit from the first event is about to dissipate, you move on to another event. So, you stay happy forever.
That's little reductionist but I agree, planning is how you live a happy life, plan so your basic needs are met
The less your chase anything the more it comes to towards, it’s the law so pursuing materialistic things is tricky, on the other hand virtues lead to success on both sides of the spectrum Materialistic and also spiritual mental and physical well-being
Amazing video !! quality information always! please can you do a video on great zen masters like Hakuin, Ryokan, or Takuan Soho. Thank you 🙏🙏
Happy Thursday earth 🌎
I just recently finished an essay on happiness. It was definitely inspired by edutainment like this.
Thanks for sharing. I also like walks too. :)
Travel forces us to deal with new circumstances and possibly new or unknown languages and communication. Therefore it ‘grows us’ or peels away our layers exposing ourselves to ourselves. 👍🏼👍🏼 for travel. Go where you’re slightly uncomfortable! 🎉
While it is true that people tend to return to a baseline level of happiness, almost independent of external events, I think that it is possible to alter your personal baseline by changing your attitude to things. By practicing things like gratitude, looking for the positive in every situation, looking for the positive in other people and so on, you can shift your baseline level upwards. Similarly, by doing the opposite you can shift it downwards.
I certainly, am much happier than I used to be.
totally agree
Your videos almost come in perfect timing for me
The simple things in life is the most sweetest.
As a man, only creation will make you feel full of success.
Such an accurate account of life, i have devoted much time the Buddhist practice, however I'm not able to become a monk, excellent video, thank you for all your efforts,,
Happiness comes from right relationship with God and good/genuine friendships. Im starting to belive this is where happiness lies guys.
Your opinion, one of many
Not to associate partners to God in worship an be kind to mankind ! That's happiness within
@@f-yn8zu I agree. Although it can be hard to be kind to mankind sometimes when they are cruel and nasty.
You’re so right . Relationship with God, good friends and Family is where happiness lies.
@@chaloevibes4355 yes definitely
Perhaps it is our attachment to the pursuit of happiness that is the problem? After all, the Buddha taught us that attachment is the cause of all suffering. I left the US over two years ago, chasing the carrot dangled by RUclips travel channels, it did not go as advertised. 🙄 That said, I have had some experiences that I am grateful for, the "lessons," I experienced were not horrible, and I learned much. Perhaps your experience in Japan was similar, a mix of the anticipated pleasure, unexpected pain, and perhaps preparing you for a return trip. Life is a constant mix of both anticipated, and unexpected, whichever it is, our choice determines how the path goes. Today I am happy, not ecstatic, just content I'm breathing.
But is "being content" just another carrot? One that tempts us to be passive and numb, unwanting to change our lives or the lives of (future) others for the better? When we only adapt our feelings about our environments, and not try to improve our environments... If "being content" was a lofty goal, humanity would still be at a very primitive level 🤔
@@nolanhitchens in my case, no, I am currently in Mexico, but I will be moving soon, looking at Asia again for a second visit. Bali, the Philippines, and others look tempting. Contentment does not mean static, just accepting of current conditions.
I remember reading about this in economics and the studies on this
Social comparison and where you sit in your local social group was the biggest indicator of base happiness outside of the base level you were given genetically or came across after early childhood
Basically if you are unhappy now you will probably never be content / happy
We should take in consideration that in Buddhism exist "a way in middle", where there is no duality, and so pain and pleasure are not exactly opposites.
a new found faith in God and weed have helped me through some tough times.
Very interesting video, thank you, although it seems, like most people, that you are confusing happiness, joy and pleasure. Happiness measures the state we are at any moment in time, independently of external factors (which explains why it's useless to pursue happiness: how can you pursue something that's already there?). Joy (and sadness) measures the state we are consequently to an external factor, which includes pleasure, drugs, sex, attraction... (and sickness, injury, broken heart...) Consequently, while there's an opposite state to joy (sadness), there's no opposite state to happiness: everybody is happy to a certain point (once again, considering that happiness is indépendant of external factors) . When the happiness level goes down to a minimal level (1%?), suicide is the solution being considered.
Watching this video made me happy! But for how long......?
My plans for travelling are more based on the experience of seeing other cultures and satisfying my curiosity rather than to seek the short-term pleasure itself. That is to say, my reasons will still grant me short-term pleasure