Comments on: Is happiness the most? An ancient debate revisited! http://positivesharing.com/2007/05/is-happiness-the-most-an-ancient-debate-revisited/ Make Yourself and Your Business Happy At Work Sun, 20 May 2012 05:56:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: For love or money? How should you choose what to study? http://positivesharing.com/2007/05/is-happiness-the-most-an-ancient-debate-revisited/#comment-109730 For love or money? How should you choose what to study? Thu, 07 Jun 2007 11:15:20 +0000 http://positivesharing.com/2007/05/is-happiness-the-most-an-ancient-debate-revisited/#comment-109730 [...] Happiness is the most! [...] [...] Happiness is the most! [...]

]]> By: Howie http://positivesharing.com/2007/05/is-happiness-the-most-an-ancient-debate-revisited/#comment-106590 Howie Mon, 04 Jun 2007 01:36:44 +0000 http://positivesharing.com/2007/05/is-happiness-the-most-an-ancient-debate-revisited/#comment-106590 I agree with Charlie. Having feedbacks is one way of opening ourself to criticisms and suggestions. Sometimes we can learn from them if we keep an open mind. I agree with Charlie. Having feedbacks is one way of opening ourself to criticisms and suggestions. Sometimes we can learn from them if we keep an open mind.

]]> By: matt m http://positivesharing.com/2007/05/is-happiness-the-most-an-ancient-debate-revisited/#comment-105753 matt m Sun, 03 Jun 2007 03:18:07 +0000 http://positivesharing.com/2007/05/is-happiness-the-most-an-ancient-debate-revisited/#comment-105753 I think Mr. F's primarily failing is a focus on an incompatible connotation of happiness as something that is only short term. In many cases we are forced to choose between the long and short time horizons of happiness. Mr. F attempts to use the weak argument that because we do hard things, happiness is not the goal of all activity. I would disagree and say that many of these hard things are pursued for the sake of sacrificing the short term for the long. As far as the measurement of happiness, I'd recommend- This BBC show: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/happiness_formula/ Dan Gilbert's book Stumbling on Happiness offers more. http://www.randomhouse.com/kvpa/gilbert/ I think Mr. F’s primarily failing is a focus on an incompatible connotation of happiness as something that is only short term. In many cases we are forced to choose between the long and short time horizons of happiness. Mr. F attempts to use the weak argument that because we do hard things, happiness is not the goal of all activity. I would disagree and say that many of these hard things are pursued for the sake of sacrificing the short term for the long.

As far as the measurement of happiness, I’d recommend-
This BBC show: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/happiness_formula/

Dan Gilbert’s book Stumbling on Happiness offers more.
http://www.randomhouse.com/kvpa/gilbert/

]]> By: Charlie http://positivesharing.com/2007/05/is-happiness-the-most-an-ancient-debate-revisited/#comment-104328 Charlie Fri, 01 Jun 2007 06:32:00 +0000 http://positivesharing.com/2007/05/is-happiness-the-most-an-ancient-debate-revisited/#comment-104328 I like to think of it as a challenge for everyone. We can't alway convince everyone to agree with what we think. They may have different perspective based on what they have learned and observed. I like to think of it as a challenge for everyone. We can’t alway convince everyone to agree with what we think. They may have different perspective based on what they have learned and observed.

]]> By: Sridhar Ratna http://positivesharing.com/2007/05/is-happiness-the-most-an-ancient-debate-revisited/#comment-104219 Sridhar Ratna Fri, 01 Jun 2007 03:03:46 +0000 http://positivesharing.com/2007/05/is-happiness-the-most-an-ancient-debate-revisited/#comment-104219 "The Master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his education and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence in whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he is always doing both." - Zen Philosophy “The Master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his education and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence in whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he is always doing both.”

– Zen Philosophy

]]> By: Sridhar Ratna http://positivesharing.com/2007/05/is-happiness-the-most-an-ancient-debate-revisited/#comment-104215 Sridhar Ratna Fri, 01 Jun 2007 02:56:24 +0000 http://positivesharing.com/2007/05/is-happiness-the-most-an-ancient-debate-revisited/#comment-104215 Alex, This is a sensitive topic. We are unhappy at work because we hate it and wish it to be in some other way. In other words, we have our own "aversions" and "cravings", which alone are the source of misery rather than some "external" object, like work. Want happiness? Relinquish the wanting - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanha Alex,

This is a sensitive topic. We are unhappy at work because we hate it and wish it to be in some other way. In other words, we have our own “aversions” and “cravings”, which alone are the source of misery rather than some “external” object, like work.

Want happiness? Relinquish the wanting – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanha

]]> By: Swan http://positivesharing.com/2007/05/is-happiness-the-most-an-ancient-debate-revisited/#comment-103726 Swan Thu, 31 May 2007 14:40:16 +0000 http://positivesharing.com/2007/05/is-happiness-the-most-an-ancient-debate-revisited/#comment-103726 The quotes you might be referring to are: * Understanding of role and job requirements Here I am saying there should be some understanding of what your job requires. Expecting variable challenges or by the number challenges helps to reduce stress and makes workers more productive and happy. Not knowing what is or might be expected of you or having this constantly change can be stressful whether you like a limited set of duties or an infinite set of duties. * Workplace functions well and with a predictable pattern This is about management, flow and function. It's about how all the parts of the workplace work together. I am saying that things like communication and hierarchy (or lack thereof) should be established and well-functioning. If the business works, if things resolve or get decided effectively, the type of structure may not be that important. But if the workplace is a disaster zone, where things are inefficient or there is no effective leadership, it may be very stressful. I hope that clears up any confusion; if you have any other questions or need me to clarify anything else, please let me know. The quotes you might be referring to are:

* Understanding of role and job requirements
Here I am saying there should be some understanding of what your job requires. Expecting variable challenges or by the number challenges helps to reduce stress and makes workers more productive and happy. Not knowing what is or might be expected of you or having this constantly change can be stressful whether you like a limited set of duties or an infinite set of duties.

* Workplace functions well and with a predictable pattern
This is about management, flow and function. It’s about how all the parts of the workplace work together. I am saying that things like communication and hierarchy (or lack thereof) should be established and well-functioning. If the business works, if things resolve or get decided effectively, the type of structure may not be that important. But if the workplace is a disaster zone, where things are inefficient or there is no effective leadership, it may be very stressful.

I hope that clears up any confusion; if you have any other questions or need me to clarify anything else, please let me know.

]]> By: Ask M http://positivesharing.com/2007/05/is-happiness-the-most-an-ancient-debate-revisited/#comment-103569 Ask M Thu, 31 May 2007 10:52:33 +0000 http://positivesharing.com/2007/05/is-happiness-the-most-an-ancient-debate-revisited/#comment-103569 Swan - I'd like to pick up on your second point that no set role, or duties constantly changing, can be a cause of unhappiness at work. You're quite right but I think the reverse can also be true! If you're the kind of person who needs stimulation and challenge, then a job where you're doing more of the same, all the time, will soon leave you feeling bored and frustrated. And bored staff are unhappy staff. M Swan – I’d like to pick up on your second point that no set role, or duties constantly changing, can be a cause of unhappiness at work.

You’re quite right but I think the reverse can also be true! If you’re the kind of person who needs stimulation and challenge, then a job where you’re doing more of the same, all the time, will soon leave you feeling bored and frustrated.

And bored staff are unhappy staff.

M

]]> By: Jean Browman http://positivesharing.com/2007/05/is-happiness-the-most-an-ancient-debate-revisited/#comment-102927 Jean Browman Wed, 30 May 2007 18:14:27 +0000 http://positivesharing.com/2007/05/is-happiness-the-most-an-ancient-debate-revisited/#comment-102927 I was lucky enough to be depressed when I was a kid. It taught me that being involved in meaningful projects was the way to happiness for me. I'm officially retired from paying work, but I'm spending more than 8 hours a day developing my web site, making short weekly videos for the local public access TV station, doing other volunteer work, etc. And I'm having the time of my life. When I was working at a paying job I used to skip down the hallway. I wouldn't have noticed except people kept pointing it out. Life is too short to be unhappy. And the great thing about being happy is you want to share it with other people. Keep up the great work, Alexander! By the way, I recently bought The Lazy Way to Success for my son-in-law. I was labeled lazy as a kid. Yeah, sure. I figure that was just another word for depressed. I was lucky enough to be depressed when I was a kid. It taught me that being involved in meaningful projects was the way to happiness for me. I’m officially retired from paying work, but I’m spending more than 8 hours a day developing my web site, making short weekly videos for the local public access TV station, doing other volunteer work, etc. And I’m having the time of my life.

When I was working at a paying job I used to skip down the hallway. I wouldn’t have noticed except people kept pointing it out.

Life is too short to be unhappy. And the great thing about being happy is you want to share it with other people.

Keep up the great work, Alexander!

By the way, I recently bought The Lazy Way to Success for my son-in-law. I was labeled lazy as a kid. Yeah, sure. I figure that was just another word for depressed.

]]> By: Nirmala Pather http://positivesharing.com/2007/05/is-happiness-the-most-an-ancient-debate-revisited/#comment-102385 Nirmala Pather Tue, 29 May 2007 23:46:21 +0000 http://positivesharing.com/2007/05/is-happiness-the-most-an-ancient-debate-revisited/#comment-102385 From viewing others and my life experiences I believe that happiness comes from within. Although it is easy to blame others, we do have a choice in the way we react to provocation. We can choose the path to happiness or we can react in ways that really offer no satisfaction.

The case of Amy Biehl is one that comes to mind. This young lady went to South Africa as a Fullbright scholar in 1993 to help the underpriveleged and deprived communities to learn how to vote in the first democratic elections of that country in 1994.

She is described as a brilliant student with top academic credentials. She was a few days from returning to the USA when her car was ambushed and she was murdered by radical youth from the militant wing. Despite Amy’s black friends yelling that she was a friend to the black people, they continued in their brutal attack.

How does one react to the pain and senseless loss of a young, caring
and selfless person in such a cruel way? Her parents chose to make something good come out of her death. Instead of harboring hate, they have reached out to that very same community and the killers to provide programs that uplift and educate them to become useful citizens.
The Amy Biehl Foundation was developed as a “catalyst for social progress.” They have used their pain to create happiness for others and not dwell in their sorrow. Maybe this is what it means in the Prayer of St.Francis “- – - – it is giving that we receive”

In daily communications we should try and remember this. “Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.� [Thich Nhat Hnah]

For more information on Amy Biehl check http://www.rjgeib.com/heroes.amy/amy.html
We can create techniques to live in greater happiness as is described in http://www.qualitylivingstyles.com

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