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Originally posted by LesMisanthrope
reply to post by ExCommando
Philosophically, happiness is an untruth. There's nothing there to attain. Our bodies seek to remember things they enjoy, and to forget things that cause them pain. We must seek things we wish to remember, not mediocre entertainment or petty vanity, but real experiences we'll never forget. We live with those great memories and are able to reflect on them whenever we wish. Happiness is in the reflection of good memories.
edit on 13-9-2012 by LesMisanthrope because: (no reason given)
Originally posted by Jeremiah65
Very nice topic and post, S&F for you.
The consumerist mindset started back at the end of the depression. Big corporations were lagging in sales because people were clinging to what little money they had...they needed to figure out how to get people to let go of that money and spend it...enter Sigmund Freud...or more appropriately, his nephew...Edward Bernays. Bernays took the psychological studies of Freud and turned them into probably the most successful marketing strategy/philosophy ever imagined. It was at it's core that you could "buy" self expression...you could "buy" a sense of worth...thus the "consumer" society was born...and boy did it grow!
I won't go deep into it, but here is a 4 hour video that explains it extremely well...(I suggest watching it on youtube and bookmarking each session till you are finished)
You are correct, happiness and joy cannot be bought, though we are told it can be. Most people feel as if they have a gigantic hole running right through their middle and no amount of "stuff" or money or alcohol or drugs or sex...can fill that hole up. People are awakening to the fact they are missing something and they don't know what it is. It is a journey that each person must make in their own time and i their own way....
Here is the video I mentioned above..."The Century of the Self"...
edit on 13-9-2012 by Jeremiah65 because: (no reason given)
Originally posted by ExCommando
Originally posted by LesMisanthrope
reply to post by ExCommando
Philosophically, happiness is an untruth. There's nothing there to attain. Our bodies seek to remember things they enjoy, and to forget things that cause them pain. We must seek things we wish to remember, not mediocre entertainment or petty vanity, but real experiences we'll never forget. We live with those great memories and are able to reflect on them whenever we wish. Happiness is in the reflection of good memories.
edit on 13-9-2012 by LesMisanthrope because: (no reason given)
I've never thought about it this way before - thank you for giving me a different insight.
I have taken the first step - we're selling our business (which is a very large business). I've realised that the pursuit of wealth has done the opposite to what I expected.
It's time to give up all these material things. We will have enough in our bank account to live off indefinitely, and we're planning on moving to SE Asia to figure out what life is really all about.
Originally posted by ExCommando
I buy these things, and then scratch my head and wonder why I'm not happy? Surely, having the newest iPhone, a shiny car, a big house, and wads of cash should, by all accounts, plaster a massive smile on my face, and have me skipping through my day.
Truth; I'm stressed, overweight, unhealthy, and unhappy.
And then I'm even more disenchanted because I feel GUILTY for not being happy - surely there are people much worse off, so why should I complain?
Originally posted by proob4
When you find "Happiness" could you please return it to me? I seem to have lost it some (y) tears ago.
Thanks!
Originally posted by Expat888
wealth... fame... material things are all meaningless... we come into this world we bring nothing with us... when we leave this world we take nothing with us ... life is meant to be lived... live it...