What does the "Pursuit of Happiness" mean to you?

[ola.]

I'm trying to make sure I'm not being too vague here but I'm probably failing.

Whether in social or political terms/contexts or if only ideally, how do you interpret the "pursuit of happiness" as a concept or a principle to live by? Isn't it inaccurate to assume that happiness is some constant state of being that can be finally "achieved"?

I'm keeping it brief because I'd rather you just answer the question as you see fit and hope to receive whatever thoughts I can on this.

[Sperm-Doll Setsuna]

Stupid early political slogan of no value whatsoever whose vagueness is perfectly intentional in order for it to be applied as politically expedient to excuse whatever is desired by the ruling class. Such little nuggets of nonsense are popular in founding texts and political constitutions and government orders for this exact reason. They have no real meaning, aside from being so banal that they are laughable.

[Comrade Jacob]

The world will never reach happiness under capitalism.

[Red Economist]

Whether in social or political terms/contexts or if only ideally, how do you interpret the "pursuit of happiness" as a concept or a principle to live by?

personally, happiness for me is not having depression, making a few good friends who I can rely on and spend a great deal of time with, having enough to eat and be comfortable, doing a job that I enjoy and knowing that society has a decent chance of developing in the century. It's all very gloomy out there I don't want my life to have been for nothing when I die. would be nice to know the world is in better shape than when I entered it.

In social and political terms, this is much harder- as taking a collectivist stance can prioritize other peoples needs (and happiness) over your own in an excessive or authoritarian way. It is about finding the right balance.

However, sometimes you have to chose between being happy and being free and those decisions can be really, really hard. And for a long while I hate my politics because I gave up something in the short-run even if I gained more in the longer term.


Isn't it inaccurate to assume that happiness is some constant state of being that can be finally "achieved"?

Yes. it is somewhat idealistic as it assume 'happiness' is purely a product of the mind that is separate from everything else, and not actually the product of a relation between the mind, body and material world. happiness is hard work and takes constant effort if it is to be based on personal growth rather than simply passively consuming things.

it is important to point out that there are different kinds of happiness which I've heard referred to as 'bliss' and 'buzz'. personally, I'm rather good at the former but need more of the latter and this certainly would help shift my depression.



I'm keeping it brief because I'd rather you just answer the question as you see fit and hope to receive whatever thoughts I can on this.

The US declaration of independence was one of the first political documents I ever read, and it rubbed off on me (courtesy of a certain amount of brainwashing thanks to US cartoon imports to the UK I watched when I was a kid). After much meandering in my early teens I went from being a liberal with a social conscience into more socialist/communist territory because I realized I couldn't be free without owning at least some property to make my rights effective and giving me the capacity to be happy- though this does has somewhat consumerist overtones if taken to it's extreme. Consumerism can only make you happy in the short-term and represents a crippling of a person's capacity to produce their own happiness, but creating something is much more long-term as you get to see the results.

The relationship between happiness and freedom is extremely complex, especially if you consider the sadistic and masochistic dimensions of where the lack of freedom (superficially) makes people happy. psychology proposes certain reasons for this but none are conclusive, (a personal favorite is sexual frustration screwing up the pleasure principle or the individual's capacity for happiness). personally, I find understanding sado-masochistic behavior as an important way of explaining why things can get so screwed up so quickly because people pursue happiness but end up doing something counter-productive to that end (and can also help explian my own mistakes based on the conflict between my expectations and the results- beyond my own general ignorance).

[sosolo]

The original phrase (written by Adam Smith, I believe), was "life, liberty, and property. The rich white dudes who drafted these documents wanted to keep all the property to themselves, thus the change of wording.

[Crabbensmasher]

Some movie with Will Smith. I enjoyed it. Though funny thing is, my bicycle was stolen as I was watching that movie.

I think that's pretty indicative of the actual 'pursuit of happiness'

In reality, I think a lot of us (especially in the West) view happiness as some deified end goal. It's like, whatever we do in life should have the end result of making us happy. The best things are what make us happy. It sounds hedonistic, but even hedonism has happiness as it's end goal. It basically says 'through abstaining, you will be more content', which is basically the same result through a different method. I think it just brings us to the question: What really motivates us? I think pure happiness is a bit silly. Humans are complex and intensely social creatures. We want to receive happiness, but we also want to bestow happiness.

But I don't know, you can't be happy all the time. A lot of people spend their best years in misery, but somehow, come out on top. It's a weird emotion.

[Sea]

It means very little to me.

It meant a lot to the "founding fathers". I'm sure it meant just as much to George III. Hence its uselessness. It means very little to me.

[AnaRchic]

For most of my life I considered it in a very adolescent and hedonistic way, basically meaning "do what feels good". After having now thoroughly explored, experienced, and exhausted that approach, I find my very understanding of happiness to have changed substantially.

Once you have the experiences you've previously craved, many of which are socially conditioned by the way, whole new avenues of desire open up to you. Now I find more value in devoting myself to a higher calling, to making the world a better place for my baby girl and the coming generations. I find joy in the idea of having made a real impact on this world, of having lived and died for something higher than my own petty concerns.

The true revolutionary is infused with a powerful love of ones fellow human beings, and a burning desire to leave this world a better place than he found it. I find that as I age my individualistic hedonism is increasingly giving way to a larger passion for the emancipation of humanity and the creation of a world fit for our children to live in.

[Rugged Collectivist]

A useless phrase. It's an implicit part of the human condition.


Isn't it inaccurate to assume that happiness is some constant state of being that can be finally "achieved"?

Yes, that would be inaccurate. The phrase doesn't have to be interpreted that way though. No one can maintain a constant, permanent state of happiness, but you could interpret it as trying to minimize the periods of unhappiness as much as possible.

[Fakeblock]

The original phrase (written by Adam Smith, I believe), was "life, liberty, and property. The rich white dudes who drafted these documents wanted to keep all the property to themselves, thus the change of wording.

On the contrary, I think that "the pursuit of happiness" is just a roundabout way of saying "the pursuit of property". The phrase was, of course, coined by Jefferson, who is well known for his fetishisation of small producers.

[Lynx]

For some, the illusion that one is in control of one's destiny.

[RyeN]

Whether in social or political terms/contexts or if only ideally, how do you interpret the "pursuit of happiness" as a concept or a principle to live by? Isn't it inaccurate to assume that happiness is some constant state of being that can be finally "achieved"?

I guess that ideally, whether in political or social contexts to purse happiness is a method used by the ruling class to keep people's minds enslaved. We are bred to compete with each other and reward ourselves with external things to be happy. The lie is that happiness isn't something to be pursued or that comes from external experiences alone. Happiness is an emotion that we are freely able to choose to experience, and it happens each moment we choose to feel and experience it.

Feeling positive energy and creating action towards spreading positive energy rewards the body soul and society. change our perspectives to one that includes cooperation with all nature and all humanity equally. Giving the best of ourselves, not for monetary rewards or, peoples respect, but for the good of our global society and whatever comes next. May we all be receptive to the global consciousness.

[Црвена]

Whether in social or political terms/contexts or if only ideally, how do you interpret the "pursuit of happiness" as a concept or a principle to live by? Isn't it inaccurate to assume that happiness is some constant state of being that can be finally "achieved"?

I guess that ideally, whether in political or social contexts to purse happiness is a method used by the ruling class to keep people's minds enslaved. We are bred to compete with each other and reward ourselves with external things to be happy. The lie is that happiness isn't something to be pursued or that comes from external experiences alone. Happiness is an emotion that we are freely able to choose to experience, and it happens each moment we choose to feel and experience it.

Feeling positive energy and creating action towards spreading positive energy rewards the body soul and society. change our perspectives to one that includes cooperation with all nature and all humanity equally. Giving the best of ourselves, not for monetary rewards or, peoples respect, but for the good of our global society and whatever comes next. May we all be receptive to the global consciousness.

I totally agree with you and that is such a beautiful way of putting it! I think society's constant insistence on finding happiness in material and trivial things is making us forget how to be happy. If we go looking for happiness, we will never find it.

[4thInter]

Fighting the system and listening to IRA songs,
Best son is at 1:03:00
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcSeBtkf_ks

[Hrafn]

It's... a Kid Cudi track?

[4thInter]

It's... a Kid Cudi track?
No, IRA Music. Three hours of it

[TC]

"The pursuit of happiness" seems to elevate it above other things that one might pursue. Happiness sounds good to me but it isn't the only good - there are some things that compete with happiness for importance like meaning and purpose and justice.

[Ven0m]

happyness can only be seen from a distance. you never realise you are happy in the moment.

[Dialectical Wizard]

A bunch of nonsense.

[Slavoj Zizek's Balls]

To me it is a sentence that elevates a particular emotion above others, diminishing their utility and necessity. So it isn't incredibly helpful.

[rylasasin]

A man chasing a woman...

... at least that's what the school house rock video depicted it as. Not a very good depiction.

[Slavic]

A man chasing a woman...

... at least that's what the school house rock video depicted it as. Not a very good depiction.

Nothing beats the thrill of courtship though, maybe some good cocaine or extacy, but the first few months of a new sexual relationship is exhilarating.

[willwinall]

I believe the pursuit of happiness is something that is very complicated, because governments all over the world talk about this as a pillar of democracy, but whether happiness is being wealthy or being wise or some other thing, I personally can`t say.

[Zaratustra]

Its hard to say.All i ever wanted is to find people who are same as me.Its bit scarce over here where i live since everyone is egocentric,arrogant or they have some of their own agenda.It gets kind of lonely here.

[Gracchus R.]

I am happy only when I'm proud of myself. I'm proud of myself only when I act accordingly to my consciousness and to what I feel is my duty.

Also, I think that happiness is something more social than individual. How can you be happy in an ocean of unhappiness and misfortune. Likewise, maybe happiness depend on perception and habituation.

[Brutus]

I am happy only when I'm proud of myself. I'm proud of myself only when I act accordingly to my consciousness and to what I feel is my duty.

Also, I think that happiness is something more social than individual. How can you be happy in an ocean of unhappiness and misfortune. Likewise, maybe happiness depend on perception and habituation.

Aye. I'm happy when my closest friend is happy. Individually, I'm a truly miserable person.

[Gracchus R.]

Aye. I'm happy when my closest friend is happy. Individually, I'm a truly miserable person.

Most of us, when looking at ourself, are miserable person. How one can be happy without exterior relation. Loving, helping, doing good stuff, that's the kind of things that you cannot do alone. But guys like us are sometime not understand by the majority of the people, because they are ignoring their compassionnate heart and they think that happiness is buying stuff and accumulate property, because it is what society make them believe.

Luxury and wealth is truly corruptives things anyway. It's like drugs for the rich. Like an alcoolic think that happiness is being drunk, a capitalist think that accumulating money and living in luxury is happiness. As I've done too many post without a J.J. Rousseau quote, I have to had that:

«Ou le luxe est l'effet des richesses, ou il les rend nécessaires ; il corrompt à la fois le riche et le pauvre, l'un par la possession, l'autre par la convoitise.» / "Or luxury is the effect of wealth, or it makes them necessery: it corrupts both the rich and the poor, one through possession and the other through lust."

[exeexe]

You are happy when you succesfully achieved a goal you set yourself to go for. Like you can be happy if you get a wage rise or that your company got a new order which should bring enough work for the next 2 months. That was a socialist and a capitalist example. But also you can get happy if you have sex with someone you like or if you completed a physical exercise like running 10 km without walking.

Also just by listening to music can make you happy or spreading propaganda and see that people changed their minds because of your propaganda.

Or you have noted that this enemy player in a computergame is playing really good and by killing him can make you feel happy too.

Basically pursue of happiness means abolishing every privileges that inhibits a person to achieve his goals and desires. This includes the destruction of capitalism.

[exeexe]

Since the Paris commune the french national motto has been Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité”. This means:

Liberty, Equality, Brotherhood

Upon further investigation* brotherhood has another meaning than which of family related. It can also be used in relationship to association which was what Proudhon argued for in his ideas of the federation.

The fact that a national motto is asking for a a federated society is just ridiculous.

*http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/brotherhood

[Trap Queen Voxxy]

I think it's bullshit. I am happiest when I have a lot of weed and animals and we just chillin and such. Most of this is currently illegal thus my dreams are illegal so how can I pursue my happiness if it involves illegal activities? I can't.

[Rafiq]

Happiness must never be politicized. I truly can say that I don't care to be happy.

For whatever reason, our different circumstances shape and define different complex psychological prerequisites for happiness. Absolutely none of them are of use to furthering the cause of the revolution. In struggling against the existing order, it is necessary to put aside your stupid, trivial personal wants and desires, your preferences, your happiness and sadness,. Looking into ourselves you will find nothing but masturbatory excrement. I can truly say I absolutely doubt Lenin was a happy person in all his years fighting. Yet he was not hindered, he did not let that infringe his duty towards the revolution.

[Gracchus R.]

And if what make Lenin happy was knowing that he was doing is duty toward the Revolution. Lenin is not someone who would have supported to live like a capitalist (and an aristocrat), he was knowing that was wrong. How can he support himself but by doing what he see as his duty.

[Redistribute the Rep]

Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know..

[GimmieFire]

To me, the phrase really doesn't mean much. I don't see happiness as something that can be pursued. I see it as something that comes to you or something that you choose to be.