Happiness.

[BurnTheOliveTree]

What is the nature of happiness?

Is it a product of evolution, a motivator to succeed?

How do we attain it? Is this difficult or easy?

On the personal level, is there anything more important than happiness?

Is it even possible to be happy for a sustained period of time? Is happiness necessarily fleeting?

Are we subject to the adaptation principle?

-Alex

[Angry Young Man]

Happiness is a temporary thing.

I think capitalism represents the misery of the worker, and the post-revolution communist society will bring happiness to all. (sustainable, not as in the Benthamite pleasure sense).
But generally I am a miserable bastard!

[RedLenin]

What is the nature of happiness?
Happiness is the feeling that results from getting what you want.


Is it a product of evolution
Yes. We are manipulative (materially) and social animals. Happiness could be a motivator to do things. Happiness, as a feeling, could reinforce and encourage manipulative and social behavior.


How do we attain it?
Happiness is attained by fullfilling your desires.


is there anything more important than happiness?
Not in human terms, no. Really, most human activity is devoted to attaining happiness, either for oneself or others. As revolutionaries our goal is to bring about the material conditions under which the future generations can have far greater happiness. In a free world the purpose of life would simply be to live life to the fullest and attain the most happiness possible, for oneself and others.


Is happiness necessarily fleeting?
Happiness will never last forever. Everyone faces struggle and sacrafice, which necessarily does not result in happiness. The question is how happy are we and how long does it last.

[ichneumon]

Happiness is the feeling that results from getting what you want.

NO.

definition:

pleasure - reward, stimulus, feeling good, usually from food, sex, drugs but also from winning and competing

joy - internal, independent happiness which lasts with no need for further stimulation, spiritual happiness.

attachment to pleasure is the source of all psychological suffering. it does not last. when it is gone, there is only emptiness and a need for more pleasure. seeking pleasure is like filling a bucket with a hole in it - and the hole keeps getting bigger. pleasure is addiction.

joy is contentment, the pleasure of being a good person, of being loved, of working hard. it is lasting - when viewed in memory, it produces new joy, not emptiness and desire. joy is the opposite of pleasure. joy is freedom from addiction.

socialism has no understanding whatsoever of the human condition - materialism is it's biggest failing.