Comments on: Is it Selfish to Seek your own Happiness? http://www.thinkhappy.org/2009/04/16/is-it-selfish-to-seek-your-own-happiness/ A Practical Guide to the Pursuit of Happiness Mon, 12 Jul 2010 10:05:10 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: ~Katherine http://www.thinkhappy.org/2009/04/16/is-it-selfish-to-seek-your-own-happiness/comment-page-1/#comment-780 ~Katherine Thu, 06 Aug 2009 23:42:35 +0000 http://www.thinkhappy.org/?p=1195#comment-780 I love the idea that happiness can be a goal. I grew up around a very different one that feelings aren't important and in fact must be deëmphasized. The eternal must take such precedence that happiness is supposedly beside the point. Which leads to loads of dysfunction. Humanly speaking (how else can I speak?), happiness is part of the eternal otherwise it's hardly worth having eternally, is it? Humanity and divinity can make friends and that is what the reconciliation is about (super short version of that tale). I love the idea that happiness can be a goal. I grew up around a very different one that feelings aren’t important and in fact must be deëmphasized. The eternal must take such precedence that happiness is supposedly beside the point. Which leads to loads of dysfunction. Humanly speaking (how else can I speak?), happiness is part of the eternal otherwise it’s hardly worth having eternally, is it? Humanity and divinity can make friends and that is what the reconciliation is about (super short version of that tale).

]]> By: graham http://www.thinkhappy.org/2009/04/16/is-it-selfish-to-seek-your-own-happiness/comment-page-1/#comment-695 graham Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:20:19 +0000 http://www.thinkhappy.org/?p=1195#comment-695 Hi Ed, thanks for your comment - over a month ago! One of the reasons it's taken me so long to respond is because I've decided to write a post inspired by your comment. In short, I couldn't disagree with you more, though I completely understand where you're coming from. As I hope the post made clear, I used to feel the same. Now I feel that anything less than Loving Hedonism is actually detrimental to the desire to help the unhappy. A story that I wanted to save for the post, but will state here as well, involves the 8 weeks that I worked with Mother's Theresa's set-up in Calcutta. You might think that those helped by her were grateful for any help that was given to them, but you would be wrong. In fact, there was a very clear and definite distinction between those Sisters that the people liked and gladly accepted help from and those that they avoided like the plague. The fundamental difference between them was evident to everyone - the former were happy. Hi Ed, thanks for your comment – over a month ago!

One of the reasons it’s taken me so long to respond is because I’ve decided to write a post inspired by your comment. In short, I couldn’t disagree with you more, though I completely understand where you’re coming from.

As I hope the post made clear, I used to feel the same. Now I feel that anything less than Loving Hedonism is actually detrimental to the desire to help the unhappy.

A story that I wanted to save for the post, but will state here as well, involves the 8 weeks that I worked with Mother’s Theresa’s set-up in Calcutta. You might think that those helped by her were grateful for any help that was given to them, but you would be wrong. In fact, there was a very clear and definite distinction between those Sisters that the people liked and gladly accepted help from and those that they avoided like the plague. The fundamental difference between them was evident to everyone – the former were happy.

]]> By: Ed http://www.thinkhappy.org/2009/04/16/is-it-selfish-to-seek-your-own-happiness/comment-page-1/#comment-670 Ed Thu, 14 May 2009 02:17:48 +0000 http://www.thinkhappy.org/?p=1195#comment-670 How can anyone consider himself "happy" when you realize all the "unhappiness" there is in this world. It's easy to say that the more happy you are, happier the people seem to be around you.. and consider that it is your state of mind which is responsable for making them happy (which I found very selfish). And I would say, It's your state of mind that actually make them seem happy in front of your eyes. Seeking happiness is not selfish, IF and only IF it depends on making other people happy as well. Not only smiling to anyone passing by in the street but trying to DO things for making this world a better place to live and being coherent with what you think and what you are DOING. "Happiness is not a goal. it is a by-product" How can anyone consider himself “happy” when you realize all the “unhappiness” there is in this world. It’s easy to say that the more happy you are, happier the people seem to be around you.. and consider that it is your state of mind which is responsable for making them happy (which I found very selfish). And I would say, It’s your state of mind that actually make them seem happy in front of your eyes. Seeking happiness is not selfish, IF and only IF it depends on making other people happy as well. Not only smiling to anyone passing by in the street but trying to DO things for making this world a better place to live and being coherent with what you think and what you are DOING. “Happiness is not a goal. it is a by-product”

]]> By: Chris Edgar | Purpose Power Coaching http://www.thinkhappy.org/2009/04/16/is-it-selfish-to-seek-your-own-happiness/comment-page-1/#comment-626 Chris Edgar | Purpose Power Coaching Sat, 18 Apr 2009 17:45:19 +0000 http://www.thinkhappy.org/?p=1195#comment-626 Thanks for the appreciation. What you said definitely resonated with me -- that if you play the martyr with others, you won't be able to sustain your drive to serve them for long. Best, Chris Thanks for the appreciation. What you said definitely resonated with me — that if you play the martyr with others, you won’t be able to sustain your drive to serve them for long. Best, Chris

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