Thank you, Joe! This one was kind of a slog to write, but it felt important to lay this groundwork. And it was fun to try to pin down a definition of happiness that is generalizable.
Definitely. I also appreciated your vulnerability and the open discussion of depression/suicide. It is extraordinary the lengths we (including myself) human beings will go to (or think of going to) in an attempt to reach/return to the “limited subset of feeling tones we’ve decided are okay to experience”. And this conditional definition we take happiness to be is absolutely generalizable to most (if not all) of the “problems” I seem to have found myself in. These problems existed largely because of my unhelpful view of happiness. They were exacerbated by a rejection of the raw sensation, feeling tone, of what was happening.
It’s interesting that this “limited subset of acceptable feeling tones” changes, perhaps until they no longer work, or perhaps until unconditional happiness is recognized in/as the ground of our being. Previously, my “subset” became so limited that I only accepted intoxication (drunkenness) as an acceptable state for a while. Coming from an Irish alcoholic family helped with this. It worked exceptionally well, until it didn’t (rehab). Don’t worry I gave up drinking years ago.
It often seems that we have to go to extreme lengths (at least in my case) to prove to ourselves that a happiness project isn’t working, and then perhaps we move on to another one (or subset). Or we may recognize a new way to relate to happiness, as your post suggests.
I find that in times of stress, I revert to conditional conceptions of happiness almost unconsciously. It’s a habit that possibly is slowly changing. This post is super helpful for me in serving as a reminder pointing to unconditional happiness (not to put words in your mouth, perhaps there is a better word than happiness to describe this unconditioned state).
How we relate to happiness (consciously or unconsciously) is serious business, a matter of life and death; and yet hilarious when we recognize the absurdity of trying to constantly change how something is/feels in a given moment. Or force it into an “acceptable” range of sensation. I have a lot of thoughts, but I'll leave it there : )
Wonderful! I’m glad you appreciated it. Very true, that we can find ourselves in a shrinking spotlight of acceptable states, or even come to a place where no experience seems like a preferable “state” to any state of experience whatsoever.
Also, congratulations on getting past drinking. Cannabis was a major issue for me, for similar reasons for years.
Thank you Max. Beautiful as usual.
> In Part II of Happiness and Option, I’ll say more about ... how to enjoy any state whatsoever.
Even this very anticipation? Looking forward and then some.
Thank you! I’m very glad you enjoyed it.
How usefully articulated!
Wow, this is fantastic! So clarifying
Thank you, Joe! This one was kind of a slog to write, but it felt important to lay this groundwork. And it was fun to try to pin down a definition of happiness that is generalizable.
Definitely. I also appreciated your vulnerability and the open discussion of depression/suicide. It is extraordinary the lengths we (including myself) human beings will go to (or think of going to) in an attempt to reach/return to the “limited subset of feeling tones we’ve decided are okay to experience”. And this conditional definition we take happiness to be is absolutely generalizable to most (if not all) of the “problems” I seem to have found myself in. These problems existed largely because of my unhelpful view of happiness. They were exacerbated by a rejection of the raw sensation, feeling tone, of what was happening.
It’s interesting that this “limited subset of acceptable feeling tones” changes, perhaps until they no longer work, or perhaps until unconditional happiness is recognized in/as the ground of our being. Previously, my “subset” became so limited that I only accepted intoxication (drunkenness) as an acceptable state for a while. Coming from an Irish alcoholic family helped with this. It worked exceptionally well, until it didn’t (rehab). Don’t worry I gave up drinking years ago.
It often seems that we have to go to extreme lengths (at least in my case) to prove to ourselves that a happiness project isn’t working, and then perhaps we move on to another one (or subset). Or we may recognize a new way to relate to happiness, as your post suggests.
I find that in times of stress, I revert to conditional conceptions of happiness almost unconsciously. It’s a habit that possibly is slowly changing. This post is super helpful for me in serving as a reminder pointing to unconditional happiness (not to put words in your mouth, perhaps there is a better word than happiness to describe this unconditioned state).
How we relate to happiness (consciously or unconsciously) is serious business, a matter of life and death; and yet hilarious when we recognize the absurdity of trying to constantly change how something is/feels in a given moment. Or force it into an “acceptable” range of sensation. I have a lot of thoughts, but I'll leave it there : )
Wonderful! I’m glad you appreciated it. Very true, that we can find ourselves in a shrinking spotlight of acceptable states, or even come to a place where no experience seems like a preferable “state” to any state of experience whatsoever.
Also, congratulations on getting past drinking. Cannabis was a major issue for me, for similar reasons for years.