How to be happy

[DanaC]

I disagree. Too many people take responsibilty for things they are unable to affect. That said, lots of people take little responsibility for things they can affect. I think that knowing what you can and cannot affect and taking responsibility accordingly is important for happiness.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by DanaC

I disagree. Too many people take responsibilty for things they are unable to affect. That said, lots of people take little responsibility for things they can affect. I think that knowing what you can and cannot affect and taking responsibility accordingly is important for happiness.

Exactly. That is what I was trying to say.

[Mockingbird]

Originally Posted by DanaC

I disagree. Too many people take responsibilty for things they are unable to affect. That said, lots of people take little responsibility for things they can affect. I think that knowing what you can and cannot affect and taking responsibility accordingly is important for happiness.

Yeah, maybe I was being unclear. I was referring to things that happen to you which may not be your fault, but you try to ignore them hoping that they'll go away or someone else who actually caused the problem will fix it. It's that sort of 'live and let god' mentality that I'm referring to. I've found if I take responsibility for a lot of stuff I would otherwise ignore, things tend to sort out better.

Then again, maybe I'm just one of those people who thinks everything is my fault.

[Undertoad]

Originally Posted by Mockingbird

Yeah, maybe I was being unclear. I was referring to things that happen to you which may not be your fault, but you try to ignore them hoping that they'll go away or someone else who actually caused the problem will fix it. It's that sort of 'live and let god' mentality that I'm referring to. I've found if I take responsibility for a lot of stuff I would otherwise ignore, things tend to sort out better.

That is one of Jordan Peterson's basic tenets. via Guardian

Originally Posted by The Guardian article on 12 Rules for Life

“It’s all very well to think the meaning of life is happiness, but what happens when you’re unhappy? Happiness is a great side effect. When it comes, accept it gratefully. But it’s fleeting and unpredictable. It’s not something to aim at – because it’s not an aim. And if happiness is the purpose of life, what happens when you’re unhappy? Then you’re a failure. And perhaps a suicidal failure. Happiness is like cotton candy. It’s just not going to do the job.”

But how do we build meaning? By putting it before expediency. Which is quite close to simply “acting right”. Peterson believes that everyone is born with an instinct for ethics and meaning. It is also a matter of responsibility – you need to have the courage to voluntarily shoulder the great burden of being in order to move towards that meaning. This is what the biblical stories tell us. The great world stories have a moral purpose – they teach us how to pursue meaning over narrow self-interest. Whether it’s Pinocchio, The Lion King, Harry Potter or the Bible, they are all saying the same thing – take the highest path, pick up the heaviest rock and you will have the hope of being psychologically reborn despite the inevitable suffering that life brings.

"voluntarily shoulder the great burden of being" -- is one of those unmistakably Peterson phrases. But it's the whole thing, innit? That there is life.

[Griff]

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