Greetings, Fido

Is it possible you are thinking of The Ten Commandments, many of which are 'thou shalt not'?

I take it you did not find my definition of "morality" as acceptable....? It seemed like the best (most appropriate) name to give to that particular formula in my system.

I know you believe love is the answer, but try teaching that in academic philosophy courses in major universities ! What is your definition of that term: "love"? Am I wrong? Isn't 'love' the most central term in ethics according to your point of view?

what then is wrong so that we know what not to do? I would obviously argue that anything that leads to more unhappiness than sadness is wrong. I don't understand your post.

And for crying out loud, it's obvious you ate to make yourself happy, just like it's the reason you pursue knowledge...it makes you happy. Seriously? It beats sitting around bored is your answer? It's like you know you do everything for happiness, but you want to argue.

Hi,

While happiness may be your goal, you may want to consider the possibility it is not everyone's goal. It is certainly not mine. I have learned that one cannot find happiness, it finds one - and usually when one least expects it. Searching for happiness is way too frustrating for me, and I certainly don't want to spend my life being frustrated. I am what I am, and sometimes I am sad, sometimes I am happy, and most of the time I am somewhere in between.

I am aware that others are different. Heck, there are whole industries revolving around how to find happiness, whether it be all kinds of books, practices, plastic surgery, dating services, etc. But none of that is part of my life. I play tennis and golf because it is something interesting to do.

Rich

Happiness is every goal...

what then is wrong so that we know what not to do? I would obviously argue that anything that leads to more unhappiness than sadness is wrong. I don't understand your post.

And for crying out loud, it's obvious you ate to make yourself happy, just like it's the reason you pursue knowledge...it makes you happy. Seriously? It beats sitting around bored is your answer? It's like you know you do everything for happiness, but you want to argue.

I guess that may be right for some people. It is a little too dramatic for me. I OK just doing interesting things in life like playing music, doing some color pencil art, or listening to Oldies.

Rich

It is true for everyone, that we live between the poles of happiness and unhappiness...The thing you seem to know, without knowing you know, is that no one reaches happiness by the direct route... When you are done with life, and in retrospect you have had enough, and done enough for others, and stood up for good, and pushed it through, then you might judge yourself happy in spite of the inevitable regrets...

It is true for everyone, that we live between the poles of happiness and unhappiness...

It is true for everyone, that we live between the poles of happiness and unhappiness...The thing you seem to know, without knowing you know, is that no one reaches happiness by the direct route... When you are done with life, and in retrospect you have had enough, and done enough for others, and stood up for good, and pushed it through, then you might judge yourself happy in spite of the inevitable regrets...

I mean that no matter what you can always be happier, no matter how happy you are, .

Because I believe humans are infinitely learning. I can't imagine a spot for us to say, "well, I guess that's about it." So, I feel like I can apply that to happiness. I feel like it's logical to say that, no matter what, because we can learn more about happiness, we can always be happier.

Because I believe humans are infinitely learning. I can't imagine a spot for us to say, "well, I guess that's about it." So, I feel like I can apply that to happiness. I feel like it's logical to say that, no matter what, because we can learn more about happiness, we can always be happier.

I look at it like this:

Everything is evolving and if one is always happy, there is no motivator for change. Sadness is the motivator. When someone is sad they seek change. Sadness is a way to know that something has to change within oneself.

Happiness is the reward. It comes when it comes. You cannot do anything to find it. You can only change and maybe there will be happiness and maybe not.

But as soon as you have effected change, then the cycle begins again.

And so goes life. Sadness .... Happiness ... Sadness .... Happiness ....

Rich

I look at it like this:

Everything is evolving and if one is always happy, there is no motivator for change. Sadness is the motivator. When someone is sad they seek change. Sadness is a way to know that something has to change within oneself.

Happiness is the reward. It comes when it comes. You cannot do anything to find it. You can only change and maybe there will be happiness and maybe not.

But as soon as you have effected change, then the cycle begins again.

And so goes life. Sadness .... Happiness ... Sadness .... Happiness ....

Rich

It is not a matter of logic. It is a question of fact. Indeed, it is a psychological question. I don't think that what you feel about the question matters. That question is whether you have any evidence for what you say. I don't think we can always learn more about happiness (whatever that would mean). But even if that were true, why would it follow from that we could always be happier?

I write because it makes me happy. I choose to write because I want to and doing what I want to makes me happy. I sought happiness and found it. I was aware that writing makes me happy, because I've written before and found it to be pleasurable. Now, I understand that, generally speaking, if I want to be happy, I can write. I eat because I'm hungry. Hunger makes me uncomfortable--hunger makes me unhappy--therefore, eating makes me happy when i'm hungry--it contents me.

I can spend my whole life doing things that I think will make me happy, and that would be pursuing happiness.

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Because, the more you learn about happiness, the larger your acumen is going to be on the pursuit of happiness, and as a result your quest for happiness will be more accurate.

Why do you think we can't learn forever about happiness? I believe we can further our learning about anything--we can make anything better--and it seems apparent considering our situation now compared to our situation 100 years ago. Humans are adapting, so it seems a human concept such as happiness is going to be constantly changing to our adaptations and therefore an infinite concept.

Well, for one thing, we don't live forever.

And, in any case, I am not clear what you mean by "learning about happiness". Do you mean, how to be happy; what happiness is; whether there is anything better than happiness, for example being a moral person?

But there is always a limit on any one subject, and also, your capacity for learning.

I don't think our concept of happiness changes, although it may be that what makes us happy changes, as we learn more and more; things that used to make us happy no longer do, and what never made us happy begins to do so.