Dunno what to call this

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Reply Sun 19 Jul, 2009 12:26 am
:Glasses:
My math teacher, an admirable man, gave me lots of life leasons.
One that seems to stick to my head the most is his about happiness.

He said that happiness has to come from within yourself. 'If you rely on others to make you happy you'll never truely be happy.' It's a powerful thing when your happiness comes from someone else. It's like they have control over you. If your happiness comes from others then '..they have the power to give you happiness whenever. But that also means they have the power to take it away too.'

I felt the need to post this because I don't want to forget him.

To make a discussion: What are your thoughts about this?
 
richrf
 
Reply Sun 19 Jul, 2009 12:21 pm
@mister kitten,
mister kitten;78239 wrote:
:Glasses:
My math teacher, an admirable man, gave me lots of life leasons.
One that seems to stick to my head the most is his about happiness.

He said that happiness has to come from within yourself. 'If you rely on others to make you happy you'll never truely be happy.' It's a powerful thing when your happiness comes from someone else. It's like they have control over you. If your happiness comes from others then '..they have the power to give you happiness whenever. But that also means they have the power to take it away too.'

I felt the need to post this because I don't want to forget him.

To make a discussion: What are your thoughts about this?


Very nice post.

I agree with our teacher. One cannot depend upon others or even other things to bring happiness into one's life.

For me, life is about relationships. Relationships with people, with pets, with the environment, with ideas. So for me happiness stems from the way we relate to others and also ... to ourselves.

Sadness also comes from relationships, and I experience both all of the time. After sadness usually comes some happiness. Maybe because some lesson has been learned? And after happiness usually comes sadness. Maybe because some new lesson needs to be learned?

Hope this is what you were looking for in your discussion.

Rich
 
mister kitten
 
Reply Sun 19 Jul, 2009 01:22 pm
@richrf,
richrf;78318 wrote:

Sadness also comes from relationships, and I experience both all of the time. After sadness usually comes some happiness. Maybe because some lesson has been learned? And after happiness usually comes sadness. Maybe because some new lesson needs to be learned?
Rich

That's a very interesting idea. I think it could be applied to all types of saddness. A 'How do I learn to get over it?' question I suppose.

For me happiness can come from anything. The happiest moment of my life, as I remember, was when I realized I was alive, as silly as it sounds. I try to follow this lesson as best I can because it makes alot of sense to me. It's also a reason I try not to get too involved with people or material items.

Thank you, Rich
 
richrf
 
Reply Sun 19 Jul, 2009 02:02 pm
@mister kitten,
mister kitten;78326 wrote:
That's a very interesting idea. I think it could be applied to all types of saddness. A 'How do I learn to get over it?' question I suppose.

For me happiness can come from anything. The happiest moment of my life, as I remember, was when I realized I was alive, as silly as it sounds. I try to follow this lesson as best I can because it makes alot of sense to me. It's also a reason I try not to get too involved with people or material items.

Thank you, Rich


Well, you are quite welcome. And I am glad you are participating on this forum and presenting your own unique perspective about life. I am looking forward to hearing more.

Cya,

Rich
 
jgweed
 
Reply Sun 19 Jul, 2009 03:49 pm
@mister kitten,
"XLVIII. The condition and characteristic of an uninstructed person is this: he never expects from himself profit (advantage) nor harm, but from externals. The condition and characteristic of a philosopher is this: he expects all advantage and all harm from himself. The signs (marks) of one who is making progress are these: he censures no man, he praises no man, he blames no man, he accuses no man, he says nothing about himself as if he were somebody or knew something; when he is impeded at all or hindered, he blames himself: if a man praises him, he ridicules the praiser to himself: if a man censures him, he makes no defense: he goes about like weak persons, being careful not to move any of the things which are placed, before they are firmly fixed: he removes all desire from himself, and he transfers aversion to those things only of the things within our power which are contrary to nature: he employs a moderate movement toward everything: whether he is considered foolish or ignorant, he cares not: and in a word he watches himself as if he were an enemy and lying in ambush."

Epictetus. The Enchiridon

The Enchiridion, or Manual, of Epictetus; George Long translation
 
William
 
Reply Sun 19 Jul, 2009 04:15 pm
@mister kitten,
Hello mister kitten,

Your math teacher was a wise man. You were fortunate those words had an impact on you. If I might expound on them a little. What comes first? Happiness or the smile. Without question, the smile. Now where does that come from? Inside you. You are the giver and it is absolutely FREE. Norman Vincent Peale wrote a very good book, called "THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING". Once you have it, the smile, you want to share it. It's compulsory. If you depend on others, it is not the same as others offering it when you least expect it. An unrequieted smile that asks nothing in return. That will cause one to become introspective as to "why"? Eventually if done often enough to any one person, they will eventually catch on, there must be something to this. Hmmm? Love of your fellow man is a one way street. It can only be given, period. Now toss that around a little and think about it. If all were to freely give, it would be a give/give realtiy rather that a give/take. The bounty would be impossible to imagine.

Thanks for the thoughtful thread,
William

PS; As to the title of your thread, a better answer is hidden in my post, see if you can figure out a better name for it rather that "Dunno what to call this"? See what you come up with. Smile
 
kennethamy
 
Reply Sun 19 Jul, 2009 08:38 pm
@mister kitten,
mister kitten;78239 wrote:
:Glasses:
My math teacher, an admirable man, gave me lots of life leasons.
One that seems to stick to my head the most is his about happiness.

He said that happiness has to come from within yourself. 'If you rely on others to make you happy you'll never truely be happy.' It's a powerful thing when your happiness comes from someone else. It's like they have control over you. If your happiness comes from others then '..they have the power to give you happiness whenever. But that also means they have the power to take it away too.'

I felt the need to post this because I don't want to forget him.

To make a discussion: What are your thoughts about this?


I would imagine that happiness comes from both you, and from other people, and some combination of both. It would seem to me foolish not to accept happiness from others because they can take it away. Why miss the happiness you can get from others, which is often very great, for fear it will be removed? The old motto is right: "It is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all". Everything ends, and usually badly, since it it did not end badly, it probably would not end.
 
mister kitten
 
Reply Sun 19 Jul, 2009 10:31 pm
@mister kitten,
To Kenneth: Happiness does come from other people too. My teacher said that in order to be truely happy your happiness must come from yourself, not from depending on others to supply it. He didn't say to miss out on happiness from others (if I remember correctly he said quite the opposite).

---------- Post added 07-20-2009 at 01:02 AM ----------

William;78348 wrote:
Hello mister kitten,

Your math teacher was a wise man. You were fortunate those words had an impact on you. If I might expound on them a little. What comes first? Happiness or the smile. Without question, the smile. Now where does that come from? Inside you. You are the giver and it is absolutely FREE. Norman Vincent Peale wrote a very good book, called "THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING". Once you have it, the smile, you want to share it. It's compulsory. If you depend on others, it is not the same as others offering it when you least expect it. An unrequieted smile that asks nothing in return. That will cause one to become introspective as to "why"? Eventually if done often enough to any one person, they will eventually catch on, there must be something to this. Hmmm? Love of your fellow man is a one way street. It can only be given, period. Now toss that around a little and think about it. If all were to freely give, it would be a give/give realtiy rather that a give/take. The bounty would be impossible to imagine.

Thanks for the thoughtful thread,
William

PS; As to the title of your thread, a better answer is hidden in my post, see if you can figure out a better name for it rather that "Dunno what to call this"? See what you come up with. Smile


Thank you for your ideas.
I do not think I would have asked such an insightful question, the 'What comes first?' one.
Smiles are incredible things. Lately, I've found myself smiling around people alot more. I've found that when they see me smiling they get a little smirk and that makes me burst out laughing. When my siblings see me smile they start to smile too. It's beautiful.
Hmm, happiness inside you/from within? 'Dunno what to call this' works just fine.
 
William
 
Reply Mon 20 Jul, 2009 08:54 am
@mister kitten,
mister kitten,

My friend you are beginning to understand what "love" is all about. Don't you think it is about time we understood that?

All my love,
William
 
kennethamy
 
Reply Mon 20 Jul, 2009 10:28 am
@mister kitten,
mister kitten;78377 wrote:
To Kenneth: Happiness does come from other people too. My teacher said that in order to be truely happy your happiness must come from yourself, not from depending on others to supply it. He didn't say to miss out on happiness from others (if I remember correctly he said quite the opposite).

---------- Post added 07-20-2009 at 01:02 AM ----------





What is supposed to be the difference between, "truly happy", and just "plain old happy". Your teacher did not say to be truly happy, your happiness must come only from yourself, did he? There is quite a difference between "from yourself" and, "only from yourself". Don't you agree?
 
William
 
Reply Mon 20 Jul, 2009 10:56 am
@mister kitten,
Hello Ken,
Let me see if I can put it another way. To give is rare if it is unrequited. Now unrequited is, IMO a misnomer in that there is "something" to be gain by unrequited attempt to offer something that is not asked for if it is in the best interest of another. And what could be more appealing than an undeserved "smile". It immediately creates a non-offensive sensory connection that has amazing results we are unaccustom to. We have no idea of what ponders the mind of another but that "love connection" is surely not going hurt unless of course it was at a time in which it would be inappropriate to do such; such as at a time when someone is experiencing a loss. Even at those times a "smile" of support would be welcome and a comfort.

It's all about earth, (oop's) I mean heart; I put the "h" in the wrong place, ha. Snicker Snicker. It is that heart that will define our "humanity" as we share it with others to bolster theirs. Ah, what a grand plan! We'll catch on................one of these days. I guarantee it.:a-ok:

William
 
kennethamy
 
Reply Mon 20 Jul, 2009 12:40 pm
@William,
William;78435 wrote:
Hello Ken,
Let me see if I can put it another way. To give is rare if it is unrequited. Now unrequited is, IMO a misnomer in that there is "something" to be gain by unrequited attempt to offer something that is not asked for if it is in the best interest of another. And what could be more appealing than an undeserved "smile". It immediately creates a non-offensive sensory connection that has amazing results we are unaccustom to. We have no idea of what ponders the mind of another but that "love connection" is surely not going hurt unless of course it was at a time in which it would be inappropriate to do such; such as at a time when someone is experiencing a loss. Even at those times a "smile" of support would be welcome and a comfort.

It's all about earth, (oop's) I mean heart; I put the "h" in the wrong place, ha. Snicker Snicker. It is that heart that will define our "humanity" as we share it with others to bolster theirs. Ah, what a grand plan! We'll catch on................one of these days. I guarantee it.:a-ok:

William


Sorry, but this "way" does not make it any more convincing. I still don't know how, "truly happy" differs from just happy, nor whether your teacher was talking about depending entirely on one's self, or not.
 
mister kitten
 
Reply Fri 24 Jul, 2009 08:23 am
@mister kitten,
Kenneth,

Well our teacher said that you should not get all your happiness from yourself, but rather you should be the main supplier of your happiness.
I'm very far from being a teacher (I've barely started being a student.) so I cannot answer your question about being truely happy and just happy, sorry.
 
 

 
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