[lit-ideas] Re: Twitter
- From: Andy <min.erva@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 1 May 2007 07:37:28 -0700 (PDT)
Lasting happiness, as opposed to the shortlived happiness that follows winning
the lottery or getting into a new relationship or taking a world cruise or
whatever, is only found to the extent that a person is able to live in the
moment, in the eternal present. That's not just my opinion. If this tribe's
ability to stay in the present is genetic, then scientists have inadvertently
found the happiness gene. I would hardly call it a genetic disorder. I would
call it winning the happiness jackpot.
But, environment has a huge amount to do with it too. If there's no worry
about tomorrow, about being inadequate, about not having enough, if those
concepts don't even exist, and if there's no fear and anger built into the
system from mismanagement of childhood, then there is happiness. Civilization
was made in hell by comparison.
I heard a discussion on the ultra ultra wealthy once, the ones who can afford
to rent the space shuttle for the weekend, and they are no different in their
values than Joe Average, only with far more pressure. They have to be
physically perfect, so time is a distinct source of unhappiness; they are
constantly outdoing each other in the size and quality of their houses and
their accomplishments; they need body guards; they live in a continual state of
dis-ease that revolves ironically around money. No eternal present for those
people. In fact, if that isn't the definition of misery, I can't imagine what
is. Yet most people envy them until they turn green.
Personally, I would put civilization into the category of another of God's
little jokes foisted on humanity. God must snicker away when he sees things
like "clash of civilizations" being bandied about; get them before they get
you; carry a gun, no, a bigger gun, to stay safe; hate somebody some or all of
the time...
Andreas Ramos <andreas@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I wonder if the tribe's nature (living only in the present) could be a genetic
disorder.
yrs,
andreas
www.andreas.com
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Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell?
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