[jcun4128]

I've been doing a "3-positives about your life" every night for almost 4 years. I get up to 5 emails a night if I don't respond in time, then my response gets stored. I thought I could correlate them with major events in my life but the values were between -1, 0 and 1. I don't know if it even makes sense and sometimes I didn't take it seriously. Still it's cool it has been running for so long.

Anyway I didn't get really any insight from it so... idk if it's a waste of time or what. I still use writing a lot for personal thoughts/state management.

I was using Mailgun for the emailing/API and Raspi/Python/Apache/MariaDB for my stack.

I am aware using third party my stuff is passing through them, it's not super detailed just positive/negative sentiment with abstract context.

[pps]

You can try with gratitude instead (not tracking, but writing), it has serious scientific backing:

- https://www.coursera.org/learn/the-science-of-well-being

- https://hubermanlab.com/the-science-of-gratitude-and-how-to-...

[jcun4128]

> science of happiness

Yeah I'm not sure, I think it's natural to have ups and downs. But for me personally there's always something worrying me. I don't know if once I escape being poor "for good" eg. have money invested/don't have to work. If I will lose this constant anxiety.

I still struggle with the whole "altruism" thing like I help people but I also in the back of my mind have this feeling of "mine". "I'd be further in life if I was an asshole" etc...

I think productivity is also subjective... if you setup businesses/have passive income/don't have to work. If you don't do anything are you not productive? Anyway I know what productivity means for me (getting things done) but that's because I can't stop yet. Not that I want to stop but yeah. It's like I don't want to wake up/sleep 9-5 but I need to because I have a job.

[medstrom]

You can research happiness while still believing in a life with ups and downs.

[jcun4128]

Not sure what you mean by "believing in a life with ups and downs" is that not reality?

Happiness seems simple to achieve to me, do the opposite of what makes you unhappy unless you need something like medication.

[medstrom]

I'm sorry, it sounded like you were averse to studying happiness because it would remove the ups and downs. I don't know what you wanted to say if not that.

[jcun4128]

haha, my soundtrack in life is the Lego song "Everything is awesome"

idk, this whole 'studying happiness' sounds like you're trying to trick yourself to be happy, but that's an ignorant take without looking for myself.

I know can really get down in the weeds, hierarchy of needs, Buddhism, philosophy, etc...

I think that as a sentient/alive being, your mind will always be on/running. And actually having problems like being broke distracts you from the fact that time counts down and you exist regardless of what you do. Mainly to stay alive and avoid pain.

Even if you have money and didn't have to work/have freedom, how long till you're bored. Anyway I have plenty of reasons to be happy you know like I have family in a third world country with parasites, barely have access to water, here I am paid to write code, running water, hot shower everyday, etc... I used to stack biscuits into a box for a job and hated myself, I changed it.

Life is not so bad (but it can be better, Wonder woman meme).

Anyway I'm just rambling here