Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by _8j50 1393 days ago
More like ignoring reality is a choice. You can live in miserable conditions and trick your mind to be happy and refuse to be affected by circumstances and be happy. Thay works out fine if happiness is your goal. But that also means you ignore reality and operate based on lies and self-deception. Why work to improve your situation or fix problems if you are happy as you are? I actually think too many people are happy when they shouldn't. I prefer to be angry, sad frustrated, anything so long it matches reality.

What is the big deal about happiness anyways? I have been happy, I have been miserable. The taste of truth and justice is sweeter. Not seeing your loved ones suffer and your precious time on earth wasted away are better goals than being happy for the sake of feeling good.
1 comments
tester756 1393 days ago
>I actually think too many people are happy when they shouldn't. I prefer to be angry, sad frustrated, anything so long it matches reality.

Doesn't sound healthly

link
_8j50 1393 days ago
I can't imagine anything more healthy. Those are all valid emotions a healthy person should exhibit. Being happy when life is good and being sad when life is bad is healthy because you enjoy good things and times and allow yourself to be negatively affected bad by things and times so you can avoid or change them.

If emotions were a spouse being happy during bad times would be similar to being happy when your spouse is abusing you and enduring it. Isn't it more healthy to be negatively affected by it so you can change or exit the situation?

link
KronisLV 1393 days ago
> ...so long it matches reality.

This is probably the important bit here!

One can probably talk about having a positive outlook being overall a good idea in life in many cases, but I'm also inclined to agree with you that experiencing the whole emotional spectrum when appropriate is also an enriching experience.

Just as long as you don't let certain emotions or feelings overwhelm you too much, e.g. getting used to being angry about something and focusing on it too much. Learning to let things go is probably also a useful skill, as is self reflection.

link
_8j50 1392 days ago
I agree with this. The important thing is to rule your emotions instead of be ruled by them. Taking an active and dominant role in dictating your emotions so thay they align with reality.
link
seper8 1393 days ago
Dude should read some Marcus aurelius
link