There are many references to the "Good life" in my degree description and syllabus. I'm having a hard time deciding what the good life is. We wrote about happiness. Does being happy mean you're living the good life? Somehow I have to include the good life in my next paper:
"The topic: How what we have done so far in the course can (1) help introduce someone into the Humanities (i.e. in which sense and to which extent), and (2) which consequences for a self-examination of ourselves (in particular for an examination of your worldview and your pursuit of the good life) this partial introduction may have."
English is not the professor's first language. "self-examination of ourselves"
Humanities, hmmm. We've talked about the liberal arts and how that was the course for those pursuing non-technical professions. We've talked about philosophy freeing you from the slavish following of tradition "habits and tyranny of custom" was the phrase. (who do I site if I use that phrase? damn! Russel?) Humanities, liberal arts, and philosophy aren't synonyms so I have to be careful with what I credit to the course overall. Is this freedom what I should somehow connect to my happiness and my pursuit of the good life? That seems obvious, but is it true?
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
One year
I dread Saturday. I'm afraid of it. That isn't even slightly rational. Saturday will be a year from when mom died. My culture doesn't have a ritual for that. It would be easier if we did. It seems right to acknowledge and mark the day and yet it feels self-indulgent. I've been fighting back tears for a week.
Saturday is the next meeting of my philosophy class. I should meet with my professor after class to discuss the big, bad paper that is due the following week. I know if I meet with him I'll end up crying. I hate that, but how can I talk about writing and philosophy on the anniversary of mom's death without getting all emotional.
I want to take a few days off from work and school to wallow. I want to rub ashes on my face and wail. But mine is a culture of stoicism. So I will go to work and on Saturday I'll put on my public face, go to class, and try not to cry.
Saturday is the next meeting of my philosophy class. I should meet with my professor after class to discuss the big, bad paper that is due the following week. I know if I meet with him I'll end up crying. I hate that, but how can I talk about writing and philosophy on the anniversary of mom's death without getting all emotional.
I want to take a few days off from work and school to wallow. I want to rub ashes on my face and wail. But mine is a culture of stoicism. So I will go to work and on Saturday I'll put on my public face, go to class, and try not to cry.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Happiness - 85%
So, I'm very frustrated. And ok angry too. I'll read my comments again, but I feel like he didn't read my paper through before he started making comments. I think some of his comments are to get me to think more than just demerits, but...but...
Claire F. Rich
Humanities 501
Happiness - Extra Credit
When considering happiness it is important not to be distracted by it’s flashy cousin pleasure. Pleasure is intense, but fleeting. It’s dependent on exterior stimuli. I feel pleasure when horseback riding, kayaking, and dancing. That light giddy feeling
Are pleasure and joy different?
lasts only slightly longer than the activity.
Happiness is a calm satisfaction, a [foundation
“Foundation” of what? In which sense?
] that withstands the chaos of mundane life. It can’t be created by a single pleasurable act. Happiness can only be created over time from stuff [more substantial
“More substantial” in which sense?
] than novel activities. [A sad person doesn’t become a happy person after one lighthearted afternoon
1) Is sadness the opposite of happiness? What about joy instead?
2) Is a “happy person” a person that has attained happiness?
.] Fortunately, happiness can’t be destroyed easily either. Day to day disappointments and setbacks are just dust to be swept from the foundation of happiness. The rubble of painful events may take more time to clear away so that happiness can be exposed again. It is only an extraordinary event or incessant hammering that can crack the foundation that is true happiness
**So, what is happiness? What defines it? Which sort of “calm satisfaction” is it? Is it the calm satisfaction of the mathematician after solving a problem?
.
I have happiness. [It comes from my family and just as my family wasn’t created as a whole in one Genesis moment, I did not reach this state because of a single event. My happiness comes from being at the center of a spreading ripple of family. My happiness comes from knowing my center is a ripple of my parents’ center and their’s is a ripple of my grandparents’ center. I reach back in time and forward to a future that is unknown and open, yet not empty or frightening
**1) In which sense are all these “sources” of your happiness? Show the relation between what they represent for you and your definition/view of happiness.
**2) Does this mean that happiness “comes from” the exterior? Is it then a question of being “lucky” regarding the conditios in which we live?
.]
My happiness comes from being a woman in a series of women.
The long and painful end of my mother’s life was an incessant hammering at the heart of the [my foundation of happiness
Do you mean by “foundation” that there is something, ome sort of necessary condition, which must be in place for happiness to exist?
]. Years of saying goodbye to her, the center from which I rippled into my own center, tempered my happiness. It was strengthened even as it was buried under spilled food and urine soaked sheets. Caring for her, as she cared for her mother, [reinforced my place as a part of an ever widening circle
Is that “circle” something others can also experience or is it rather your own very unique way of understanding your place in the world? Can you see a bit more about what is behind your seeing yourself as part of that circle?
.] Now, a year later [my happiness is reemerging
So, was it always there then?
.]
Hearing my daughter’s family laugh and giggle over breakfast across the street while I watered in the front yard [brought that feeling of happiness back
So, happiness is a “feeling” then? A sort of emotion? Can a particular experience ring “happiness”? How would you distinguish experiences that bring joy, even extreme joy, and happiness?
] to the surface after my mother was gone. Now that the giggling over breakfast happens thousands of miles away and the family across the street isn’t mine, I am sad, but not less happy. Seeing my younger daughter bake using her grandmother’s recipes reinforces [that feeling of happiness that comes from connection
1) So, can we experience different forms of happiness at a particular moment of our life?
2) How is the “happiness” that “comes from connection” different from other forms of happiness?
.] Hearing my son and the young men and women he has known since childhood deep in philosophical debates as the night stretches toward dawn brings that feeling. Standing with my husband in our yard contemplating the spreading ripples of our life together is that feeling of calm satisfaction that is happiness. [During these passive acts of observing, my happiness is most evident
So, would you say happiness is more contemplation than action?
.]
[Knowing the source of my happiness does not give me a road map to future happiness
Do you follow, at least, those “sources” as a reference? If not, which sort of “guides” do you follow?
]. It isn’t that simple, there is no magic A to B correspondence. [Quitting my job so I can horseback ride and kayak will not increase my happiness
Why not?
.] [I need to stay involved and connected to those who are important to me, and in addition welcome and connect to those who are important to them. I have to embrace small moments as well as huge events. I have to be ready to forgive and ask forgiveness. I have to listen and share. It is time invested in relationships that has repaid me with happiness
. ]
**1)OK, but why is all this important? What exactly does it bring to you and why you think so?
**2)Is the search for happiness different from the search for joy?
I am happy.
8.5/10
Friday, September 17, 2010
procrastinating
Well, I checked Facebook at least three times since I woke up at 5:00. I've also checked gmail, csun mail, and browsed on craigslist. Oh, and moodle (csun site), my work email (even though it's a furlough day), and I browsed the adoptable pets on the animal control page. I did the dishes, washed a load of laundry, and colored my hair. Now it's almost 8:30.
I guess there's no more putting it off, I need to write my next critical report for Professor Franco. I love to write, but the assignment is uninspiring. Basically it's a summary of our last two class meetings with my critical response. Maybe it will be better since he actually gave us directions this time and I have his previous comments.
I'm still waiting to see his comments on my Happiness paper.
I guess there's no more putting it off, I need to write my next critical report for Professor Franco. I love to write, but the assignment is uninspiring. Basically it's a summary of our last two class meetings with my critical response. Maybe it will be better since he actually gave us directions this time and I have his previous comments.
I'm still waiting to see his comments on my Happiness paper.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Happiness - final
Happiness - Extra Credit
When considering happiness it is important not to be distracted by it’s flashy cousin pleasure. Pleasure is intense, but fleeting. It’s dependent on exterior stimuli. I feel pleasure when horseback riding, kayaking, and dancing. That light giddy feeling lasts only slightly longer than the activity.
Happiness is a calm satisfaction, a foundation that withstands the chaos of mundane life. It can’t be created by a single pleasurable act. Happiness can only be created over time from stuff more substantial than novel activities. A sad person doesn’t become a happy person after one lighthearted afternoon. Fortunately, happiness can’t be destroyed easily either. Day to day disappointments and setbacks are just dust to be swept from the foundation of happiness. The rubble of painful events may take more time to clear away so that happiness can be exposed again. It is only an extraordinary event or incessant hammering that can crack the foundation that is true happiness.
I have happiness. It comes from my family and just as my family wasn’t created as a whole in one Genesis moment, I did not reach this state because of a single event. My happiness comes from being at the center of a spreading ripple of family. My happiness comes from knowing my center is a ripple of my parents’ center and their’s is a ripple of my grandparents’ center. I reach back in time and forward to a future that is unknown and open, yet not empty or frightening.
My happiness comes from being a woman in a series of women.
The long and painful end of my mother’s life was an incessant hammering at the heart of the my foundation of happiness. Years of saying goodbye to her, the center from which I rippled into my own center, tempered my happiness. It was strengthened even as it was buried under spilled food and urine soaked sheets. Caring for her, as she cared for her mother, reinforced my place as a part of an ever widening circle. Now, a year later my happiness is reemerging.
Hearing my daughter’s family laugh and giggle over breakfast across the street while I watered in the front yard brought that feeling of happiness back to the surface after my mother was gone. Now that the giggling over breakfast happens thousands of miles away and the family across the street isn’t mine, I am sad, but not less happy. Seeing my younger daughter bake using her grandmother’s recipes reinforces that feeling of happiness that comes from connection. Hearing my son and the young men and women he has known since childhood deep in philosophical debates as the night stretches toward dawn brings that feeling. Standing with my husband in our yard contemplating the spreading ripples of our life together is that feeling of calm satisfaction that is happiness. During these passive acts of observing, my happiness is most evident.
Knowing the source of my happiness does not give me a road map to future happiness. It isn’t that simple, there is no magic A to B correspondence. Quitting my job so I can horseback ride and kayak will not increase my happiness. I need to stay involved and connected to those who are important to me, and in addition welcome and connect to those who are important to them. I have to embrace small moments as well as huge events. I have to be ready to forgive and ask forgiveness. I have to listen and share. It is time invested in relationships that has repaid me with happiness. I am happy.
When considering happiness it is important not to be distracted by it’s flashy cousin pleasure. Pleasure is intense, but fleeting. It’s dependent on exterior stimuli. I feel pleasure when horseback riding, kayaking, and dancing. That light giddy feeling lasts only slightly longer than the activity.
Happiness is a calm satisfaction, a foundation that withstands the chaos of mundane life. It can’t be created by a single pleasurable act. Happiness can only be created over time from stuff more substantial than novel activities. A sad person doesn’t become a happy person after one lighthearted afternoon. Fortunately, happiness can’t be destroyed easily either. Day to day disappointments and setbacks are just dust to be swept from the foundation of happiness. The rubble of painful events may take more time to clear away so that happiness can be exposed again. It is only an extraordinary event or incessant hammering that can crack the foundation that is true happiness.
I have happiness. It comes from my family and just as my family wasn’t created as a whole in one Genesis moment, I did not reach this state because of a single event. My happiness comes from being at the center of a spreading ripple of family. My happiness comes from knowing my center is a ripple of my parents’ center and their’s is a ripple of my grandparents’ center. I reach back in time and forward to a future that is unknown and open, yet not empty or frightening.
My happiness comes from being a woman in a series of women.
The long and painful end of my mother’s life was an incessant hammering at the heart of the my foundation of happiness. Years of saying goodbye to her, the center from which I rippled into my own center, tempered my happiness. It was strengthened even as it was buried under spilled food and urine soaked sheets. Caring for her, as she cared for her mother, reinforced my place as a part of an ever widening circle. Now, a year later my happiness is reemerging.
Hearing my daughter’s family laugh and giggle over breakfast across the street while I watered in the front yard brought that feeling of happiness back to the surface after my mother was gone. Now that the giggling over breakfast happens thousands of miles away and the family across the street isn’t mine, I am sad, but not less happy. Seeing my younger daughter bake using her grandmother’s recipes reinforces that feeling of happiness that comes from connection. Hearing my son and the young men and women he has known since childhood deep in philosophical debates as the night stretches toward dawn brings that feeling. Standing with my husband in our yard contemplating the spreading ripples of our life together is that feeling of calm satisfaction that is happiness. During these passive acts of observing, my happiness is most evident.
Knowing the source of my happiness does not give me a road map to future happiness. It isn’t that simple, there is no magic A to B correspondence. Quitting my job so I can horseback ride and kayak will not increase my happiness. I need to stay involved and connected to those who are important to me, and in addition welcome and connect to those who are important to them. I have to embrace small moments as well as huge events. I have to be ready to forgive and ask forgiveness. I have to listen and share. It is time invested in relationships that has repaid me with happiness. I am happy.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
happiness as extra credit
So the extra credit assignment is to write 2 pages on what makes me happy and what should I do about it.
Now I have to figure out what it is to be happy. Is happy an active or passive state? I'm happy when I'm horseback riding. I'm happy when I'm dancing. I'm happy when I'm kayaking. This active happiness isn't what I consider "true happiness" though. It's too fleeting. It's an action, not a state of being.
I'm happy when I can see/hear evidence of my family spreading and connecting to the world and each other. I think I equate happiness with satisfaction. A calmness that underlies all the chaos that erupts in day to day life. My idea of happiness is pretty passive because it has to be underneath the activity like a foundation.
Hearing my family across the street giggle and talk over breakfast while I watered in the front yard was that feeling. Hearing Alex and his friends talk all night is that feeling. Seeing Caitlin bake is that feeling. Falling asleep in the living room while Gayle talks about her upcoming travels and driving in the car with Gary are that feeling. All pretty passive acts. But that feeling, is it happiness? Is it evidence of happiness, but not the actual thing. Now that the family across the street isn't mine and the giggling over breakfast is many states away there is a sadness, but it does not replace the happiness. It's just another feeling resting atop the foundation of peaceful happiness.
What to do about it...
That goes back to that active vs passive thing. What I need to do about it is stay connected. More on that later.
Now I have to figure out what it is to be happy. Is happy an active or passive state? I'm happy when I'm horseback riding. I'm happy when I'm dancing. I'm happy when I'm kayaking. This active happiness isn't what I consider "true happiness" though. It's too fleeting. It's an action, not a state of being.
I'm happy when I can see/hear evidence of my family spreading and connecting to the world and each other. I think I equate happiness with satisfaction. A calmness that underlies all the chaos that erupts in day to day life. My idea of happiness is pretty passive because it has to be underneath the activity like a foundation.
Hearing my family across the street giggle and talk over breakfast while I watered in the front yard was that feeling. Hearing Alex and his friends talk all night is that feeling. Seeing Caitlin bake is that feeling. Falling asleep in the living room while Gayle talks about her upcoming travels and driving in the car with Gary are that feeling. All pretty passive acts. But that feeling, is it happiness? Is it evidence of happiness, but not the actual thing. Now that the family across the street isn't mine and the giggling over breakfast is many states away there is a sadness, but it does not replace the happiness. It's just another feeling resting atop the foundation of peaceful happiness.
What to do about it...
That goes back to that active vs passive thing. What I need to do about it is stay connected. More on that later.
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