That Question of Happiness... Again

 

"If you want to be happy, be."

-- Leo Tolstoy

Note to my readers:  I did not answer the following question, and the reason is evident.  The person who did answer it, needed no help.    I have a feeling English is a second language for the person asking the question, and they are not fluent.  The person answering the question made some suppositions I'm not sure are valid.  See what you think:   

Why do you wake up and go to work every day, when it's hard what is your why, is it simply to pay bills I become rich and help people, only because you have kids, to help your parents, to become well known, why?

Perhaps if you paid more attention to your sentence structure, you would be able to get a better job that you liked more. The devil is in the details.

Now, on to the ones I did answer: 

What role do ethics and morality have in a world that is socially stratified?

Good ethics and morality do not answer to "social stratification." The role good ethics and morality play in any social structure is to keep a balance where there are no ethics and there is rampant immorality. In the big picture, ethics and morality are the foundation of everything good. In a specific look, they are also the foundation of morally ethical rules of law which help a civilization survive.

What is the highest form of happiness according to Aristotle? Is there any other form of Happiness? How has this view been criticized?

“Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” - Aristotle

According to Aristotle:

• Happiness is the ultimate end and purpose of human existence.
• Happiness is not pleasure, nor is it virtue. It is the exercise of virtue.
• Happiness cannot be achieved until the end of one's life. Hence it is a goal and not a temporary state.
• Happiness is the perfection of human nature. Since man is a rational animal, human happiness depends on the exercise of his reason.
• Happiness depends on acquiring a moral character, where one displays the virtues of courage, generosity, justice, friendship, and citizenship in one's life. These virtues involve striking a balance or "mean" between an excess and a deficiency.
• Happiness requires intellectual contemplation, for this is the ultimate realization of our rational capacities.

I agree that “happiness is the meaning and purpose of life.” We constantly forget to teach our children this. Instead, we browbeat them about success and making the almighty dollar, which is all fine and good but, it means very little if you lose track of true happiness.

I disagree with his notion that “Happiness cannot be achieved until the end of one's life.” Well, crap, if one can’t enjoy happiness, what’s the point? No. Happiness is a choice each of us must make for our lives, and then we must actively pursue it and live it and share it with those around us. I don’t have to be dying before I realize my life is happy.

What Aristotle gives us is a foundation for thought, discussion, and introspection. His philosophy, in any other light, is too convoluted for most people. In the end, we are left to take his philosophy and make our own definition of what true happiness is, and then to live that happiness to the fullest. But, first, we must make a conscious choice to be happy always and to leave all of life’s drama at the door. One can’t truly be happy until they make the choice to always be so and then live their choice.

Happiness is the one thing we truly own, and money can’t buy. It is a choice.  Life is all about the choices we make, and happiness is a big one. Our responsibilities, debts, family, friends, and any ensuing drama, are all choices we must make to take on in life. Rich or poor, the choices in life are the same and happiness is the foundation we should be building them on.

“Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be.”

-- Abraham Lincoln

Why is it that when some people are told that what they are saying is racist, sexist, bigoted, homophobic, etc. they either deny that it is that, insist that they are not that, and then act like they are the victim?

When things are written down, then begins the interpretation. Having said this, read. I would recommend the following and also recommend it be read completely through and not just perused. It explains much of this:  Does Islam teach Muslims to Hate non-Believers?

I need some assistance here, as I’ve been out of the field for a while. But, as I understand it, the recent “Jihad” is the idea of specific violent clerics and not Islam as a whole. To the point, there are no virgins awaiting suicide bombers in heaven. This was a “promise” uttered by a terrorist Imam to entice the “faithful” to kill the rest of us.

Not well known is that the Nazi regime, as I’ve heard, was instrumental in turning a violent faction of Islam against the Jews and innocence during WWII in contradiction with the Quran. This Nazi philosophy continues today.

It is all about how you twist and interpret what is written in order to achieve your agenda. Christians and Jews are as guilty of this as the rest. Better if we all just put the hatred aside and try to get along.

How do we 'know' when we are thinking a specific thought?

Because the thought is specific? Is there more to this?

When should you abandon the "live and let live" mentality?

When someone is really trying to kill you, would be a good time to decide.

“It is not okay to ‘live and let live,’ to let ‘bygones be bygones,’ to ‘forgive and forget,’ to let the ‘past be the past,’ or any of the other clichés your family and friends will try to persuade you to forget about what happened and to move on. Try not to accept these messages.”

-- Beverly Engel

I think you are an Israeli Zionist. Am I not right?

Yes! You are not right.

Reader comment:  I knew a “David Villari" in Tulsa in the early '80s.  I don't suppose you're related?

My reply:  I was always told most “Villari” are related. I spent a tour in Sicily and called my dad to tell him I looked us up in the Catania phone book. We can give Smith and Jones a run for their money. We seem to breed like rats.

What can I say instead of "hoping for your kind consideration"?

A simple, “Thank you for your consideration.”

I want to earn money and work to be successful, but I'm still 14 years old. I can't possibly rely on just school and learning to become successful. How do I ease this feeling?

Look into trade schools. After you’ve worked for a while, and when you are ready, go back to school and get more education. In this way, you’ll always have a trade to fall back on when necessary.

“There’s this constant balance that goes on between the definition of a good job and our understanding of a truly valuable education. Not all knowledge comes from college, but not all skills come from degrees.”

-- Mike Rowe

How do you answer "What are your weaknesses" honestly without triggering a red flag when speaking to someone, be it a therapist or a job interview?

“That’s for management to determine. Everyone has weaknesses, but since I’ve never been flagged for a weakness I’m not sure how to answer the question. I’d have to say, as of right now, my weakness would be answering questions concerning weaknesses.” If they pressed me, I’d probably say “unethical conduct,” as I just don't abide it.

When is someone or something doing more harm than good?

When it seems the “good” is trying really hard, or not, to keep up with all the “harm” they’re causing.

Why do weekends matter so much to us?

They could give us the “week beginnings” off, instead, and that would be just fine. Or, how about Sunday and Monday, the end and the beginning? It is the days of the week most of us do not go to work. We can relax and prep for the next five days of hell.

“It's not that we spend five days looking forward to just two. It's that most people do what they enjoy most on those two days. Imagine living a life where everyday are your Saturdays and Sundays. Make everyday your weekend. Make everyday a play-day…”

-- James A. Murphy

If somebody makes negative assumptions and judgments about you at your expense, would you be justified to also make assumptions and deprive them of the benefits of the doubt?

You would probably be justified, but you’d be taking the low road along with them. Better to explain why they’re wrong, ask them to stop taking a low road, and then get back to striving for happiness always.

What gets a bad reputation, but isn't actually bad?

Alcohol, for one. Overindulging give it a bad reputation even though it is the fault of those who overindulge. Alcohol, taken in moderation, has health benefits, not the least of which is keeping the blood thinned out and the heart pumping. My doctor actually told me not to stop drinking and to find another way to lose some weight.

As a psychopath, how do you maintain a relationship with your SO?

She’s still alive? We have much in common.  I think this is relationship is much easier if the "significant other" is also a psychopath.

“Her parents, she said, has put a pinball machine inside her head when she was five years old. The red balls told her when she should laugh, the blue ones when she should be silent and keep away from other people; the green balls told her that she should start multiplying by three. Every few days a silver ball would make its way through the pins of the machine. At this point, her head turned and she stared at me; I assumed she was checking to see if I was still listening. I was, of course. How could one not? The whole thing was bizarre but riveting. I asked her, What does the silver ball mean? She looked at me intently, and then everything went dead in her eyes. She stared off into space, caught up in some internal world. I never found out what the silver ball meant.”

-- Kay Redfield Jamison

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with the United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world-renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteered as a chaplain at the regional medical center.

Feel free to contact Pastor Tony:  tolerantpastor@gmail.com