So, recently I was debating with myself why love is so important. After much thinking I found an answer. "It is important because it is what makes us happy." Now I'm trying to answer why is happiness so important, but I'm already weeks without an answer. I CAN'T FIND AN ANSWER! Any help?
Happiness is subjective. It is based upon the individual. You will never find the answer posting in web forums. It's time for some self introspection.
Also, the emotion of love is only important to ensure the propagation of our species. Even though the criteria for love varies, it is defined by the moral standards of the society an individual lives in.
The emotion of LOVE: Drives an individual to go through the necessary steps to HAVE SEX and possible have a baby.
The emotion of LOVE: Drives individuals to protect and raise their offspring mate and even other family members.
It's true that a ton of individuals are sociopaths and have a lack of empathy for others, they can have sex with no emotional attachment but for the most part our society still exists because of Love/Animals. It's an instinct.
Ask yourself... Am I happy with what I am doing with life? If not, set goals for yourself and actively work on improving it. Happiness is something you will always have to work towards. In life there will always be moments in which you will be unhappy... However, with time you will overcome the sadness.
To make it clear, when I talk about happiness, I'm mostly going towards definitions like authentic existence and self-actualization.
But that's not happiness? That'd be consciousness, which isn't important per se, I think. If you belief that living the life of a dog or cat can be fulfilling, anyway.
Let me ask you a question in reply; why would happiness NOT be important? It is the single most pleasant state of being you can find yourself in. Why would you ever not aim to achieve that state?
But that's not happiness? That'd be consciousness, which isn't important per se, I think.
"going towards"
I mean, pointing to that direction (meaning that the happiness concept is correlated with consciousness). Definitely not the same thing (but yes, more consciousness for me means that you can be more happy than a being with less consciousness. You "feel" more the happiness since you are aware of it. Just compare yourself awake and unconsciously dreaming. Was a dream the happiest moment in your life?).
why would happiness NOT be important? It is the single most pleasant state of being you can find yourself in. Why would you ever not aim to achieve that state?
You might not be interested in the most pleasant state. For example, are you interested in the best job of the planet? If yes, then why aren't you going crazy for it? As the best job in the world, some people might find that happiness is not important because it is too hard to get and it's not worth to fight your whole life for something you think you are never gonna have it. You might have to change a lot of life habits to have it. So, it's better to just conform and make "happiness" something not important.
TL; DR: You might not aim to achieve happiness because it's too expensive and hard to find.
I must argue with the first statement. Love is important not because it brings happiness. Happyness is just a signal we recieve in exchange of transmitting love. Evolution implememnted a judge-system which grants us with signals of phisical and emotional pain, as well as physical and emotional pleasure. Aim is to control animals, to obtain from them a behavior which whould help to survive.
So, love is important to survive (for individuals via stability of societies), it's its goal. Why happyness as a signal has 2 consequent goals: to be a reward for the right behaving (love isn't just a feeling, it's more communicative intention, it's an origin of behaving, its part). And second goal of happiness is to create brain links to make the love behavior more frequent, to increase its probability.
Here I mean a generalized, jesus-like kind of love. The intersectual love is also an evolution-driven measure to increase chances to survive for the society, and it also brings happyness, but sex-related love works in a different way. It's more hardcoded, so we can't resist it, we "fall in love". While the generalized "love to all people" is something we can decide to feel, it requires some invisible work.
You might not be interested in the most pleasant state. For example, are you interested in the best job of the planet? If yes, then why aren't you going crazy for it? As the best job in the world, some people might find that happiness is not important because it is too hard to get and it's not worth to fight your whole life for something you think you are never gonna have it. You might have to change a lot of life habits to have it. So, it's better to just conform and make "happiness" something not important.
TL; DR: You might not aim to achieve happiness because it's too expensive and hard to find.
Importance = [Probability of having it] x Value
That is one sad pessimistic materialistic view man. You're equating happiness with jobs, money or products. That isn't what happiness is. It's not like you are either happy or not and whether you are or not depends on that dreamjob. The whole point of happiness is that you feel good, as in not bad. It comes in nearly an unlimited amount of ways and I'd argue that no one is ever NOT seeking their own happiness. You talked about joy vs happiness earlier, but I'd say multiple moments of joy and 'feeling like you have some sort of reliable future in which more of those moments are likely to occur' both add up to creating happiness. I don't need some unattainable goal before I'd classify myself as 'truly happy'.
@RodrigoAlves: Go
That is one sad pessimistic materialistic view man.
You are absolutely right in everything you said. But, you can know for sure that some people DO not try to achieve happiness because it's hard to find. They instead focus on temporary pleasures in life that would bring some quick joy. So, they live trying to maximize the moments of joy until they forget the difference between joy and happiness.
So, love is important to survive (for individuals via stability of societies), it's its goal.
Your version of "love" is the most scientifically accurate, but it is still a way too materialistic for me. The most pure and unconditional of all loves has the solely purpose of making you happier. Let's just agree that we have different philosophies in life.
You are absolutely right in everything you said. But, you can know for sure that some people DO not try to achieve happiness because it's hard to find. They instead focus on temporary pleasures in life that would bring some quick joy. So, they live trying to maximize the moments of joy until they forget the difference between joy and happiness.
But that's the point. Even if you're only looking for short-term 'joy', that is your daily occupation. I.e. every day you're seeking happiness. You just don't call it that way because you don't very much think long-term, but in the end you go through the same motions as the guy who has his future secured. You can't 'not look for happiness'. You'll get depressed and your own very body will start telling you to change stuff until you find some source of happiness again. 'Not looking for happiness' is the same as 'Not doing anything'. It can't be done. No one can spent even 5 minutes sitting on the sofa for no greater purpose without at least musing into interesting thoughts.
I can sit for over an hour doing absoulutely nothing other then breathing. If I meditate there is nothing going on in my head. If you've never experienced it then it's probably really hard to understand.
But that's the point. Even if you're only looking for short-term 'joy', that is your daily occupation. I.e. every day you're seeking happiness. You just don't call it that way because you don't very much think long-term, but in the end you go through the same motions as the guy who has his future secured. You can't 'not look for happiness'. You'll get depressed and your own very body will start telling you to change stuff until you find some source of happiness again. 'Not looking for happiness' is the same as 'Not doing anything'. It can't be done. No one can spent even 5 minutes sitting on the sofa for no greater purpose without at least musing into interesting thoughts.
I see your point now. But, I still think that to look for a "goal" as you say or look for "joy" is not how you look for happiness. Let me say in other way:
"Everyone WANTS happiness, but not everyone will work hard and change their own life habits to look for it."
You can still sit in your couch, get a beer and watch a movie to boost your joy and say that you're looking for happiness when in reality, you aren't.
I can sit for over an hour doing absoulutely nothing other then breathing. If I meditate there is nothing going on in my head. If you've never experienced it then it's probably really hard to understand.
Yes, but there's a greater purpose. Your aim is to feel renewed or calm after your meditation. You don't meditate purely for the sake of meditating.
I see your point now. But, I still think that to look for a "goal" as you say or look for "joy" is not how you look for happiness. Let me say in other way: "Everyone WANTS happiness, but not everyone will work hard and change their own life habits to look for it."
You can still sit in your couch, get a beer and watch a movie to boost your joy and say that you're looking for happiness when in reality, you aren't.
I guess this is true. This makes sense though - with the way our society is build (and I actually consider this our system's biggest flaw) it is REALLY hard to strive for individual happiness without taking some huge risks. Look at your own life. What would you'd like doing best? Now think of all the risks you'd have to take to even get close to that position. Suddenly sitting on the couch with a beer doesn't sound so bad anymore, does it?
The body is only producing some molecules if it thinks it has everything it needs and the brain confirms this after evaluating the near future. The molecules are also activating the reward system to urge you to try to maintain and/or regain this state of security.
It isn't important, your body just tricks the brain to valuate it highly for improved reproduction and survival chances.
The body is only producing some molecules if it thinks it has everything it needs and the brain confirms this after evaluating the near future. The molecules are also activating the reward system to urge you to try to maintain and/or regain this state of security.
It isn't important, your body just tricks the brain to valuate it highly for improved reproduction and survival chances.
Then life is meaningless, it sucks, and my mind is just a slave of my brain. I like to see my mind as more than just a bunch of chemicals together.
The body is only producing some molecules if it thinks it has everything it needs and the brain confirms this after evaluating the near future. The molecules are also activating the reward system to urge you to try to maintain and/or regain this state of security.
It isn't important, your body just tricks the brain to valuate it highly for improved reproduction and survival chances.
Funnily enough this is what I'm learning for my exam on monday. What you're explaining seems fairly similar to the theory on consciousness called behaviourism, which says that humans have input and output, and that the proces that goes on 'inside the black box' shouldn't be talked about. The problem with this theory is that while it takes science seriously, it doesn't take the mind seriously at all. Rolling with that idea, having a toothache is paraphrased in the form of an impossibly long sentence along the lines of "The subject is exhibiting behaviour where he clamps down on his cheek, moans a lot, recoils at the suggestion of food, jumps at loud noises, yells occasionally, ..." etc. Not only is it impossible to give a purely physical explanation for the phenomenon of 'having a toothache', it also completely forgets the role the 'mind' has in this state. Namely, a toothache fucking hurts. That kind of hurt cannot be simplified to a physical term that everyone can understand 100%.
So no - happiness is definitely not something purely chemical. Even if you manage to reduce it to that, you instantly lose meaning.
Yeah if the mind was a simple all-nerves-meet-here-place, we would have emulated one by now.
I think a complete in depth explanation of everything that goes on in our bodies, especially complex emotional states will take many more years.
We are curios and somebody will figure it all out, but life will not get meaningless for the individual person. Everyone will still try to please his body and get happy. There are already chemicals/drugs strongly influencing emotions. Some German soldiers in WWII got meth to feel happy, powerful and ignore fears.
Happiness is related to endorphins in the brain. This is part of the reward positive feedback response as opposed to pain which is the negative. As michaelknives stated it is hardwired into our physiology to seek pleasure as it is the "carrot vs stick" reward for us doing something our instincts say is right such as procreation. By not forfilling such needs like eating our body punishes us by making us feel discomfort like sadness, pain or lonliness to encourage us to seek pleasure.
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Happiness is related to endorphins in the brain. This is part of the reward positive feedback response as opposed to pain which is the negative. As michaelknives stated it is hardwired into our physiology to seek pleasure as it is the "carrot vs stick" reward for us doing something our instincts say is right such as procreation. By not forfilling such needs like eating our body punishes us by making us feel discomfort like sadness, pain or lonliness to encourage us to seek pleasure.
Okay, and why is that important? If you say because it is what "motivates us to be alive," then I ask why is even life so important?
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So, recently I was debating with myself why love is so important. After much thinking I found an answer. "It is important because it is what makes us happy." Now I'm trying to answer why is happiness so important, but I'm already weeks without an answer. I CAN'T FIND AN ANSWER! Any help?
Happiness is subjective. It is based upon the individual. You will never find the answer posting in web forums. It's time for some self introspection.
Also, the emotion of love is only important to ensure the propagation of our species. Even though the criteria for love varies, it is defined by the moral standards of the society an individual lives in.
The emotion of LOVE: Drives an individual to go through the necessary steps to HAVE SEX and possible have a baby.
The emotion of LOVE: Drives individuals to protect and raise their offspring mate and even other family members.
It's true that a ton of individuals are sociopaths and have a lack of empathy for others, they can have sex with no emotional attachment but for the most part our society still exists because of Love/Animals. It's an instinct.
Ask yourself... Am I happy with what I am doing with life? If not, set goals for yourself and actively work on improving it. Happiness is something you will always have to work towards. In life there will always be moments in which you will be unhappy... However, with time you will overcome the sadness.
Good luck with your quest for an answer.
@RodrigoAlves: Go
Happiness is fleeting. Joy is everlasting.
An evolutionary psychologist might agree with you. I don't because I think we are more than just monkeys with conscience following natural instincts.
To overcome sadness does not mean to be happy.
Thank you, I still have no progress.
Actually, it's exactly the opposite. Joy is the fleeting one. Still, they are both very distinct feelings.
To make it clear, when I talk about happiness, I'm mostly going towards definitions like authentic existence and self-actualization.
But that's not happiness? That'd be consciousness, which isn't important per se, I think. If you belief that living the life of a dog or cat can be fulfilling, anyway.
Let me ask you a question in reply; why would happiness NOT be important? It is the single most pleasant state of being you can find yourself in. Why would you ever not aim to achieve that state?
"going towards" I mean, pointing to that direction (meaning that the happiness concept is correlated with consciousness). Definitely not the same thing (but yes, more consciousness for me means that you can be more happy than a being with less consciousness. You "feel" more the happiness since you are aware of it. Just compare yourself awake and unconsciously dreaming. Was a dream the happiest moment in your life?).
You might not be interested in the most pleasant state. For example, are you interested in the best job of the planet? If yes, then why aren't you going crazy for it? As the best job in the world, some people might find that happiness is not important because it is too hard to get and it's not worth to fight your whole life for something you think you are never gonna have it. You might have to change a lot of life habits to have it. So, it's better to just conform and make "happiness" something not important.
TL; DR: You might not aim to achieve happiness because it's too expensive and hard to find.
Importance = [Probability of having it] x Value
I must argue with the first statement. Love is important not because it brings happiness. Happyness is just a signal we recieve in exchange of transmitting love. Evolution implememnted a judge-system which grants us with signals of phisical and emotional pain, as well as physical and emotional pleasure. Aim is to control animals, to obtain from them a behavior which whould help to survive.
So, love is important to survive (for individuals via stability of societies), it's its goal. Why happyness as a signal has 2 consequent goals: to be a reward for the right behaving (love isn't just a feeling, it's more communicative intention, it's an origin of behaving, its part). And second goal of happiness is to create brain links to make the love behavior more frequent, to increase its probability.
Here I mean a generalized, jesus-like kind of love. The intersectual love is also an evolution-driven measure to increase chances to survive for the society, and it also brings happyness, but sex-related love works in a different way. It's more hardcoded, so we can't resist it, we "fall in love". While the generalized "love to all people" is something we can decide to feel, it requires some invisible work.
That is one sad pessimistic materialistic view man. You're equating happiness with jobs, money or products. That isn't what happiness is. It's not like you are either happy or not and whether you are or not depends on that dreamjob. The whole point of happiness is that you feel good, as in not bad. It comes in nearly an unlimited amount of ways and I'd argue that no one is ever NOT seeking their own happiness. You talked about joy vs happiness earlier, but I'd say multiple moments of joy and 'feeling like you have some sort of reliable future in which more of those moments are likely to occur' both add up to creating happiness. I don't need some unattainable goal before I'd classify myself as 'truly happy'.
You are absolutely right in everything you said. But, you can know for sure that some people DO not try to achieve happiness because it's hard to find. They instead focus on temporary pleasures in life that would bring some quick joy. So, they live trying to maximize the moments of joy until they forget the difference between joy and happiness.
Your version of "love" is the most scientifically accurate, but it is still a way too materialistic for me. The most pure and unconditional of all loves has the solely purpose of making you happier. Let's just agree that we have different philosophies in life.
But that's the point. Even if you're only looking for short-term 'joy', that is your daily occupation. I.e. every day you're seeking happiness. You just don't call it that way because you don't very much think long-term, but in the end you go through the same motions as the guy who has his future secured. You can't 'not look for happiness'. You'll get depressed and your own very body will start telling you to change stuff until you find some source of happiness again. 'Not looking for happiness' is the same as 'Not doing anything'. It can't be done. No one can spent even 5 minutes sitting on the sofa for no greater purpose without at least musing into interesting thoughts.
@Mozared: Go
I can sit for over an hour doing absoulutely nothing other then breathing. If I meditate there is nothing going on in my head. If you've never experienced it then it's probably really hard to understand.
I see your point now. But, I still think that to look for a "goal" as you say or look for "joy" is not how you look for happiness. Let me say in other way: "Everyone WANTS happiness, but not everyone will work hard and change their own life habits to look for it."
You can still sit in your couch, get a beer and watch a movie to boost your joy and say that you're looking for happiness when in reality, you aren't.
Yes, but there's a greater purpose. Your aim is to feel renewed or calm after your meditation. You don't meditate purely for the sake of meditating.
I guess this is true. This makes sense though - with the way our society is build (and I actually consider this our system's biggest flaw) it is REALLY hard to strive for individual happiness without taking some huge risks. Look at your own life. What would you'd like doing best? Now think of all the risks you'd have to take to even get close to that position. Suddenly sitting on the couch with a beer doesn't sound so bad anymore, does it?
Isn't it just something chemical?
The body is only producing some molecules if it thinks it has everything it needs and the brain confirms this after evaluating the near future. The molecules are also activating the reward system to urge you to try to maintain and/or regain this state of security.
It isn't important, your body just tricks the brain to valuate it highly for improved reproduction and survival chances.
Then life is meaningless, it sucks, and my mind is just a slave of my brain. I like to see my mind as more than just a bunch of chemicals together.
Your just big balls of cells, just like my dog and Obama. (and cells are big balls...)
Your just a really really big ball
EDIT: but "life sucks" has no more, or less, truthfulness then saying "life is awesome."
Funnily enough this is what I'm learning for my exam on monday. What you're explaining seems fairly similar to the theory on consciousness called behaviourism, which says that humans have input and output, and that the proces that goes on 'inside the black box' shouldn't be talked about. The problem with this theory is that while it takes science seriously, it doesn't take the mind seriously at all. Rolling with that idea, having a toothache is paraphrased in the form of an impossibly long sentence along the lines of "The subject is exhibiting behaviour where he clamps down on his cheek, moans a lot, recoils at the suggestion of food, jumps at loud noises, yells occasionally, ..." etc. Not only is it impossible to give a purely physical explanation for the phenomenon of 'having a toothache', it also completely forgets the role the 'mind' has in this state. Namely, a toothache fucking hurts. That kind of hurt cannot be simplified to a physical term that everyone can understand 100%.
So no - happiness is definitely not something purely chemical. Even if you manage to reduce it to that, you instantly lose meaning.
Yeah if the mind was a simple all-nerves-meet-here-place, we would have emulated one by now.
I think a complete in depth explanation of everything that goes on in our bodies, especially complex emotional states will take many more years.
We are curios and somebody will figure it all out, but life will not get meaningless for the individual person. Everyone will still try to please his body and get happy. There are already chemicals/drugs strongly influencing emotions. Some German soldiers in WWII got meth to feel happy, powerful and ignore fears.
@RodrigoAlves: Go
Happiness is related to endorphins in the brain. This is part of the reward positive feedback response as opposed to pain which is the negative. As michaelknives stated it is hardwired into our physiology to seek pleasure as it is the "carrot vs stick" reward for us doing something our instincts say is right such as procreation. By not forfilling such needs like eating our body punishes us by making us feel discomfort like sadness, pain or lonliness to encourage us to seek pleasure.
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Okay, and why is that important? If you say because it is what "motivates us to be alive," then I ask why is even life so important?