Topic #2

How do you define happiness? What makes you happy? Describe a time when you were at your happiest. Is being "happy" the most important thing in life?


Happiness is a very difficult thing to define, I think because of our entrenchment in the English language, which time and time again, has shown me to be severely lacking in descriptive concepts.  Happiness, like love, is not actually one thing, but many different things, which due to our language, we experience the same way.  English fails as a language in that sense, by not differentiating between the different concepts, and just lumping them all into one category.  I define happiness as a state of enjoyment deriving from the conscious acceptance of reality.  However, I also think there is a type of happiness that involves ignoring reality.  Additionally, there are situations that can be difficult to even recognize as happiness, such as an argument or stressful situation, depending on personality.  For the purpose of this assignment, however, I'll be talking strictly about the first definition.  So, I am happy when I recognize both that reality is, as well as what reality is.  It logically follows then, that I would be at my happiest when I'm able to accept the most reality possible.  These usually immediately follow a depressive period, where one or many problems saturate my mind and pull me down.  Once I deal with these negative feelings and accept the reality of the situation, I often feel euphoric and serene, likely because the problem dominated so much of my mind that when that tension was relieved, the acceptance was of a bigger part of what I was conscious about, thereby producing a happier response.  One specific time that I remember this happening was after I found out I have HIV.  It takes a lot for me to cry, but I cried a lot that day, and recognizing the severity of the situation forced me to act to deal with it as quickly as possible, which presupposed that I had accepted it as being real.  It really only bothered me the first day I found out, and I felt quite happy the day following.  Being happy is not the most important thing in my life, by any definition I can think of.  If it was high on my priority list, I wouldn't be in school, or doing as well as I am, because I would settle for the easier option at happiness.  However, one piece of advice my grandfather gave me when I graduated high school, which continues to relate to my life, is that in everything in which you have a choice, there are always at least two options: the easy way, and the hard way.  The hard way will usually take longer.  So choosing the easier to acquire happiness will necessitate that happiness not lasting as long as a happiness that is harder to attain.  This reasoning is still secondary to the most important thing in my life: which is to do what I want.  As long as I'm doing what I want, I'm content with my life.  Not necessarily happy, but at least satisfied.

First Post

WHAT IS CULTURE? WHAT IS YOUR CULTURE? HOW IMPORTANT IS YOUR CULTURE TO YOU?


I believe culture is the traditions and beliefs held by people belonging to a community.  In that sense, my culture is some amalgamation of nerd culture, internet culture, dance culture, and academia.  I associate with all kinds of people in these contexts on a weekly basis (at least), but I don't participate in the traditions, rituals and beliefs of the group per se.  I'm not passionate about anything exclusively, so it all depends on context; I behave differently when in differing situations.  Because of this, my culture is not very important to me.  I could easily find new cultures to participate in, but I don't think I'll ever really belong to a culture.