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Index » Regional/Local » USA/Canada » The War on Happiness Page: Previous  1, 2, 3 ... , 21, 22, 23  Next
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miamizsun

miamizsun Avatar

Location: (3283.1 Miles SE of RP)
Gender: Male


Posted: Dec 9, 2012 - 5:43pm

 islander wrote:
I'm with Buddy.
 
i'm with you

and buddy

and schlabby

and manbird

and ov

and jesus "swan diving" christ

hippiechick

hippiechick Avatar

Location: topsy turvy land
Gender: Female


Posted: Dec 9, 2012 - 5:39pm

 islander wrote:

I'm with Buddy.

Competition is just the way we work through  challenge. Shielding people from failure doesn't do anyone any good. You will win and lose in life, best to learn how to do both gracefully when the stakes are low.

 
That's right, learn disappointment in life early, so you don't grow up thinking that the world is a nice place. 

 
islander

islander Avatar

Location: West coast somewhere
Gender: Male


Posted: Dec 9, 2012 - 5:37pm

 buddy wrote:
I get a great deal of happiness & satisfaction out if competition - win or lose. Competing motivates me to try my very best, and a tough opponent brings that out in spades. I was once a serious racquetball player, and many nights at the club I'd play the challenge court a level above my ability. I'd lose every time but the level of competition was exhilarating. Thinking of competition only in terms if winning & losing is missing the point of competition. In the real world, we compete every day in a variety of ways, sometimes winning, sometimes not. Having kids "compete to a tie" is not competing at all. It's a lost opportunity to teach kids how to both win and lose with grace, and how to "win" a the best challenge of all - to discover your own personal best and try to improve that through competition. For me, the whole "don't let kids lose" idea is grounded in cliche, dated 70's pop psychology. So, again in my own view, 'competition' is a completely different conversation from 'winning & losing'.

 
I'm with Buddy.

Competition is just the way we work through  challenge. Shielding people from failure doesn't do anyone any good. You will win and lose in life, best to learn how to do both gracefully when the stakes are low.
Umberdog

Umberdog Avatar

Location: In my body.
Gender: Male


Posted: Dec 9, 2012 - 5:34pm

As soon as you realize you are happy, the emotion will likely give way to wanting something more; a mood which will very likely snuff out your happiness.
ErikX

ErikX Avatar



Posted: Dec 9, 2012 - 5:22pm

 kurtster wrote:

Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.

Sir Winston Churchill.

The Founders of this great country were aware of many things.  The concept of Happiness was so important that it was given star billing in the Declaration Of Independence … the pursuit of Happiness.

Class warfare is an attack on happiness when considered in Churchill’s remarks.  The same can be said of secular attacks on religious events.

How is it that we idolize millionaire movie stars, canonize millionaire rock stars and worship millionaire athletes, yet demonize millionaire entrepreneurs and businessmen ?

There is a war on Happiness.  The fact that the smallest of voices can now attack and silence the joy or celebration of the many by claiming their rights are being trampled is absurd, for openers.



 
It depends on what type of socialism. Was he referring to Communistic socialism where the state owns all property and means of production? If so I would agree with him. But democratic socialism as practiced in N. Europe has been very successful economically and socially. Indeed, many of those countries rank highest in happiness in the world. Danmark consistently ranks #1 in happiest citizens. 

 

Happiness tops in Denmark, lowest in Togo, study says

How happy is your country? In a report released for the meeting, economists John Helliwell, Richard Layard and Jeffrey Sachs round up what is known about happiness around the globe.

Different groups have asked different questions to measure happiness. In the widest such survey, Gallup asked people to rate their lives from 0 to 10. It found huge differences in global happiness: More than a third of Europeans ranked themselves an 8 or higher. Less than 5% said so in sub-Saharan Africa.

According to polls taken from 2005 to 2011, these were the happiest countries:

  1. Denmark
  2. Finland
  3. Norway
  4. Netherlands
  5. Canada
  6. Switzerland
  7. Sweden
  8. New Zealand
  9. Australia
  10. Ireland

Zukiwi

Zukiwi Avatar

Location: Montreal's suburb
Gender: Female


Posted: Dec 9, 2012 - 3:55pm

 hippiechick wrote:

Children under age 8 should be working on their skills, and not be worrying about winning and losing. Plus, the parents are much more competitive than their kids and they get really obnoxious.

 
Indeed - + competition seems to be linked to aggressive behaviour.
Umberdog

Umberdog Avatar

Location: In my body.
Gender: Male


Posted: Dec 9, 2012 - 3:25pm

 hippiechick wrote:
Children under age 8 should be working on their skills, and not be worrying about winning and losing. Plus, the parents are much more competitive than their kids and they get really obnoxious.
 
I doubt there are any adults left in the USA. I think our comforts have neotenized them away.


hippiechick

hippiechick Avatar

Location: topsy turvy land
Gender: Female


Posted: Dec 9, 2012 - 12:40pm

 buddy wrote:
I get a great deal of happiness & satisfaction out if competition - win or lose. Competing motivates me to try my very best, and a tough opponent brings that out in spades. I was once a serious racquetball player, and many nights at the club I'd play the challenge court a level above my ability. I'd lose every time but the level of competition was exhilarating. Thinking of competition only in terms if winning & losing is missing the point of competition. In the real world, we compete every day in a variety of ways, sometimes winning, sometimes not. Having kids "compete to a tie" is not competing at all. It's a lost opportunity to teach kids how to both win and lose with grace, and how to "win" a the best challenge of all - to discover your own personal best and try to improve that through competition. For me, the whole "don't let kids lose" idea is grounded in cliche, dated 70's pop psychology. So, again in my own view, 'competition' is a completely different conversation from 'winning & losing'.

 
Children under age 8 should be working on their skills, and not be worrying about winning and losing. Plus, the parents are much more competitive than their kids and they get really obnoxious.
hippiechick

hippiechick Avatar

Location: topsy turvy land
Gender: Female


Posted: Dec 9, 2012 - 12:21pm

 aflanigan wrote:
The happiness obtained from defeating an opponent is rather shallow and fleeting.  I prefer more profound pleasures.



 
Couldn't see your vid, but ego based thinking is shallow and fleeting.
aflanigan

aflanigan Avatar

Location: At Sea
Gender: Male


Posted: Dec 9, 2012 - 12:05pm

The happiness obtained from defeating an opponent is rather shallow and fleeting.  I prefer more profound pleasures.




hippiechick

hippiechick Avatar

Location: topsy turvy land
Gender: Female


Posted: Dec 9, 2012 - 11:51am

 kurtster wrote:

Preventing winning is a denial of happiness.  The denial of happiness because its not fair to someone else who doesn't have the same set of skills in a given sport or activity.  Somehow, you tried to inject violent competion as an excuse for injecting 'fairness' or 'non-winning' into all activities.  Not all sports and activities consist of violent competition.  Yet you try to use it as an excuse to stop or end true competition of any kind.

 


Also saying that denial of winning is denial of happiness is a personal projection, not a statement of truth.
hippiechick

hippiechick Avatar

Location: topsy turvy land
Gender: Female


Posted: Dec 9, 2012 - 11:49am

 kurtster wrote:

Preventing winning is a denial of happiness.  The denial of happiness because its not fair to someone else who doesn't have the same set of skills in a given sport or activity.  Somehow, you tried to inject violent competion as an excuse for injecting 'fairness' or 'non-winning' into all activities.  Not all sports and activities consist of violent competition.  Yet you try to use it as an excuse to stop or end true competition of any kind.

 


You are putting words in my mouth, I play scrabble as competitively as possible. But cooperation, not competition is the 21st century way. We are a global nation, and we are going to have to learn to help each other. Tribalism and fighting (which physical competition prepares us for) is passe.
btw happiness comes from within, no one can take that from you.
kurtster

kurtster Avatar

Location: where fear is not a virtue
Gender: Male


Posted: Dec 9, 2012 - 11:35am

 hippiechick wrote:

You are the one who started the thread, you should at least make a case tor what you believe.

 
Preventing winning is a denial of happiness.  The denial of happiness because its not fair to someone else who doesn't have the same set of skills in a given sport or activity.  Somehow, you tried to inject violent competion as an excuse for injecting 'fairness' or 'non-winning' into all activities.  Not all sports and activities consist of violent competition.  Yet you try to use it as an excuse to stop or end true competition of any kind.
hippiechick

hippiechick Avatar

Location: topsy turvy land
Gender: Female


Posted: Dec 9, 2012 - 11:00am

 kurtster wrote:


Political correctness is indeed a major factor in this discussion.

Let your questions simmer for a while. Aflannigan asked a great question, already.  This isn't about me or what I think. 

There are many others around.  This is the most 'us' question of all, IMHO.

 


You are the one who started the thread, you should at least make a case tor what you believe.
aflanigan

aflanigan Avatar

Location: At Sea
Gender: Male


Posted: Dec 9, 2012 - 10:59am

 kurtster wrote:

There is a war on Happiness. 

 

Manufactured outrage courtesy of Fox News.  I caught the segment on O'Reilly where Greg Gutfeld put out his "war on fun stuff" theory, presumably taken from his book.

Everyone knows that the classic definition of a Puritan is someone who has a sneaking suspicion that someone, somewhere, is having fun.  O'Reilly and his fellow Fox pundits basically come from the same Puritan mold.  What Gutfeld is trying to do is invert this old joke to define liberals as Puritans.

It ain't gonna wash, not with folks like O'Reilly and Limbaugh slut-shaming unmarried women who dare to want to have sex.  Remember the Scarlet Letter?  Limbaugh, O'Reilly and others who go after Sandra Fluke are simply carrying on a cherished Puritan tradition.


kurtster

kurtster Avatar

Location: where fear is not a virtue
Gender: Male


Posted: Dec 9, 2012 - 10:26am

 hippiechick wrote:

Why do your think that "non -winning" is misery?

 

Political correctness is indeed a major factor in this discussion.

Let your questions simmer for a while. Aflannigan asked a great question, already.  This isn't about me or what I think. 

There are many others around.  This is the most 'us' question of all, IMHO.
hippiechick

hippiechick Avatar

Location: topsy turvy land
Gender: Female


Posted: Dec 9, 2012 - 10:14am

 kurtster wrote:

Just take the bolded part and go from there.

Consider my narrow view as a beginning towards the widening of the conversation.

The uneven pursuit of happiness versus the equal sharing of misery. 

As a reason for founding a country and how current events are directly opposed to the notion.



 


Why do your think that "non -winning" is misery?
kurtster

kurtster Avatar

Location: where fear is not a virtue
Gender: Male


Posted: Dec 9, 2012 - 10:14am

 buddy wrote:
Much as I see your good intentions, I fear this topic will come to no good end. Some folks don't understand that an "argument" doesn't have to be a negative thing. Best of luck - I give it 2 days ;)

 
Thanks.

Two days around here is pretty good.
kurtster

kurtster Avatar

Location: where fear is not a virtue
Gender: Male


Posted: Dec 9, 2012 - 10:06am

 sirdroseph wrote:

Socialism exists as an idea because a lot of people simply reject the idea that in a modern world so many people especially children should go hungry as the millionaire movie stars and athletes you speak of lament on the taxes they have to pay on their Lamborghini's or opulent palaces in gated communities (or injustices of a Czars lifestyle vs. a peasant). You are entering an enormous philosophical discussion from a rather narrow viewpoint skewed suspiciously towards a somewhat different subject imo than the pursuit of happiness and its general importance to the founding fathers.

 
Just take the bolded part and go from there.

Consider my narrow view as a beginning towards the widening of the conversation.

The uneven pursuit of happiness versus the equal sharing of misery. 

As a reason for founding a country and how current events are directly opposed to the notion.


aflanigan

aflanigan Avatar

Location: At Sea
Gender: Male


Posted: Dec 9, 2012 - 10:04am

 kurtster wrote:
Another example can be infered by the playing of games in public grade schools where no one is allowed to win.  

The idea that there are no winners and losers in public schools is truly laughable.  What do you think grades are?  What do you think high stakes test scores are for?  They are for ranking and sorting children into winners and losers.
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