Comment by jordwest | Hacker News Reader

Comment by jordwest | Hacker News Reader

> In almost all cases we found the inverted version more sound.

Sound as in true? Or sound as in more comfortably fits one's current set of beliefs?

Many of these quotes are getting at the unexamined assumption that happiness can be found anywhere but right here. The point of many of the quotes is introduce some curiosity and question the fundamental assumptions that run your life.

If you are steeped in the mindset of chasing happiness, of never finding it here, and you're simply looking to confirm that, then of course inverting the quotes is going to fit better with your world view. In that case, keep chasing it and chasing it until one day you wake up and realise it never seems to arrive. Then the quotes may hit differently.

You're right, that's roughly what we tried to capture, however I don't agree that "chasing" happiness is pointless. Being able to contemplate the "here and now" is absolutely important (and is listed later in the article), but some fortitude, understanding of my own needs and intentional action towards them did yield some results at least in my own experience. We haven't managed to find any quote which would touch on that and all were about the ability of experiencing of here and now, with maybe a slight twist of "give up fighting for your value, just enjoy what you already have".

>I don't agree that "chasing" happiness is pointless

Considering that chasing happiness is the complement to contemplation, is considering that contemplation excludes happiness.

>We haven't managed to find any quote which would touch on that

The complement to contemplation is not chasing happiness, it is participating in the creation of what can be contemplated, and you can find plenty of quotes about that, like: "The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul." (Dieter F. Uchtdorf), or: "Creativity is intelligence having fun." (Albert Einstein). That can be whatever kind of creation: procreation, pieces of art, etc.

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