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Ask HN: Is happiness all there is?

5 points by jereees ↗ HN
I am 27M in a few days and realize that the older I get the less concerned I am with getting an edge, the latest tech, the highest paycheck, things that a younger version of myself saw a traits of a successful life.

Instead I try and maximise for happiness. At this point in my life that means more time working on my body and my image of self, trying (hard) to turn off the screen and spend time with my partner or the cat or whatever is happening in the environment I find myself in.

So I ask you, HN crowd: is happiness the goal?

8 comments

[ 2.6 ms ] story [ 30.3 ms ] thread
georgia_peach
"The greatest pleasure is to vanquish your enemies and chase them before you, to rob them of their wealth and see those dear to them bathed in tears, to ride their horses and clasp to your bosom their wives and daughters."
beardyw
For those who, like me, wondered: Genghis Khan
8bitsrule
Sounds like you've personalized what 'a successful life' means to you. Good idea!

If happiness is a goal, then it's a difficult one if we care about others.

"Our task as [humans] is to find the few principles that will calm the infinite anguish of free souls. We must mend what has been torn apart, make justice imaginable again in a world so obviously unjust, give happiness a meaning once more to peoples poisoned by the misery of the century." — Camus

beardyw
Happiness is a meter reading of the things you hold dear. The Genghis Kahn quote here describes what makes him happy. Hopefully not many share that.

The question perhaps ought to be about what makes you happy or even what should make you happy. That is deep.

disadvantage
Happiness is fleeting, and has a law of diminishing returns. It's human nature to have some problem to be working on. Lack of problems is not happiness, at least for me. I'm a type-A personality, so I need to be always getting shit done. Happiness is found in the process, not the destination.
brudgers
Maybe you're not actually Type A and deserve non-diminishing happiness.

Or are Type A and still deserve non-diminishing happiness.

On my "not actually Type A", my experience is that some people believe that the ought to be type A and therefore try to imitate what doesn't come naturally.

As for always getting shit done, what matters is getting what matters done.