the Bible's definition of happiness

[novapsyche]

"Happy is the man that has found wisdom, and the man that gets discernment, for having it as gain is better than having silver as gain and having it as produce than gold itself. . . . Its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its roadways are peace. It is a tree of life to those taking hold of it, and those keeping fast hold of it are to be called happy."
--Proverbs 3: 13-14; 17-18


So, if this is happiness, but ignorance is bliss, then bliss cannot be true happiness. It is an orgy of happiness; it is false. Happiness is without glamour. It is a by-product. The goal is not to seek happiness (as is part of the American motto) but to seek wisdom (also known as shekinah).

Comments

[gbdances.livejournal.com]

Actually, the American goal is to "pursue" happiness, rather than to seek it. To "seek" would seem to infer that it is hidden in a specific place, whereas to "pursue" it means that it is absolutely reasonable to run around chasing it like a maniac.

Most esoteric traditions (including the Judaic tradition) equate wisdom with happiness, and ignorance with a state of denial. Bliss then would be that state where the details (and awareness of the reality) is absent; in that sense, ignorance.

[novapsyche.livejournal.com]

Actually, the American goal is to "pursue" happiness, rather than to seek it. To "seek" would seem to infer that it is hidden in a specific place, whereas to "pursue" it means that it is absolutely reasonable to run around chasing it like a maniac.

Yes, you are more precise. "Pursue" means to seek, but "seek" does not necessarily mean to pursue.

I appreciate the paradoxicality of the remainder of your statement. :)

[inhumandecency.livejournal.com]

It's easy to reconcile. Ignorance of important things will come back to bite you eventually. Thus, ignorance is a poor way to maximize happiness. This is an example of how I can assume that all human behavior is based on hedonism without asserting that we're incapable of long-term planning.

Now, I'd say that ignorance of some things is a good way to be happy. For example, I'm going to die someday, and a goodly number of unpleasant things no doubt lie in store before then. I usually ignore that fact, even while dealing with life through heuristics that take it into consideration. I imagine that even the truly enlightened usually ignore it, simply because having it on your mind leaves less mental capacity for living. I suspect that this kind of temporary, motivated ignoring would actually fall under most definitions of "wisdom."

[novapsyche.livejournal.com]

Now, I'd say that ignorance of some things is a good way to be happy. For example, I'm going to die someday, and a goodly number of unpleasant things no doubt lie in store before then. I usually ignore that fact, even while dealing with life through heuristics that take it into consideration. I imagine that even the truly enlightened usually ignore it, simply because having it on your mind leaves less mental capacity for living. I suspect that this kind of temporary, motivated ignoring would actually fall under most definitions of "wisdom."

On the contrary, I would say the persons who many people would recognize as some of the wisest people who've walked the earth have seriously contemplated death. I'd also say that if one were "truly enlightened", one would (sooner or later) come to the subject as a matter of course.

Personally, I think more people need to contemplate death more. Maybe then they wouldn't live the joyless lives they currently do. Because once you work through your fear of death, there's really nothing left to fear.

[inhumandecency.livejournal.com]

Um, that's what I meant to say. That even people who have come to an understanding of the importance of death still don't think about it all the time. Like, they understand it but they still usually ignore it, the same way you usually ignore the fact that the earth is spherical and walk from one place to another along a euclidian line. I suppose my language is not differentiating "ignoring" something from "not thinking about it."