November 15th, 2006

You know what? Happiness is "counterproductive". Happy people do not contribute to the evolution of humanity. And I have the logic to prove it. So sit back and read all about how, if you are a happy contented person, you are a burdensome part of the problem. Oh, and have a nice day :-)

Let's think about so-called great people for a moment. I don't want to single anyone out, so let's just talk about "Ted" who is a generic mover and shaker. He is exceptional and, with a bit of luck along the way, has risen to dizzying heights of superiority. He has accomplished much more in his life than most people; he has practically reinvented his field of endeavour. And, surprisingly, he's not much smarter or more capable than you or I. He just worked harder, and had an instinct to succeed that was sharper than yours or mine.

Is Ted some sort of superior person? No (though he may evolve that attitude about himself over time), he just works harder and in the areas that make him excel. He sacrifices personal enjoyment to work 20 hour days, and he gladly gives up his freedom for a jail-cell existence in the lab or behind the desk because he is driven to succeed at this thing he does.

And why doesn't he just go home and kick up his feet crack open a beer and watch the hockey game? Why doesn't he take a week off, or work the bare minimum number of hours just for today?

Because he burns with some sort of dysfunctional emotion buried deep within him, of course. He has something to prove to his long-dead mother, perhaps. Or he's out to make more money or build a mousetrap better than his brother's. Perhaps he has a fear of relaxing that was instilled into him by a grandparent, or a competitive streak induced by some constant childhood humiliation.

And those so-called sacrifices that he is making are not nearly as pleasant for him as they are for us; in fact, it's more pleasant for him to stay at the office ... work in the workshop ... run an extra 5 kilometres, etc. than to go home and let his hair down. Ted is driven by his dysfunction to excel. And you know what happens after he does? He never finds peace, even at the end of his big successful life. He dies and leaves a legacy of advancement for the rest of humanity, but he sees no benefits to himself. He accomplishes his great things at the cost of any happiness for him.

So you know what means? If we as humans really want to continue our scientific, technological, and informational advance, we should just continue to mindfuck and emotionally abuse our kids. We are, after all, so very good at it without even trying, aren't we? I mean, it's a damned miracle that most people can even pretend to be normal law-abiding respectful citizens considering the way they are brought up. But then, it's no surprise that ruining our children emotionally is so natural and easy to do, since we need those broken little sets of feelings to mature into twisted adults who are so miserable that they avoid creature comforts and common sense about their limitations and instead accomplish big things to compensate for the lack of a decent childhood.

And we glorify people who ruin their lives so that we can all reap the rewards, even if the ruined lives die broken and unhappy. Cannibalism is not just corporeal, you know. And think about what that means when we train our children to be psychotic overachievers? (By the way, before you respond in knee-jerk fashion to the term, "psychotic", you should look it up first.)

OK, so back to what I said at the top: If you are a contented happy person, you are going to take the time to derive pleasure from the things in life that you have and or are available to you. You are not going to excel at anything, unless you have some passionate burning emotional misery instilled in you from childhood or from your Family of Origin. You will play no important role in the advancement of "civilisation" unless and until you are emotionally buggered up.

But, come to think of it, is that really such a bad thing? I mean, if you're a happy cave-dweller, why should you care that you live in a cave? :-)

If the only reason you are venturing out onto the grassy mesa and building a mud hut is because you caught hell from your parents for not being good enough, then you are a chump. You are Ted, the over-achieving, under-enjoying, ascetic chowderhead who will spend his miserable ruinous life doormatting himself to demons, and being trod upon by everyone.

And, you know, it's nice here in the cave. I think I'll kick my feet up and watch out the entrance as Ted chases a yak.

Top Blogs - Rate my blog - Sign my guestbook - Email me - Go back to index