How old were you when you finally come to intellectual realization?

Question

Is it only me or do some of you see that the world is a cold place but care less about it and know that no matter how smart you are or how stupid you may be, the only thing that matter truly in life is to find happiness.

You can argue about philosophy and all while spending the rest of your days in circle of intellectual debate or you can say take into account that realities are but many and I should choose one that makes me happy.

Is there anything more in life then for one to be happy? Please give some thought before answering.

Answer 1

Define happiness.

Answer 2

I don't think ones aim in life is happiness. Ones aim in life should be to grow mentally, to get experiences and memories and to leave some positive change in the world behind. How can you grow if all experiences and memories are good? How can you learn if you never make mistakes? How can you accept yourself if you expect only perfection?
If you have a completely happy life you stay a child forever, because you don't really know much. You only can see light if there is also darkness.
You also will be much more likely to find happiness if you try to make other people happy. You sound like your search of happiness is pretty self centered. Have children, plant trees, make somebody laugh, clean up the environment, create a piece of art, whatever your preferences are. Make sure at least somebody remembers you with fondness or love...

Answer 3

The world may be perceived as cold by some, or as warm by others, but in neither case I would not care less. This is how and where you should start. CARING!

Of course it matters how smart you are. You ca not equate intellect with stupidity. As for me I prefer being smart and happy to being dumb and happy. Happiness is not only a feeling; a frame of mind, it is also a subject to enhancement. Would a dumb person be able to do that?!

Is there anything more in life then for one to be happy? YES, Reaching for an area beyond happiness, where all things are equal; a heap of gold and a heap of dirt, happiness and misery.

Have you heard of the Buddha's Nirvana?! It is the ultimate happiness.

Good luck!

Answer 4

My first realization that all was not as it seemed came when a very young child (pre-school, I think, but that was half a century ago!) while riding in the back of the family car on a highway trip. I started to watch traffic heading in the opposite direction and realized that there were people in those cars, and that they had lives that had absolutely nothing to do with me, not any more than mine did to them. That was my first existential moment.
As a young teen I was given Sartre's "Being and Nothingness" and after that could not devour existential philosphy fast enough. I chewed my way through Descartes and Kant and then one day found it impossible to go out the front door of my parent's house (which I had lived in all my life) because I could not convince myself that the cement sidewalk I had trod an infinite number of times actually existed.
It was time for a break.
A few years later I tried acid for the first time and found a wonderful universe opening up before me that I had never seen, and came to accept that reality is whatever we percieve it to be. "Cogito ergo sum" says it all: my own existence is the only a priori knowledge I am capable of, the rest is pure supposition. In fact, the nature of my own existence became speculative. I am aware that I am, but I cannot know how I am.
Try living everyday like that.
Discovering Tao at a much later age solved many problems. I accept that I cannot know anything, including my own existence, but that none of that can keep me from achieving inner peace. Peace is entirely internalized (we are born with everything we need to be happy, but socialization makes us blind to that truth) and since I do not rely on anything external for happiness, the nature and existence of the universe becomes an entirely moot point.
Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz comes to discover that the search for happiness need not exceed one's own backyard. That is so close to the truth. If only Baum had taken the next logical step, and eliminated the yard!

Answer 5

I came into my intellectual realization at the age of eleven.

To begin with, happiness is a state of mind. No one or no thing can make you unhappy without your permission.
You are right about the only thing that matters is securing those things that you think will let you be happy. In other words you are granting permission for those things to become a part of your life. That is also how they sometimes prove to be not what you thought and bring you unhappiness because they already have your permission.

Answer 6

I'm not sure you are correct in saying that happiness is the only thing that matters.

Suppose being a rock star is the one thing that would make you truly happy, it is your greatest desire. But your career aspects look dim and you are lacking in talent and connections. Luckily for you, I have the experience machine. By plugging in, you will think that you are the greatest rock star ever, with all of your desires instantly fullfilled.

If happiness is all that matters, then you should have no problem jumping in. If you are hesitant to jump in, then it seems there is more to think about than just happiness.

Answer 7

To be happy, but to do so while remaining true to one's true self.
I would argue that it is impossible to be happy if one does not remain true to one's true self, but a lot of people run after empty goals in which they believe they will find happiness, because they listen to voices which are not truly their own and are unable o find out what they truly need to be happy.

As far as intellectual realization goes, I'm 33 now, and I'm still just peeling the surface of it. At this rate, I would consider myself lucky if I can achieve a state of intellectual realization sometimes before my death.

Answer 8

I know plenty of people who are happy watching tv, eating chips, going to a meaningless job, and coming home, crashing in front of the tube, and then going back to bed and repeating ad naseum for their entire life.

Because, I don't think the question you asked is the question you meant to ask.

I think you meant to ask, "Is there anything more to life than being joyful" happiness is thin, transient, does not allow any dialogue with its opposite, and doesn't inspire anyone to reach for anything other than what they already have.

Joy, on the other hand, is always closely allied with sorrow. Joy recognizes sorrow, and often happens in spite of, or because of sorrow. Joy recognizes immediately truth and beauty, and leads the bearer thereof to strive for more truth and beauty, in whatever way appeals most to the person.

Answer 9

theres nothing more to life than trying to be happy, but as humans we constantly want more and in the end we think we're not happy because we always want more. there are a few people that stay happy and content but the mass majority dont. its human nature :P

Answer 10

Not exactly. Goals will lead us to happiness, sadness is just prevnting happiness. People bring us happiness. So there's only happiness, and unhappiness.