Many people object to doing things that they have to do, don't need to do, or don't want to do. In societies where we are taught the "pursuit of happiness", how do you justify doing things that are not in the pursuit of happiness?
2007-07-22 12:36:14 · 18 answers · asked by guru 7 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
I didn't do anything much today. I've been real lonely.
I took a walk this morning then another one this evening,
that helped.
2007-07-22 12:43:16 · answer #1 · answered by eviechatter 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
My mind can justify just about anything, and find a way to make it seem that what I had to do was in pursuit of happiness.
2007-07-23 01:06:05 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Everything is done within the pursuit of happiness. You see, if we do what we have to do we believe it will eventually give us the gratification we seek. We can choose not to do what we have to do and the results will obviously not be good, unless, our definition of "happiness" is hunger and homelessness. Even something so habitual as breathing is within the pursuit of happiness as this delays our death. So, really, there is no justifying doing things that are not within that pursuit...because it is ALL within it.
2007-07-22 20:26:21 · answer #3 · answered by philisopheyes 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I live for my vacations so to speak. Apart from my living expenses, all my revenue goes towards my leisure. So my labor buys me happiness. To that end, I justify the utility in my actions as an economy of personal satisfaction, with the periods of labor being a means to the ends. And sometimes the means become an ends - when work and pleasure become one. Those are the days I love my job.
2007-07-22 19:54:24 · answer #4 · answered by ycats 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually, I don't have to do anything. I make decisions. Today that was to go to church. That primes my pursuit of happiness for the coming week. It also encompasses the questions you pose. I go to work because I want to, I play golf because I want to and I wouldn't do it if I didn't want to. I'm one of those guys who can very honestly say I'm doing what I want to.
2007-07-22 20:23:26 · answer #5 · answered by Armchair Nutritionist 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I babysat and my 10 year old granddaughter got a fish hook caught in her head and had to go to the hospital to have it removed. That wasn't my pursuit of happiness but going to the hospital and having it removed brought her happiness! The justification is that it needed to be removed!
2007-07-22 19:58:29 · answer #6 · answered by DPL06351 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe that in the long run everything you do ends up in the pursuit of happiness. For example.....I am happy when my house is clean......I am too cheap to hire a cleaning service and I hate to clean.....but, I do it because I know in the long run I'll be happy. So, that's what I did today and believe you me cleaning up after a family of 9 is no minor task.
Thanks for the interesting question and thought. UMA
2007-07-22 19:47:49 · answer #7 · answered by uma 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Eat, sleep and breathe.
The rest is almost completely irrelevant. The 'pursuit of happiness' is a glorious excuse for a prison where we all hold our own key.
OK so a few comforts are nice but we contort ourselves into all sorts of uncomfortable positions in the name of our 'comforts'. Its sadly ironic that here in the land of the 'free', we are willing to fight for and die for freedom but rarely willing to exercise it.
2007-07-22 20:42:50 · answer #8 · answered by megalomaniac 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
"Happiness" is relative. To achieve what could be considered TRUE happiness, it requires hard work and a focus on whatever morals you may have. However, lots of people try to achieve, or even mistake true happiness for Temporary happiness. They use drugs because it makes them feel good for a bit, but in the end, their lives get ruined and they end up broke, arrested, and/or homeless.
2007-07-22 19:44:17 · answer #9 · answered by Josh C 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sometimes the things you have to do today bring delayed happiness, not immediate joy. Today my husband and I tore down a wall in our bathroom as part of a remodeling project. The act didn't bring immediate happiness, but we'll be quite pleased when the bathroom is finally finished.
2007-07-22 19:53:26 · answer #10 · answered by a3strangequarks 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nothing really.I don't really do things outside the "pursuit of happiness",not today anyway!
2007-07-22 20:30:07 · answer #11 · answered by Life goes on... 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋