"Positive emotion alienated from the exercise of character leads to emptiness, to inauthenticity, to depression, and, as we age, to the gnawing realization that we are fidgeting until we die."- Martin Seligman
Addiction is, among other things, the attempt to achieve happiness by increasing the number of happy moments in your life. The above quote relates why it doesn't work. Long-term happiness comes from actually doing something that arises from your character and leads to a positive result.
The pursuit of happiness implies action and effort. Happiness without action or effort is quickly devalued and, eventualy, unsatisfying.
ReplyDeleteMaybe happiness sticks better if we perceive it as a reward for effort. As if our sense of fairness were involved, telling us we shouldn't be too pleased with what we didn't earn.
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