Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Not about happiness
Spot the semi-anonymous legs
The recent fashion for researching happiness and its causes fascinates me. I’m inclined to think the causes of happiness are ineffable, but it's interesting that so many are giving it thought.
Having just read a disturbing and provocative article on the subject, I sat down to write about it. Then thought, no, I can’t. I picked up the article, you see, from a blog I read. It’s the blog of someone I know. I sometimes talk to him about blogging, but he doesn’t know (I hope) about mine.
So I can’t link to him, because then he’ll find out. So I won’t be able to acknowledge where I read about this. And the more I think about it, I can’t write about it at all, at least not right now - if this is a current preoccupation of this other blogger's, he might wonder who else is blogging about it and do some searching… and I’m vaguely recognisable, even though I thought better of my picture and removed it.
In fact, I may have said too much already.
How difficult and uncomfortable. I concluded, and continue to feel, that I wouldn’t be comfortable with complete self-revelation or with complete anonymity. But semi-anonymity is really not satisfactory either.
OK, Moose. Here, without further comment, is the article: http://www.cis.org.au/Policy/spring05/polspr05-2.htm ¶ 1:44 pm
Spot the semi-anonymous legs
The recent fashion for researching happiness and its causes fascinates me. I’m inclined to think the causes of happiness are ineffable, but it's interesting that so many are giving it thought.
Having just read a disturbing and provocative article on the subject, I sat down to write about it. Then thought, no, I can’t. I picked up the article, you see, from a blog I read. It’s the blog of someone I know. I sometimes talk to him about blogging, but he doesn’t know (I hope) about mine.
So I can’t link to him, because then he’ll find out. So I won’t be able to acknowledge where I read about this. And the more I think about it, I can’t write about it at all, at least not right now - if this is a current preoccupation of this other blogger's, he might wonder who else is blogging about it and do some searching… and I’m vaguely recognisable, even though I thought better of my picture and removed it.
In fact, I may have said too much already.
How difficult and uncomfortable. I concluded, and continue to feel, that I wouldn’t be comfortable with complete self-revelation or with complete anonymity. But semi-anonymity is really not satisfactory either.
OK, Moose. Here, without further comment, is the article: http://www.cis.org.au/Policy/spring05/polspr05-2.htm ¶ 1:44 pm
Comments:
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Mm, anonymity. Guilty as charged. I guess we all have our reasons for anonymity – mine tend toward the very personal. I work better when the spotlight's not on me, yet I benefit from feedback… so my anonymity is my compromise, I suppose. Maybe someday.
I wish you could say where the article you read was, though!
I wish you could say where the article you read was, though!
I have come to be comfortable with semi-anonimity. I just don't advertize. I know some friends and my MIL have read my writing, but not recently. I will not ask them why, nor will I bring it up with them. I am not searchable, so my ex will not be able to find me through my blog, partly because he no longer knows my name. It's all a trade off.
But you got to be comfortable. A woman's just got to know her limitations.
But you got to be comfortable. A woman's just got to know her limitations.
Much to think about in this matter, indeed. My suspicion, of course, is that the answer will not be found in any one thing. But that's a huge discussion for another time. :-)
But...happiness, where do you stand on the subject of happiness? I'm interested to know. I can never make up what to think about the current demand for happiness and the expectation that people should be happy and if they're not, they need medication or counselling. In fact, I think gloom is under-rated and a bit of gloom and introspection might not be such an unhealthy thing.
But perhaps we're all confusing happiness with what should be a focus on contentment...
But perhaps we're all confusing happiness with what should be a focus on contentment...
# posted by 
: 4:21 am
: 4:21 am
Sometimes anonymity is good. Like in my case where I am surrounded by clients who pay my bills and their political views are 180 from mine. I have this stange habit and addiction of eating, you see.
And it can be a thin line to walk at times, almost forgetting which personna to wear at a given moment.
As for happiness, it's way over-rated. Our brilliant US government funded a study a few years ago that cost a few mil to determine that: 1) Rich people tend to be happier than the poor, 2) Healthy blokes tend to be happier than the ill, and there was a thrid point but I missed it while I went to puke.
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And it can be a thin line to walk at times, almost forgetting which personna to wear at a given moment.
As for happiness, it's way over-rated. Our brilliant US government funded a study a few years ago that cost a few mil to determine that: 1) Rich people tend to be happier than the poor, 2) Healthy blokes tend to be happier than the ill, and there was a thrid point but I missed it while I went to puke.
# posted by : 1:42 pm
: 1:42 pm<< Home
