Against Happiness
Against Happiness: The Most Facile Emotion It is obvious if you open your eyes, that happiness is the most facile and naive of emotions. Infants, puppies and kittens, in fact most animals show signs of happiness and joy almost from the moment of birth. Foals run around, kicking and bolting at the wonder of their legs and no one would deny that one feels joy at the sight of a gamboling young animal. The happiness is infectious, contagion spreads through smiles and laughter. A simple emotion can crowd out all worldly concerns, at least for the moment. But that is long enough for most. Long enough to enjoy a laugh and turn away from the problems we produce daily. Happiness and willful ignorance are allies, supporting each other through a denial of gravity and urgent attention to unpleasantness. Be happy. The world is obsessed with this absurd longing. I know I am not alone in seeing the temporary and spontaneous nature of th...