Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login

No, it doesn't. There are definitely times when being a good person and having a fulfilling life does make me happy. There are also times when it's tough and painful and makes me unhappy. There are more of the former than the latter (and I do believe striving for a meaningful life is a good strategy for reaching happiness), so there's a clear correlation, but they're not the same. They're not actually even close.

There's an even bigger difference in why you do things. If you do something because it helps someone (and that results in you being happy) it's very different than if you do the exact same thing to make you happy (and that thing also results in helping someone).

The philosophy I described is close to the philosophy of Aristotle or Confucius, albeit without the same rigid roles and social hierarchies which they use to define virtue.

But the mental state of being content where you are is another thing entirely. That's related to several Eastern philosophies (Zen and Buddhism especially), but it's very different from the American philosophy of striving for individual happiness, or the Aristotelian / Confucian philosophy of striving for virtue.




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: