each individual has a baseline happiness which they eventually revert to in the long run getting children always makes one happy indirectly, you don´t have time to get sad, you are glad just by having some peace when they are asleep bottom line: we humans are not made to stay all day long doing nothing after we did a big score on the market. that is an illusion of the 'ticket out of society on a sunny beach dream' thing they sell us. the more involved one is in society the less depressed you get imo.
Happiness is all about finding truth. Our own individual truth. Here is something some of you might find enlighting. Written almost 100 years ago, Mr. Wallace Wattles in his book, 'The Science of Being Great' states the following: ************************* Chapter 6 - The Social Point of View "Without faith it is impossible to please God, and without faith it is impossible for you to become great. The distinguishing characteristic of all really great men and women is an unwavering faith..." "The man who has no faith in principle will always be a small man. You must learn to see the world as something which is evolving and becoming; not as a finished work. Millions of years ago God worked with very low and crude forms of life; low and crude, yet each perfect after its kind. Higher and more complex organisms, animal and vegetable, appeared through the successive ages; the earth passed through stage after stage in its development, each stage perfect in itself, and to be succeeded by a higher one. What I wish you to note is that the so-called 'lower organisms' are as perfect after their kind as the higher ones; that the world in the Eocene period was perfect for that period; it was perfect, but God's work was not finished. This is true of the world today. physically socially and industrially is all good, and it is all perfect. It is not complete anywhere or in any part, but so far as the handiwork of God has gone it is perfect." ***************************** My interpretation is this. The ONLY way you can lead a perfect live, IS IF YOU BELIEVE this is a perfect world. Not complete, BUT PERFECT. There is no other way. You can not live a perfect life if you believe everybody around you is 'less' this or that..... Personally I have learned to be much happier about the world at large by accepting people as they are, with all the good and bad. Believing we are all perfect in our own stage of development.
"Are we setup for disappointment from the beginning? The first years of your life, you are told about the tooth fairy, Santa Claus, Easter bunny etc� then at some point you learn or are told that it is not real, at least not real in the sense of how it was portrayed to you." The same can be said about "God".
Very true. Its a tough concept. I found peace when I realized I believe in God, I just do not believe in organized religion. Don't want to turn this into a religion thread, its just my opinion.
You guys are correct. I apologize to all atheists here. My reference to God was only as quoted for illustration purposes. One of the reasons why his books didn't do as well at the time I believe was because Wallace writes that there is no evil. Only good and evil is just but undeveloped good. Which flies right against the face of all religious books obviously. With that said, Wallace's interpretation of God is very different from that what appears in religious books. Gtty !
"Happiness is all about finding truth. Our own individual truth." I'd like to add this: I quit drinking probably 15 years ago, recently someone asked me how do I cope with stress. Honestly, I hadn't even thought about how I cope with stress in ages (I am a type A personality). I just live my life reading the perfect book, knowing the perfect people, eating the perfect food, at any particular moment in time, life is good. Life will change, people will come and go, but I will find perfection where ever I go. I'm not some dum slob saying it doesn't take much to make me happy, I know what I want. I just know my individual truth. I might add, studying the market has opened up doors to the short comings of people when it involves large sums of money the most important is what I've learned about myself reflecting about the markets. Is the market perfect? I've found some perfect stocks, not as many or as often as I like but I have found some perfect ones.