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Really strange article. It felt like someone writing "I've got cheese, so I like the colour red". The cause effect isn't clear to me, at all, and the article is
by dmje 5y ago
Really strange article. It felt like someone writing "I've got cheese, so I like the colour red". The cause effect isn't clear to me, at all, and the article isn't nearly well written enough to expand on anything meaningfully. It's a false dichotomy, or at least a not well explained argument.
IMO the living in the moment thing mentioned elsewhere is probably the best known connection to happiness that has broad "proof" around it, but again I'm not convinced this has anything to do with intelligence.
If we're gonna get deep about it I suppose you could argue that "beginner's mind" is what is required to assume states of now-ness, and at a stretch you could say that a beginner's mind could be equated with a stupid mind...but really, it's not like that at all. Meditative states, flow states, just being content - these can be attained by anyone, irrespective of intelligence.
- stackbutterflow 5y ago> Really strange article. It felt like someone writing "I've got cheese, so I like the colour red". The cause effect isn't clear to me, at all, and the article isn't nearly well written enough to expand on anything meaningfully. It's a false dichotomy, or at least a not well explained argument. In the words of the author: "If you’re smart, you can figure out how to be happy within your biological constraints." Rephrased, the title could be "If you're so smart, why can't you figure out how to be happy". On this subject, here's a video discussing these types of arguments: https://youtu.be/Q6wmIehW6EM?list=LL&t=47 https://youtu.be/Q6wmIehW6EM?list=LL&t=47
- serverholic 5y agoI saw something on the internet recently that had a profound effect on me. It was about the idea that our thoughts occur in a mental "space" and that space varies in size moment-to-moment. This space can reference a physical space or something more abstract like a social connection space. For example, let's say I ask you "do you matter?". Here's what you might say depending on the size of the space your brain currently occupies. The room you occupy - Yes I matter greatly to my girlfriend and my cats. Your neighborhood - A little bit, my neighbors seem to like me and probably appreciate that I'm courteous. Your city - A tiny amount, my taxes help pay for stuff I guess. The planet - A very tiny amount, I contribute to society and that counts for something. The universe - I'm a spec of dust in an endless void. My existence is meaningless. My hypothesis is that intelligent people are attracted to larger spaces, but larger spaces tend to be more depressing and meaningless. On the other hand, a less intelligent person might only think about what's immediately around them, and as a result they are more present in the moment. This also helps explain why meditation can be helpful, it's practice for shrinking your mental space.
- dmje 5y agoYeh, that's an interesting idea. I'd probably nit pick about meditation (ultimately) being about shrinking. I mean, mindfulness maybe, but insight is ultimately about no self at all, and a huge and deeply meaningful connection to everything in a vast and unknowable expansiveness... This expansiveness - the knowledge that one is nothing - is actually a huge source of comfort. But like everything in this realm, it's a paradox that is hard to explain with experiential reference points.
- serverholic 5y agoYeah I should have specified that I was talking about mindfulness. Ultimately I think you're right but what you describe seems a bit advanced and not as far as most people will go. I think your average person would probably be happier focusing on mindfulness and shrinking their mental space to the present moment.