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All negative emotions are down to unmet expectations. This isn't a rationalization. The culture we live in is full of unrealistic expectations. Happiness is a
by sublinear 4y ago
All negative emotions are down to unmet expectations. This isn't a rationalization. The culture we live in is full of unrealistic expectations.
Happiness is a matter of a deeper understanding your observations, the causes of all recognized outcomes, and staying focused on your outcomes. You write your own story. Free will is not an illusion just because there's an inequality of probabilities. Debugging yourself is like anything else.
- nullc 4y agoI think this perspective has a lot of value but it's also important recognize that it has limits. Imagine you were kidnapped and kept locked in a cage-- you could still make the best of the situation-- but it's not a good one and you still should endeavor to get out of it, and not only try to discover what happiness you can find there. 'God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.'
- sublinear 4y agoI am not at all advocating for low expectations. It doesn't even take much to dramatically affect the odds of individual outcomes. It just takes brutal honesty some are unwilling to have with themselves. It's all about identifying what changes have the biggest impact. Many are working too long for the wrong employer, started a family too young, have bad habits, waste their free time on useless hobbies they've long outgrown, etc. To address your quote, far less "cannot change" than many realize.
- aklemm 4y agoAt the extremes such as being locked in a cage, there are physiological realities the body and mind will not overcome. No way to thrive, that is.