4 ms·

The “scientific” world full of “modern knowledge” can lead you astray. The sources of human happiness and contentment are timeless, and nothing about today chan

The “scientific” world full of “modern knowledge” can lead you astray. The sources of human happiness and contentment are timeless, and nothing about today changes human psychology from the ancients. Family, friends, community, health, purpose. A job well done. There is no need to justify the choices you make. Are you happy? Does it feel right? Being a “trad wife” simply means you want to live a certain way. Is that some sort of societal damnation? If you don’t post it on social media then no one will ever know. Just live the way you want.

rhn_mk1 4y ago
Happiness is related to emotions, but our emotions derive from our own needs, and as such have nothing to do with science and knowledge at all. What changes during ages is how we can realize our happiness without intruding on the lives of others. Modernity gave us more power over the world, and we might not realize that we are abusing it. I'm not even talking about the unfeasibility of giving everyone a racing car because that's what makes them happy. Even giving everyone the Western standard of living (assuming that it's what most need for happiness) is so disrupting to the Earth that it infringes on others' freedoms in ways that were not possible to the ancients.
drewcoo 4y ago
> nothing about today changes human psychology from the ancients With the possible exceptions of all the electronics and changes in diet and greater population densities and . . . the fact that the ancients didn't have psychology. I'm sure I missed some factors. > There is no need to justify the choices you make. Because psychologists study how we do that so we don't have to?
- monero-xmr 4y ago
  Nope nothing has changed in the nature of man. And nothing will be different in 10000 more years. The circumstances change but human nature and motives are constant. The sources of my happiness are fundamentally the same since the beginning of man.
  - voisin 4y ago
    While I appreciate the sentiment, I think it is somewhat superficial. People enjoy many things that were not apparent even a few hundred years ago, let alone at "the beginning of man". For example, the notion that someone would go out and expend important calories on exercise would have been unthinkable in the past, but is now a major source of happiness of a large portion of the population - and a source that is totally separate from the health benefits (for example, the health benefits of running turn negative after some distance / time run, differing by individual cardio conditioning). Travel for the sake of travel is another - several hundred years ago travel would be considered dangerous, life threatening, and only to be undertaken for major gain - now we think nothing of doing it on a weekend for the enjoyment of seeing another place. These are just two examples that come to mind.
- eastof 4y ago
  > the fact that the ancients didn't have psychology They did. They called it religion, spirituality, or community but they led happy fulfulling lives using ancient, tried and true methodology I would encourage you to re-evaluate your assumptions if you really think the fundamental human experience today is really drastically different from the time of Buddha, the Roman Stoics, or the ancient Daoists.
- mantas 4y ago
  > the fact that the ancients didn't have psychology Religions of the old day is pretty close to today's psychology. A lot of today's psychological practices just repeat parts of religious stuff.

rhn_mk1 4y ago

Happiness is related to emotions, but our emotions derive from our own needs, and as such have nothing to do with science and knowledge at all. What changes during ages is how we can realize our happiness without intruding on the lives of others. Modernity gave us more power over the world, and we might not realize that we are abusing it. I'm not even talking about the unfeasibility of giving everyone a racing car because that's what makes them happy. Even giving everyone the Western standard of living (assuming that it's what most need for happiness) is so disrupting to the Earth that it infringes on others' freedoms in ways that were not possible to the ancients.

drewcoo 4y ago

> nothing about today changes human psychology from the ancients With the possible exceptions of all the electronics and changes in diet and greater population densities and . . . the fact that the ancients didn't have psychology. I'm sure I missed some factors. > There is no need to justify the choices you make. Because psychologists study how we do that so we don't have to?

monero-xmr 4y ago
Nope nothing has changed in the nature of man. And nothing will be different in 10000 more years. The circumstances change but human nature and motives are constant. The sources of my happiness are fundamentally the same since the beginning of man.
- voisin 4y ago
  While I appreciate the sentiment, I think it is somewhat superficial. People enjoy many things that were not apparent even a few hundred years ago, let alone at "the beginning of man". For example, the notion that someone would go out and expend important calories on exercise would have been unthinkable in the past, but is now a major source of happiness of a large portion of the population - and a source that is totally separate from the health benefits (for example, the health benefits of running turn negative after some distance / time run, differing by individual cardio conditioning). Travel for the sake of travel is another - several hundred years ago travel would be considered dangerous, life threatening, and only to be undertaken for major gain - now we think nothing of doing it on a weekend for the enjoyment of seeing another place. These are just two examples that come to mind.
eastof 4y ago
> the fact that the ancients didn't have psychology They did. They called it religion, spirituality, or community but they led happy fulfulling lives using ancient, tried and true methodology I would encourage you to re-evaluate your assumptions if you really think the fundamental human experience today is really drastically different from the time of Buddha, the Roman Stoics, or the ancient Daoists.
mantas 4y ago
> the fact that the ancients didn't have psychology Religions of the old day is pretty close to today's psychology. A lot of today's psychological practices just repeat parts of religious stuff.