OT: 5 steps to paradise.Follow

Ok so bear with me, yesterday I had a long day, a lot of bus rides around and in and out of town, and unfortunately I forgot the book I was reading back at home and can't concentrate on studying in a bus, so as usual I popped my headphones on and just sat back to think.

As seems to happen to me all to often I ended up "philosophing", about something I had thought about a good deal of times before. However yesterday I managed to focus it like I hadn't been able to before, and so I thought I should write it our somewhere.
Yah, you might not care, I don't know why I should either, so whatever.


So I believe to most of us atheists and "philosophers" there is a meaning to that which humanity calls paradise, alas of course not that which dogmatic religions give it. Paradise is or should be, by definition, "happiness", no need to add anything to that, just happiness.
Of course happiness is an illusion, a mind state affected by our phisiology up to a point, and by our mood and understanding, a mind-state which does not seem that easily attainable as it does not seem to come naturally, specially in this modern world where it seems happiness has to be "bought", and not once but several times over to get it bigger and neater each time.

So I thought, there must only be a limited number of ways through which an average person can attain happiness, after musing about it I narrowed my thoughts into 5 ways/understandings through which one can attain happiness, and so a happy person can be one of these or a mix of several of them as they are not and cannot be limited and separated:


1- The idiot.
You are an idiot, the type of person who unseemingly finds everything to be fine and wouldn't know a problem unless it hit him straight across the face, and even then would barely manage to identify the source/nature and implications of the problem, if at all. You are the living exponent of the saying that ignorance somewhat brings happiness.

2- The fool.
You are a worryless and simple minded fool (you could also be a complex minded fool, alas that is rare). You could give a sh*t less for whatever problems you can't see affecting you in a direct manner, and won't usually care about most of them or will complain to those you think responsible without thinking the true logic of it through. You judge things you don't fully understand like it matters and misplace what little-thought-out morals you have.

3- The emperor.
You are an egotistical *******. You are the number one thing to your understanding, others should take care for themselves. You may only bother with problems which will affect you directly, and you will step on anyone to push them out of the way, if this means creating or exploiting the problems of other people then so be it and in very good measure. You are a flagrant individualist, the kind to save yourself and then sink the boat when sh*t hits the fan. Your judgements and morals you believe to be the only ones truly worthy.

4- The Joyful.
You are the kind that may care and worry about what fares in the world around you but will try to put issues off your mind when possible, for your own sake. You recreate and find happiness in the little pleasures of life, enduring hardships or taking them on happily to be able to appreciate those little pieces of happiness once again, you may also care about those around yourself, to some extent, attaining their own little pieces of paradise and even finding pleasure in it. Your understanding may come in many shapes and sizes depending on your upbringing, and so do your morals and judgements.

5- The enlightened.
You are aware of the workings of the world around you as much as you may, you understand and take everything for what it is and how it is and don't try to counterreact and fight it but find your place in everything. You understand the world and its people are as they are for certain circumstances and are at peace with it and at peace with yourself. In short, you attain a state of mind equiparable to that of a buddha (just for a reference, not meaning you have to be a buddhist by necessity).


Of course as you can see I obviously don't include religion in these 5 states as they don't ignore logic and understanding in favor of dogmas.

Ah, so I believe the times when I feel happiness it is due to a mix of number 4 and number 2, probably with some alcohol mixed in in good measure.

I hope some day I shall finally instaurate myself in the 4th step to happiness, and I would wish to find peace with myself and the world, but right now I believe I lack the calmness and understanding, and probably a great many more things, to attain that.

So, there's that, whatever.

Edit: Oh yeah, I forgot. Whatever your nationality, age, class and faction I hope you have a nice patch day (hey, as much as possible anyway).

Edited, May 23rd 2007 5:28am by Azatodeth

Where do Orgasms fit in?

I swear they make me happy

#6 The Gamer - 'Nuff said.

I know someone who can give you true happiness.

She works at Dockside Dolls in the evenings but will make house calls during the day.

I have absolutely no F'ing idea of what that Major Arcana is (sounds like a wow item, heh).

- Heavily Drugged people go between 1 and 2/3, depending on the drug and the persons reaction to it.

- Orgasms, and the gamer, go between 2 and 3, could have some of 1 too.

- Tenjen all forms of happiness and understanding are illusionary as they are subjective. Subjectivity is the only way anybody (or almost everyone, it could be argued against and forth to no avail) can understand reality through after all, and what it does is create pictures and "stories" in our mind.

- Fierycougar I don't think I'd be able to buy myself happiness and orgasms only last so long (or so short would be more like it), but thanks for the tip anyway :P


And to Flagermusen, thanks for your insight and all. I don't think I would buy and read self-development books, it just wouldn't feel right, quite ridiculous in fact, and not get anything out of them.
I do find funny however that the things you mention, and I guess are somewhat influenced by the books you read, are so very similar to those already expressed more than two millenia ago by oriental filosofers who grew in many disciplines of thought such as Tao, Zen or Buddism. Things I think of also asimilate to the "teachings" of these schools of thought, althought it may of course be because of my knowledge of them.
But then I think maybe that just goes to show that however far society advances logic and human understanding of self is unchanging, probably by definition.

Happiness is the release of endorphins into your bloodstream. Eat chocolate, do drugs, **********.

There i solved your problem.