WHO WANTS HAPPINESS? Some of the economics research on happiness finds that on average happiness is not greatly increased after a base level is reached ($25,000 as I recall). In this post Annalisa made an excellent point. Writings about the economics of happiness often assume that everybody is the same. Annalisa quoted from the Happiness Project: “It depends on what kind of person you are. Money means different things to different people.” In other words, we all know some people who care a lot about what money can buy and some who don’t. And then there are those who don’t value happiness. Colin McGinn in the Wall Street Journal for February 8 reviewed AGAINST HAPPINESS by Eric Wilson. Economists tend to be utilitarians. I tend to be a utilitarian (Mc Ginn quotes a philosopher as referring to “the Utilitarian States of America.”). Wilson argues against utilitarianism and on behalf of those who do not value happiness. McGinn represents Wilson as portraying “happy types” as “bland, superficial, static, hollow, one-sided, bovine, acquisitive, deluded and foolish.”
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The Simpsons actually raised a few questions along these lines. Lisa has a fleeting fear that she is losing her intelligence, and begins to panic. She looks on Ralph – the shows dumbest character – and sees him giggling while playing with the mailbox flag, and wonders whether or not it would be so bad to sink into a happy stupor.
Haha, I am SO Lisa Simpson sometimes. Just today I was fretting about an oil painting workshop coming up on Saturday and Lee tried to soothe me by saying, “Don’t worry, just take it easy.” I replied, “If you take it easy, you don’t achieve!” And while I said that with a smile and some self-consciousness, to some extent I believe that is true. Perhaps the key to happiness is balancing drive with complacency. If achievement makes you happy, then perhaps some unhappiness along the way is negated by the returns on your long-term investment. One could argue our education system is based on that idea! ;-)