Are they implying that proximity alone and not direct contact with a happy person - leadin to a happysphere of influence? Doesn't that* *flirt with pseudoscience no matter where the study comes from? There must be statistics on personal contact they just didn't include..
On Sat, Dec 6, 2008 at 10:09 PM, ornamentalmind <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: > > For anyone else who questioned the "Harvard Medical School" study, > see: > http://web.med.harvard.edu/sites/RELEASES/html/christakis_happiness.html > It is quite simple and not at all metaphysical. > > On Dec 6, 10:10 am, Morpheal <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > AMERICAN SCIENCE AND THE ENFORCEMENT OF HAPPINESS > > > > BBC News - December 6th, 2008 Wrote: > > > > "Happiness is infectious and can "ripple" through social groups, say > > US researchers. Researchers found a person is 25% more likely to be > > happy if they have a friend living within a mile who becomes happy - > > an effect that declined with distance.The study of 5000 adults, led by > > the Harvard Medical School, says the 'happiness effect' extends to > > three levels of separation - to the friend of a friend of a > > friend.However, the study also found that the mood of work colleagues > > did not play a part in happiness." > > > > America has long distorted most research on human contentment, and > > happiness. We have to look at more solid sociology, psychology, from > > 40 years ago to begin to comprehend the negative changes that American > > science has consistently suffered during America's constant swing > > towards totalitarianism, tainted with its peculiar version of > > "spirituality". > > > > This is partially due to ideology that emphasizes being sold on the > > idea and rejects real psycho-physiological responses to the meeting of > > real material needs and wants. A popular phrase, some years ago, was > > "sweetness and light", prevalent in the religious right. The attitude > > of uncomplaining, "smile and be happy", no matter what is actually > > happening or being experienced in material life of body and social, > > behavioral, political and economic facticity, extended far beyond the > > religious right into redefining concepts of "health". Dissent, > > disagreement, even debate, and particularly expressions of unhappiness > > and discontent, were increasingly to be believed as being "unhealthy". > > In that paradigm something is always wrong with the complainant, and > > everything reflects back onto self, including all blame for every > > variety of anxiety, adversity, failure, obstacle, and misfortune. > > > > It really meant that a frown of dissent was unacceptable, as were any > > critical, dissenting, words. Similarly the concept of "congruence" > > crept into Americanism, and meant that not only were people expected > > to smile and be happy on the surface, but they had to internalize that > > superficial fascism of externalized happiness as being what they truly > > believed about themselves. Internalization of external behavior is a > > factor in political totalitarianism. Earlier socio-psychological ideas > > did not venture into promoting congruence but tended to follow > > theories such as Irving Goffman's "Presentation of Self in Everyday > > Life" where the difference between internal thinking and expressions > > of external behavior was validated. The theory of congruence tends to > > invalidate internal dissent and discontentment, supporting the > > superficial living of the lie. The belief is also inculcated that > > expressions of happiness and contentment, even when completely > > inappropriate to circumstances are rewardable, while expressions of > > unhappiness and discontentment are punishable reinforcing the revised > > political value system. > > > > The political implications are obvious. Slowly and certainly > > everything that is wrong with society, the social situation, the > > political realm, economics, and particularly wrong with religion or > > the national ideology, is pushed behind the curtain of happiness. It > > no longer exists. Only happiness exists. Those other matters are > > increasingly "passed over in silence". Another angle derivative from > > Americanist religious ideology, If you are unhappy, discontented, > > critical about anything, you can talk to yourself, by yourself, > > forever, or seek medical help in terms of pharmaceuticals that will > > help you change your mind to one of totalized happiness, via a > > manipulation of your physiology. You have no freedom to be unhappy and > > remain a member of society. That is not allowed. You will be passed > > over in silence, utterly ignored, and told that you are crazy, needing > > help, unhealthy, ill, and unacceptable to society, god, the nation, > > the group, and so forth. Social dynamics become part of the > > reinforcement of happiness enforcement. > > > > Now we can see why the real condition of America has deteriorated > > consistently and constantly for nearly 40 years, in every area of its > > life, behind that curtain of enforced expressions and feelings of > > contentment and happiness. We can now see why America, as nation, in > > terms of its condition today, still cannot face its own truth, at home > > and in the world beyond its borders. Why its upper leadership still > > sells false beliefs, unable to face up to responsibility and failure. > > Faith in the future, optimism, and being completely sold on those has > > become a standard of health, of sanity, and a condition of social, > > political even of economic membership. Even leadership is constrained > > to the ideology of happiness. We have seen the slow erosion and > > destruction of real political dissent in America, and of religious > > dissent, watching it pushed increasingly underground and its > > manifestations changed to increasingly ineffective, unemotive, masked > > behind conflicted behavioral expressions and internal feelings. Real > > dissent and discontent is no longer allowed its honest expression. It > > is placed into social and psychological conflict with itself, in > > regard to its negative valuing as unhealthy and inappropriate in the > > larger sphere of life. It is parochialized to the extreme, and becomes > > the preserve of smaller and smaller groups, who are increasingly > > labelled as being the equivalent of dangerously infected, and > > necessarily as undergoing treatment for what is wrong with them. The > > usual result is increasing member antipathy and ambivalence to their > > own cause and their own social associations. > > > > Americanism has increasingly become an ideology that requires, in fact > > demands, happiness, and demands its valuing by others when it occurs > > meaninglessly in any, even when needs and wants are entirely unmet and > > even when the circumstances make happiness inappropriate. In that > > Americanist ideology dissent, discontent, unhappiness, and their > > external to the psyche behavioral expressions become increasingly > > always inappropriate, while their opposites are given increasing value > > as being appropriate. > > > > Americanism, even in its social and psychological science, is not > > necessarily the truth about the human condition and about humanity. > > The rest of the world needs to rethink the issues, and apply solid > > real science and genuine critical thinking to it, not simply accept it > > as given "gift from the American god". Science cannot be properly > > pursued on the basis of deeply held ideological assumptions, > > unexamined and unexaminable beliefs, acting simply as handmaiden in > > support of a failing ideology. > > > > Now, smile and be happy whenever you see an American flag. America > > demands it. > > You have no choice. Not only must you smile and be happy on the > > outside, but you must > > feel that happiness as your one and only internal response. All your > > feelings and all your > > thoughts must be pure happiness when you see that flag. You have > > something seriously > > wrong with you if you do not feel happy inside and show your happiness > > outside as behavior > > that is clearly expressive to all around you, when you see that flag. > > > > And never utter what might be considered to be a discouraging word, or > > you will end up the recipient of a flood of discouragement. You have > > to sell the ideology. You have to promote it. You have to be an > > American salesman of a bill of goods ideology and spirituality, > > joining a nation of such salesmanship, if you want to succeed at > > anything. > > > > You see what has gone wrong now, don't you ? > > > > Cheers. > > > > Robert Morpheal > > > > Anyone may copy, reproduce, distribute, this article in any form, by > > any means, anywhere, and is in fact encouraged to do so. > > > -- gnothe se auton --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Memphis Freethought Alliance" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/memphisfreethoughtalliance?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
