ever notice that happy people are not taken seriously much of the time? I mean, how can you be happy when so much bad kimchee is hitting the fan? Why isn't that person wallowing in self-pity, hate and discouragement like most people? Oh, they must be delusional unrealistic vacuum brains with nothing to worry about. Do we live in a Culture of Hate and Disgruntlement? I know people have been conditioned to be pissed off like Gorillas pounding their chests for Primacy! Posturing and practically pissing on peoples legs marking thier territory!! The message from most of TV's Spin Heads is hate. You really have to concentrate and shift gears to to stop flowing along with them. It takes Balls to be positive. It is easy to be pissed off at everything. AND it's boring.
On Mon, Dec 8, 2008 at 9:37 PM, ornamentalmind <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: > > CB, the reason I posted the article itself was to show that all it > talked about WAS direct contacts which was not at all clear by the > first post to this thread by Morph... > That original post here seemed to imply much more mystical stuff that > the science itself did not at all address nor imply. > > On Dec 8, 8:18 am, CrossBow <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > 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- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text - > > > -- 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
