On 08 Dec 2014, at 19:02, meekerdb wrote:
On 12/8/2014 2:01 AM, Bruno Marchal wrote:
On 07 Dec 2014, at 19:26, meekerdb wrote:
On 12/7/2014 4:30 AM, Bruno Marchal wrote:
We are better for the survival, but we might be astonished for
the quality of life, even of the poors. It is very hard to judge.
We have much more depression and suicides, we have much more
elderly people abandoned by their family. We have much more fake
conviviality and superficial happiness. We have new fears and new
subject of despair (like atomic bombs, pollution,
prohibition, ...). I just mean that I am not completely persuaded
that the technological progresses made us more happy.
Of course there's not much depression and suicide in Syria -
because there's so much grief and homicide.
Yes during war, depression and suicide go away. But I don't see the
link with what I said.
My point was only that material and civil well being is what makes
depression and suicide more common than grief and homicide by
reducing the latter.
I am not convinced there are more suicide only because people are less
often killed. I think it is more because when people are materially
comfortable, the lack of the spiritual value make them interrogating
the meaning of life. 2/3 of those winning big lottery prize get
severely depressed, sometimes paralysed I read once.
But in any case I don't agree with some of your premises. I don'
think more elderly people are abandoned by their family. I can't
think of a single one in my personal experience.
You are lucky. I see only that in urban cities, and it arrives also in
the countries.
Whether conviviality is fake you'll have to judge for yourself.
Lincoln said, "Everybody is about as happy as they want to be."
Nice quote. The problem is in the "want".
The only reason superficial happiness is more common is because
material well being provides things that were previously supposed to
bring happiness - but people are still only as happy as they want to
be.
Some people can be more happy dreaming about being rich, than in being
rich, where indeed they eventually understand that money does not make
happiness, and this shut out the possible dreams, and they get
depressed. Of course money is a good tool, but when blinded
spiritually, it becomes an end, and as an end it is brings only
frustration.
So if you ask them if they are happy they reflect on their material
well being and conclude that they should be happier than they are.
So technological progress allows us a kind of equilibrium at our
inherent level of happiness. Our unhappiness then is related to
dissatisfaction with ourselves, worry about the future for our
children, ... rather that grief and suffering and fear for our lives.
Material "well being" leads to both when the money is no more a tool
but an end.
Bruno
Brent
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