more from this little book .... just 'cuz

chapter one:

[color:"blue"] HAPPINESS IS A MORAL OBLIGATION

We tend to think we owe it to ourselves to be as happy as we can be. But happiness is far more than a personal concern. It is also a moral obligation.
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Isn't this guy just so delightful to read ! ? !

continuing.....

[color:"blue"]
After one of my talks on happiness, a woman in the audience stood up and said, "I only wish my husband had come to this talk." (He had chosen to attend a talk on business instead.) She explained that he was the unhappy one in their relationship and that much as she loved him, it was not easy being married to an unhappy person.

This woman enabled me to put into words what I had been searching for - the altruistic, in addition to the obvious personal, reasons to take happiness seriously. I told the woman and the audience that she was right; her husband should have attended because he had a moral obligation to his daily partner in life to be as happy as he could be.

Upon a moment's reflection, this becomes obvious. We owe it to our husband or wife, our fellow workers, our children, our friends, indeed to everyone who comes into our lives, to be as happy as we can be. This does not mean acting unreal, and it certainly does not mean refraining from honest and intimate expression of our feelings to those closest to us. But it does mean that we owe it to others to work on our happiness. We do not enjoy being around others who are usually unhappy. Those that enter our lives feel the same way. Ask a child what it was like to grow up with an unhappy parent, or ask parents what pain they suffer if they have an unhappy child (of any age).

There is a second reason why happiness is a moral obligation. In general, people act more decently when they are happy. The chapter on seeking goodness explains the connection between goodness and happiness at length. It will suffice here to answer this: Do you feel more positively disposed toward other people and do you want to treat other people better when you are happy or when you are unhappy?[/color]

NEXT: we take a dive into *gasp* unhappy religious people !!!!!!!!!

stay tuned mousketeers

so, where was I ?????

oh, yeah ....

[color:"blue"] There is yet a third reason. I once asked a deeply religious man if he considered himself a truly pious person. He responded that while he aspired to be one, he felt that he fell short in two areas. One of those areas, he said, was his not being a happy enough person to be considered truly pious.

His point was that unhappy religious people reflect poorly on their religion and their Creator. He was right; in fact, unhappy religious people pose a real challenge to faith. If their faith is so impressive, why aren't these devoted adherents happy? There are only two possible reasons: either they are not practicing their faith correctly, or they are practicing their faith correctly and their religion itself is not conducive to happiness. Most outsiders assume the latter reason. Unhappy religious people should therefore think about how important being happy is - if not for themselves, then for the sake of their religion. Unhappy, let alone angry, religious people provode more persuasive arguements for atheism and secularism than do all the arguements of atheists.[/color]

interesting

Okay, but all I'm sayin' is that Dennis' happy [censored] ain't never had PMS!!! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Mrs. W

we are NOT discussing YOUR hormonal crisis no matter how much you beg !!!!!!

MIDOL aisle nine !

<img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> I just HATE it when a thread "speaks" to me! It's kinda like being in church on Sunday morning and feeling like the preacher had you in mind when he typed out the sermon! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Mrs. W

Happiness is this dessert I made last night to bring to work, oh yes, it is almost sinful.

I gave up sugar because of it's poisoness effects on the body (and I don't use any fake sugar either) but every once in awhile I have to break down and make something really sweet, and ooh lala the sinsations one experiences eating a gooey chocolate, chocolate, cherry cake is almost indescribeable.

So giving up sugar is the price I pay to have a youthful looking and feeling body. And the reward is two-fold, because when I do every great once in a while splurge and eat something sinfully sweet...holy sheet, it's almost orgasmic. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Have you ever spent a couple of days with people who are so unhappy and negative that by the end of those days your whole outlook is almost as negative as theirs? It is very hard to be inspired and uplifting when those around you are not.

This to me is the moral obligation of happiness, as the author states.

If you are one of the lucky ones whose parents are/were happy and physically as well as emotionally healthy, well you are way further ahead of the game already, going in.

It's such a gift to give our children that, and because I did not have that, it has been one of the biggest motivators in my own life to make sure my daughter does.

We spent a few days with my fiance's mom and her boyfriend, and let me tell you it was a lesson once again in how not to live. What a couple of drains those two are. I'm sorry to say that, but it was disgusting to be around two people who do nothing but complain and bicker all day long. Amd who did not take care of themselves physically and now are paying that price.

hmmm, I bought this book for my FWH a few years ago. He never picked it up and read it. I bought it because I felt then (this was the beginning of A#1 for him)that he had made the "choice" of being unhappy. I used to listen to Dennis Prager every day and love the happiness hour. I am sorry to hear he is divorcing as he is a huge advocate for marriage creating happiness.