Socially Acceptable Happiness

As I began reading John F. Schumaker's chapter on The Happiness Conspiracy about how each culture has a conspiracy to keep its inhabitants happy by conforming to whats perceived as normal. This unity allows for people to agree with it's societies expectations with ease, by feeling happy with their sense of involvement within the community. This unity may create a stronger society but the path towards being socially acceptable lessens many peoples happiness by feeling the pressure to be normal. It reminded me of how many parents discourage their kids from doing things that are not socially acceptable. Little kids are often easily amused. So when they begin to laugh at something completly stupid to adults, many parents will tell them that its not funny. By doing so, the parents are robbing their kids of their happiness in an effort to make them normal to society. By having a loved one condemn something that makes you happy, leads children to realize the emotional rules that govern our society. As you grow up and realize more of what you can and can't do, your view on the world and what you can do is suddenly not as glorious as what you thought as a kid. As a kid your also told about how life gets harder and goes by faster as you age. This is only true if you view it in that way. Conforming to society makes it much more functional, but takes away the imagination and spontaneous happiness of it. By constantly being on guard of what we say and do, we spend more time worried about what people will think of what we say and do rather than thinking about whats best for yourself. Schumaker makes use of Peter Schaffer's statement, "Normal is the good smile in a child's eye, and also the dead stare in a million adults." (pg. 138) Rather than conforming to societies expectations, we should be taught with more emphasis to conform to our beliefs. Just because an elder says something, it doesnt meant that it's right. The happiest people conform to society to the point that they feel is neccessary to sustain their own happiness and invoke happiness in others. Societies' social rules shouldnt be taught by another, they should be interpreted by each individual.

The Weight of War

Andrew Olmstead's last blog was an attempt to leave something with this world. He felt his words could make some difference and change the world in some little insignificant way. His words provoked much attention from many bloggers with his current status being in the war. This undeniably gave him more attention from other bloggers for his present safety was at risk and each blog could be his last. Andrew said that blogging put him in contact with many intellectual people that he would have never came into contact with if he didn't blog. His thoughts are now all that is left and thus, that is the price of war.

whoops

I've made the mistake of making more blogs rather than just adding posts. But for my first official post on the blog that you all have access too, I wanted to express my initial view on blogging...At first I felt a little annoyed that we would have to constantly blog. Mostly because of the amount of time that it would take, but I realize after reading some of your blogs that its really nice to be able to express yourself in a different way. With thought, and less pressure than a face to face, and more time to think about a response. With this topic of happiness, one cannot simply create an answer for someone else on the spot as we each have our own definition of what makes us happy from our cultural influences, experiences, etc. So in turn, this gives us an opportunity to take in what one is saying and try to understand it from their perspective and not what seems right to you.