are smart people sad all the time?

[pico]

once you figure out how the world works how can you be happy.

great philosophers are usually gambling alcoholics who frequent hookers and commit suicide at the end.

[dwaechte]

No ultimate connection could ever be found between two classifications which contain such massive amounts of people.

Plus, without googling to confirm, I'm pretty sure there's actually a positive correlation between intelligence and happiness, although I'm sure it's up for debate.

[pico]

No ultimate connection could ever be found between two classifications which contain such massive amounts of people.

Plus, without googling to confirm, I'm pretty sure there's actually a positive correlation between intelligence and happiness, although I'm sure it's up for debate.

i'd say it is negative correlation. all the special ed kids are happy all the time. they get nap time and cookies.

if you're too stupid to realize everyone out there is going to scam you, you'll be a pretty happy, broke person.

[turnip]

In this modern era, there are plenty of distractions to keep a man's mind off depressing reality. Enough for me, anyway. My advice is to forget the goal of happiness, and aim for adventure or excitement.

GL

[Kargo]

Intelligent people don't think about happiness, all they want is power and money, which inevitably leads to a life wasting road that ends in extreme stress or depression. You can't worry about what you ignore, so for me there's a correlation there.

[ryanXL977]

thats why we gamble, thats our drug
everyone has one

[Kargo]

an overthinking mind kills a spontaneous spirit

[Dark Horse]

once you figure out how the world works how can you be happy.

great philosophers are usually gambling alcoholics who frequent hookers and commit suicide at the end.

This world is based on duality; polar opposites as life/death, happy/sad, good/bad, young/old, male/female, rich/poor, etc. The question is: can duality be transcended, or are we doomed to a rollercoaster ride within these confines? I would suggest looking at cultures that are considerably older than that of the west. Your question is very valid.

[LT Profits]

are smart people sad all the time?

No, I am usually in a good mood.

[pico]

Intelligent people don't think about happiness, all they want is power and money, which inevitably leads to a life wasting road that ends in extreme stress or depression. You can't worry about what you ignore, so for me there's a correlation there.

that is a very good point. when i talked to my friend who owns a small business, and i asked him, "what makes you ahppy?" and his reply is simple and direct: "money and lots of it". this is true for most people. that is why we gamble. but not many people have thought about the consequence of obtaining money. as you all know, there are no free lunch, and in USA, people don't get power or wealth for being nice and following the rules, so as you pursue money and power, you're bound to exploit people and breaking rules.

exploiting people and breaking rules does a number on your conscious...and that is where the stress and depression comes from. you have all the money in the world now, but you screwed over so many nice people in the process. when you're old and start to reflect upon your life, you'll realize how sad, pathetic and meaningless your life has been. a lot of wealthy people are not happy...they have a lot of stress and probably drink and do drugs to combat depression. karma.

[pico]

In this modern era, there are plenty of distractions to keep a man's mind off depressing reality. Enough for me, anyway. My advice is to forget the goal of happiness, and aim for adventure or excitement.

GL

distractions are temporary. you know a funny term (i got this off the daily show) happy ending usually leave you empty and sad at the end.

[dwaechte]

i'd say it is negative correlation. all the special ed kids are happy all the time. they get nap time and cookies.

if you're too stupid to realize everyone out there is going to scam you, you'll be a pretty happy, broke person.

Turns out we're both wrong, there's no correlation at all.

Here's a starting point:

http://www.expatica.com/nl/survival/health/happiness-is-16773.html

Most of the other search results came up with the same conclusion, albeit with different takes and studies cited.

[pico]

This world is based on duality; polar opposites as life/death, happy/sad, good/bad, young/old, male/female, rich/poor, etc. The question is: can duality be transcended, or are we doomed to a rollercoaster ride within these confines? I would suggest looking at cultures that are considerably older than that of the west. Your question is very valid.

i thought about duality. once i read a book which asks the question, "does black really exist if you never see any other color?" i think my point is happy is relative to sad. we only feel happiness when we experienced sadness, so my original title might be interpreted in two ways. one way is why everyone thinks.

the second interpretation might be that you're smart when you realize the relative difference and have experience the polar extremes, which you can also call them being enlightened. in this case, the definition pretty much made it true, so this interpretation is a moot case.

[Dark Horse]

What if...

We're all in the theater. When you start asking questions about the nature of the movie, instead of being fully engrossed in it, the exit sign may start to look more enticing.

[VegasDave]

Yes Pico, I believe they are.

[pico]

Turns out we're both wrong, there's no correlation at all.

Here's a starting point:

http://www.expatica.com/nl/survival/health/happiness-is-16773.html

Most of the other search results came up with the same conclusion, albeit with different takes and studies cited.

here is a funny fact from that link:

Happy people are often in a long-term relationship with someone of the opposite sex – heterosexuals are happier than homosexuals says Veenhoven


so the term "gay" is a misnomer.

[Deuce]

I am usually happy, sometimes want to break people in half.

[pico]

What if...

We're all in the theater. When you start asking questions about the nature of the movie, instead of being fully engrossed in it, the exit sign may start to look more enticing.

yes. agree. i told my friend that life is a journey, you should enjoy the trip.

using your movie example, smart people would start to wonder about the nature of the movie...they probably start to dissect movie plot line by line and found all the holes in the plot. in that case, the exit sign would look pretty enticing.

[pico]

I am usually happy, sometimes want to break people in half.

simple and direct is the way to happiness. thinking too much usually makes you stressed out and worry about imaginary stuff that might never happen.

if you just go through life with your primary insticts, you might get screwed over few times and break a few bones, but your mind won't be cluttered with things you cannot control.

[FreeFall]

happiness is a state of mind. Therefore smart people can be happy.

[unit1884]

ignorance is bliss

[dwaechte]

What if...

We're all in the theater. When you start asking questions about the nature of the movie, instead of being fully engrossed in it, the exit sign may start to look more enticing.

That's a pretty cool little metaphor.

[Casperwaits]

I hope this doesn't come out wrong, but have you ever seen or met an unhappy retard?

[Dark Horse]

I hope this doesn't come out wrong, but have you ever seen or met an unhappy retard?

The retard and the sage have in common that they don't take this world serious. They don't identify with its inevitable fluctuations (between polar opposites).

[Casperwaits]

The retard and the sage have in common that they don't take this world serious. They don't identify with its inevitable fluctuations (between polar opposites).

But is a sage HAPPY? Wise yes, content yes, but happy? I know it might be a grey area, but I think the sage and retard have less in common than what you suggest.

[TPowell]

I agree with whoever said life is so short that smart people get depressed when they realize that they wasted parts of their lives learning stuff they'd never need

[pico]

dark horse made an excellent point: you should take life less serious


i think that is the key to happiness.

[Dark Horse]

But is a sage HAPPY? Wise yes, content yes, but happy? I know it might be a grey area, but I think the sage and retard have less in common than what you suggest.

That would depend on your definition of a sage.

A wise men said: 'a sad saint is a bad saint'.

We can learn something from everyone. Even the retard. I think you'd want to pick up the qualities you admire in others, and drop the ones you don't.

[pico]

people you hate are usually those who take life too serious. but you shouldn't hate them because if you do, you're taking life too serious

[Casperwaits]

That would depend on your definition of a sage.

A wise men said: 'a sad saint is a bad saint'.

We can learn something from everyone. Even the retard. I think you'd want to pick up the qualities you admire in others, and drop the ones you don't.

Excellent point Dark Horse. Touche.

[RogueScholar]

I believe the answer lies in the internal qualities of the "smart person" in question. As a species of talking monkeys, we often find a large variable in our assessment of personal happiness hinges on the people that we are able to surround ourselves with. It would be my position that the experience of personal happiness is most contingent on whether you are satisfied by the influences of the people that are most important to you.

If you are stimulated by the people that form your "circle of association" then I would believe that you have a greater ratio of happy moments to sad moments. If that is not the case, then I believe it serves as the genesis of the "melancholy sage." We are defined by the people around us, and not as much by the circumstances that define our existence.

[pico]

I believe the answer lies in the internal qualities of the "smart person" in question. As a species of talking monkeys, we often find a large variable in our assessment of personal happiness hinges on the people that we are able to surround ourselves with. It would be my position that the experience of personal happiness is most contingent on whether you are satisfied by the influences of the people that are most important to you.

If you are stimulated by the people that form your "circle of association" then I would believe that you have a greater ratio of happy moments to sad moments. If that is not the case, then I believe it serves as the genesis of the "melancholy sage." We are defined by the people around us, and not as much by the circumstances that define our existence.

nice point. using your example, the sad smart guy would be someone who feels like no one understands him and is surround by bunch of materialistic monkeys.

[betplom]

I am usually happy, BUT I'M ALWAYS SAYING I want to break people in half.

[THEGREAT30]

once you figure out how the world works how can you be happy.

great philosophers are usually gambling alcoholics who frequent hookers and commit suicide at the end.

I have longed wondered this, maybe this is why knowledge may have not been initially meant for anyone (check the garden in the bible) knowledge put's a certain burden on one.

[RogueScholar]

nice point. using your example, the sad smart guy would be someone who feels like no one understands him and is surround by bunch of materialistic monkeys.

That's an excellent way to condense the point I was making. I was much like that before I found SBR. Now that I have this place, I find that I'm much happier with my life in general.