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IsSadnessthePermanentEmotionalStateinWhichEveryBeingExistsandHappinessOnlyaTemporaryStateofMindorEmotion--theUltimateorIdealFeelingwhichWeTryHardtoPossessButNeverWill?

RecentlymyfriendwriterAndreaDuermeandIhadaponderouschat,whichdwelledchieflyononeconceptofSADNESS;thatis,"Sadnessisthedefaultemotionalstateinwhichallbeingsexist."

Fromthediscourse,wewereabletodrawsomeinsightfulstatementsworthponderingandconsidering.

Takenote,however,thatourintentisNOTtoclaimtheideaswedrewasabsolutetruthsbuttopresentthestatementsasONLYadditionalpointstoponder.For,intheend,eachofourselvesremainstobetheconjurorofourownbeliefsandthemakersofourowndecisions.Inshort,everythingwelearnfromothersshouldbeonlyvalidpointstoconsiderandnotabsolutetruthstobelieve.

ForaccordingtoPaulFeyeraband(1924-1994),"science[aswellasphilosophy]isalwaysrevolutionary,sincewhatdrivesscientificresearchisthecompetitionprovidedbyapluralityofalternativetheories";and

Asin"Invictus,"byWilliamErnestHenley(1849-1903):

"Underthebludgeoningsofchance

Myheadisbloody,butunbowed.

Iamthemasterofmyfate;

Iamthecaptainofmysoul."

Herearethegeneralstatementsdrawnfromtheinsightfuldiscourse,asitemizedbyAndrea.AndaftereachitemIinsertedtheactualportionofthechattrailfromwhereitoriginated:

1.Sincehumansconstantlytryto"find"or"attain"happiness,thestateofhappinessisforeigntothenaturalhumanstate.

"...humanbeingsarenaturallyandnormallydespondent...happinessisthestatewhichneedspainandeffortinordertobeattained,whereassadnessisthestatewherewealwaysare...."--eLf

2.Thehappinessthathumansbelievetofindareandwillalwaysbetemporarysincenothingcanultimatelyandpermanentlykeepthemhappy,consideringtheircomplexitiesandeverchangingneedsanddesires.

"...humansaretoocomplextofindakindofhappinessthatwillsatisfythemcompletely."--A.D.

3.Ifhumanshaveindeedbeenbornsad,thensafeitistostatethat'sadness'istheneutralplaneontowhichtheygravitateafterexperiencinga'happinesshigh.'

"OrissadnessonlythedefaultstateFromwhereeverybeingstrivestoescape?"--eLf

4.Whethertheyrealizeitornot,humansfindmoresubstanceinsadnessthaninhappinessforsadnessisthefeelingthatnaturallyresideswithinthemselves.

"Happinessisjustlikealeisuretrip;tobesadistobehome."--A.D.

5.Sadnessisthedefaultstateandthestartingpointofhumanexistence,andthefragmentsofcircumstancesthatmakehumanshappyareonlyameansoftemporaryescapefromthisstate.

"...happinesscanonlyariseoutofpainandsuffering...thus,everybeingisafterallnaturallysad."--eLf

6.Sinceitisnotlasting,happinesscouldthenbemeasurednotbyitslongevitybutbyitsfrequency(orthenumberoftimesitexistedinoneperson'slifetime.)

"...happinessisn'tmeasuredbyitslongevity.it'smeasuredbyhowmanytimesitcameourway."--A.D.

7.Strugglingtoachieveastateofhappinessisawayoffeelingactiveoralive.

"Peoplekeeponworkingtoattainthatfeelingofbeinghappybecauseiteliminatesthefeelingofbeingstagnant."--A.D.

8.Mostofthetime,ahuman'sexperienceofhappinessisexaggeratedbytheintensityofhis/heranticipationofthatparticularexperience.

"thehappinessthatpeopleattaineverynowandthenareactuallyfueledbyillusionsofitsintensity."--A.D.

Iamendingthisarticlewithatheoreticalanswertotheprobablyuniversalquestion"Whydowealwaysfindourselvesmoreexpressive(andaspoets,moreprolific)whenwearesadthanwhenwearehappy?"Answer:"Wefindsomuchmoremeaninginsorrowbecausethat'sournaturalstate.Happinessisjustlikealeisuretrip.Tobesadistobehome."Forifhappinessisindeedhumankind'sdefaultstate,whythenarewealwaysinpursuitofhappiness--ofwaystomakelifebetterforallofus?

-June2004;Surrey,BritishColumbia,CanadaWhilelisteningto"TheSkyscrapersofSt.Mirin"byCloseLobster('WhatIsTheretoSmileAbout?,'1988,EnigmaRecords)

'2004eLfideas