The Happiness Illusion

 “Happiness in Hard Times” was an article in the June/July AARP Magazine. Are you kidding me? My endurance, running and ride tie friend Tom has an ALS diagnosis; my dear cousin Shelly has a Parkinson’s diagnosis; and my running friend Tony is on Whidbey Island, running in Tango’s paddock. Seriously, this essay critiques and challenges the notion of the pursuit of happiness.

Aristippus of Cyrene is regarded as the originator of the philosophy of hedonism. He believed that pleasure, in the moment, is the only thing worthy of striving for, and that pleasure and happiness are good .Epicurus, held that happiness and pleasure should be the goal of life. The pleasures he advocated were acquiring mild and tranquil states, like the absence of pain or the satisfaction of a desire like hunger. Thomas Jefferson, the wealthy privileged plantation slave owner knew happiness. He had no difficulty satisfying his sexual needs. Jefferson coveted hedonism.

In the AARP article, Dr. Laurie Santos, the Yale psychology professor, developed a course titled “Psychology and the Good Life.” In her course, included physical and emotional aspects of happiness. Nearly 1,000,000 people, of all ages, signed up for a free online version of the course. Included in the course, were suggestions such as eating well, sleeping well, exercising, and yoga to minimize stress.

Happiness and pleasure are short-lived. Positive longer-lasting mood states are influenced by one’s attitude, and appropriate mental and physical lifestyle choices. Historically, our country was founded on the privilege of wealth which equaled power, which then resulted in political control. The House of Representatives was the only branch of government that is directly elected by the American voters since its formation in 1789. The Senate, until 1913, had its members elected by individual state legislatures. Thanks to James Madison who wrote “in England, at this day, if elections were open to all classes of people, the property of landed proprietors would be insecure. Madison, must have read Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations.  Therefore, it is important to keep the power with a few because otherwise, the people would take over the wealth .For their happiness, pleasure and satisfaction, under no conditions, will the privileged wealth and power, of the few, allow that to happen.

In the 1920s, advertising was created to tranquilize, brainwash, to provide short-term pleasures or hedonism to divert the attention of the masses away from their powerless position. The sophistication and understanding of hedonism has been incorporated by Madison Avenue Advertising. They have created a demand for superficial, non-essential items, gadgets etc. The decision to purchase the desired “label” are irrational and superfluous. Advertising messaging does not list the rational benefits of comparing a Ford to a Chevrolet. The plethora of messages appeal to emotions and often are just lies. In its place, we find an attractive smiling woman driver with her hair blowing in the breeze etc. The purchase of items are supposed to bring pleasure and happiness. There are no shortages of examples of these various goods and ideas associated with short-term happiness. These are some of the messages:  pursuit of making money [Is Jeff Bezos the happiest man in the world?}; purchasing a dream house; going on a wonderful and memory filled vacation; ingesting a giant burger; purchasing the right hair and skin products; the one with the most toys wins; taking a pill for all these obscure illnesses-don’t forget about the disastrous side effects. If you have this gadget, you’ll be the envy of the neighborhood; and you better keep up with the Joneses. Working your way up the ladder for that special promotion and procuring that most wonderful job are messages too. On a side note, I remember “See the USA in Your Chevrolet;” “Brylcreem, a little dabble will do you;” and “Do you want my advice Sir, use deicer,”

Take the sociopathic individual in the White House. He has the most powerful position in the world. How often do you see him portraying happiness? He has power and very little happiness. He escapes to a golf course and hits and hits that little white ball forgetting to count all his strokes. He would likely call happiness going to the golf course and his rallies where the individuals cheer at his falsehoods.

How can you be happy with the imbalance between manufacturing and the financial institutions? In the1950s and1960s, we were leaders in manufacturing. In the 1970’s, the power structure moved production offshore for cheap labor. While this was happening, the growth, without regulations, of financial Wall Street grew tremendously. By 2007, the unregulated financial institutions procured 40% of the profit of the United States. Then the economy collapsed; taxpayers bailed them out-not for the first time; and no one went to jail for all their shenanigans.

How can you be happy with the collapse of the middle class? Opportunities were aglow in the fabulous 1950s and 1960s. People had good employment, able to afford a home and bought into the “American Dream.” Not so today, as we have a ridiculous minimum wage; part-time employment so the corporations don’t have to pay benefits; dismantling labor unions which provided necessary protection for its workers. Today we have less than 7% of unions in the private sector; and an unfair tax code that’s shifted from corporations in the 1950s and 1960s to the rest of the population. Amazon and General Electric pay no federal income tax and Warren Buffett stated his secretary pays more federal income tax that he does; a defunding of public education and Social Security. College has become unaffordable and many are enslaved because of their debt; 70% of our population cannot influence public policy; stagnation of the socioeconomic class-who gives and who follows orders?; In the 19^th century, the Republican Party called wage labor, slave labor; racism that goes back 400 years  and was necessary for production and economic exploitation.

 Adam Smith, the Scottish moral philosopher, in 1776 stated in his classic Wealth of Nations “All for myself, results in less for everyone else,” “Those in control of manufacturing are the Masters of Mankind.” As a result of keeping the power and wealth in the hands of a few, along with political divisiveness, and brainwashing by television, radio, and advertising, we have  too many that’s primarily concerned with self and less concerned with others. It’s your fault for your economic mess. Legislation, political parties, Supreme Court decisions, criminal justice or injustice, employment and housing opportunity with overt and covert systemic racism are in place to protect the Masters of Mankind. The masses should obey per Allan Greenspan, former Chair of the Federal Reserve “Keep them from our throats.”

I propose that, those that are able, focus on becoming a healthy individual and a positive mood follows. Being mentally and physically healthy is not easy. No one says it is. Freud said something to the effect “The ability for productive work and the ability to love are necessary for a healthy individual.” I would add to Freud’s model. A further cognitive use from the ego: to utilize the scientific method, to incorporate rationality and wisdom, to accommodate and synthesize information, and to refute populace illusions are also necessary. With optimum ego development, better choices can be made regarding mental and physical well-being .Productive work refers to both being significant, and creative in the physical and/or mental domain. Being productive perpetuates, is consonant, and accompanies the individual’s pursuit in finding significance and meaning in life. The individual also has to be capable of loving oneself. If one loves self, one has the capacity to empathize, care, respect, like and love others. Therefore, the ability to be involved productively, lovingly with positive mental and physical health decisions are the necessary components equated with being able to maintain a longer-lasting positive mood. Thus, the dynamics of these decision making behaviors are equated with a healthy lifestyle. The obvious result is that the individual now will be better equipped to deal with nature’s hazards and manmade exploitations. The pursuit of happiness is a capitalistic illusion.