Do you want to be happy? Is that not the stupidest question ever asked? Sometimes it doesn’t even seem to be a choice. Relax this isn’t some melancholy diatribe. I don’t usually spend much time thinking about the topic of happiness, because I believe that it is more of a perspective and a little bit of a by product from wise choices and humility. However, yesterday I was browsing in Binders while waiting for a friend to finish shopping when I stumbled across these how to draw books. One of the books was titled “How to Draw Stupid Characters”. The character on the front of the book was this guy with a big smile on his face. I started to wonder why do we associate happy people with stupidity. All of the dumb characters in cartoons are also the happiest. Some of those would be: Goofy, Odie, Homer, Peter Griffin, Barney Rubble, Sultan from Aladdin and Dopey. Some of the dumb happy tv characters include: Joey(friends), Kelly(married with children), Woody (cheers), Rose (Golden Girls), Bull (Night Court) and Corky (Murphy Brown). What I find even more interesting is that the smartest characters are often the most downcast and cynical. Some cartoon examples include: Lisa(Simpsons), Brian(The Family Guy), Garfield, Stewie(Family Guy) and Kyle(South Park). Obviously TV and real life are two different things so, I thought about it from a real life perspective. If I saw two people one was really happy and perky and the other kept a serious look on their face and didn’t say much, but rather just looked intently. What conclusions would a draw about those two individuals? I would probably expect the perky person to be easy to get to know and probably fun to hang out with but, I would not expect them to be as smart as their somber counter part. Why is that? Shouldn’t the smarter person be happier? Are happy people being misrepresented and misjudged? Happy people are however usually more successful. But are they happy because they are successful or are they successful because they are happy? In every presidential election I have witnessed the happier candidate won. Or is it all just a façade? Are they just better at appearing happy? Do people hire you based on your qualifications or on what they think it would be like to spend 9 hours a day with you?
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All very good and valid questions Mistah Steeeeeel. Doesn't that just kick butt having a last name like that? (Says the guy with the lame last name here, hah!)
ReplyDeleteIt always appears to me that people who are happy are so because they are doing what makes them happy. And that happiness translates to success. But more importantly success isn't measured monetarily (yes, I know critics call that a 'lame belief' that only people -without- money say), it's measured to that specific individual's requirements to make them happy.
But when it comes to hiring, absolutely that affects judgement, personality is everything. Of course we're all judged on appearance first and quickly followed by what content comes out of our mouths. Some will say that's not true, but they're just liars. And very bad people. But not I, I would never judge that way. Never ever. Nope.
I think a philosophical mind becomes vulnerable to cynicism and unhappiness because he or she realizes something is always missing in life and the mainstream's desire to "have it all" is just a pipe dream.....every variable we change in our lives to make them better (at least we hope) has a corresponding downside(s). Cynicism and unhappiness rears its head when we do not realize and more importantly, when we do not experience the immutable axiom that "the grass is always greener on the other side". When one learns more to accept what is as opposed to "fighting" what is because it is not what should be, happiness and contentment can flourish. An unexamined mind is therefore less susceptible to cynicism and unhappiness because of this.
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