There's "The Pursuit of Happiness," But Do We Ever "Catch" It?

Maybe it's time to actually exercise our rights.

"We're always getting ready to live,
but never living."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Seriously: we have the right the "the pursuit of happiness." But do we ever find it?

Real question.

Is it just us, or is it strange that we spend our lives pursuing something, but rarely stop and think about what it is we're actually after, and why, and how to succeed at it?

No, it's not just us. Because you're here, right?

Let's pause for at least a few minutes and think this through.

After all, if we're pursuing something, shouldn't we have a decent idea about what it is we're after, exactly?

Yes, we should.

So, here are 5 routes that explore the "happiness" thing:

1) What Is Real "Happiness"? The LiveReal Quiz: Can you Take It?

That's progress.

But it turns out that there are quite a few levels here. One person's "happiness" is another's "misery." Pigs are happy in slop, cows are happy eating grass, but most of us aim a little higher.

So then the question becomes, how high can we aim?

As it turns out, "The Three Little Pigs" might be able to teach us a little something here.

2) AntiFragile Happiness and the Three Little Pig Problem

So then, if we're "aiming high" in regards to our ambitions for happiness, what are our chances of success?

3) Why "The Pursuit of Happiness" is Sometimes Doomed

And of course, sometimes a thing is best understood by its opposite.

4) Why Do We Suffer? The LiveReal Question: Can You Take It?

What kind of happiness are we capable of?

That might sound like a strange question. But it's a necessary one. Cows eat grass all day, and they seem basically fine with that. But what if cows had the potential to skydive, compose operas, build skyscrapers? Suddenly, standing around eating grass all day might not seem quite so satisfying.

Same with humans. Our happiness might be connected to what we have the potential for. Which is to say, we might not be as happy as we can be until we've become what we can be.

5) What is "Human Potential"?

"He who has never envied the vegetable
has missed the human drama."
- E. M. Cioran

We're just getting warmed up here. Our investigation will continue.

Stay tuned. And be happy.