STUDY: Want ‘sustained happiness’? Get religion.

[Whateverist]

Why not cut out the middle man and go for sustained happiness if that is what you like?

[Pizza]

Does Satanism count?

[Longhorn]

Does Satanism count?

Fuck that, does the church of cannabis count?

[Lemonvariable72]

...

I could be happier if I went on drugs and booze. But it's irresponsible and selfish of me to do so, and I'd rather have my wits about me as much as possible. People depend on me.

Hey you blasphemer!  Dionysus, the god of divine intoxication, is ready to welcome you with open arms, if only you will take the first steps and open that bottle and drink!

Here is his picture on an inexpensive option that is a good value (at least as typically priced in the U.S.):

Besides, you can be responsible and drink.  You just have to manage when and where and how much you drink.  It is a little less fun that way, but it also has the advantage of minimizing hangovers.

Cheers!

When: whenever the sun is not in the sky.
Where: where ever you and alcohol share a point in space.
How much: till you can't remember your name

Responsible drinking according to the lemon.

[Napoléon]

You realize belief isn't a choice, right?

I'd disagree with that. A lot of people choose to be wilfully ignorant.

[AFTT47]

So if I want sustained happiness, I should delude myself into thinking that the universe is exactly how I want it to be. Sounds like a good plan except:

1. I have this issue with intellectual honesty. Even if I WANT to believe 1 + 1 = 3, I CAN'T. You see, the logical aspect of my mind seems to be stronger than the emotional aspect (at least on this subject). I can't actually CHOOSE to believe in something my logical mind tells me is crap.

2. I value truth more than I do happiness. Maybe that is why any emotional attachment to 1 + 1 = 3 fails to overide my logical mind. I have a greater emotional attachment to truth than I do happiness. This is the same reason that the average person rejects the happy euphoria of drugs vs. not-so-happy reality. One values reality more.

3. The dichotomy is not necessarily valid. One may find the greatest happiness in reality. In fact, I can't imagine anyone would be happier believing in the existence of an omnipotent God with the emotional and intellectual maturity of a 5-year-old than a coldly impassionate universe. Make no mistake: All the gods of man-made religions are that bad. They are monsters. How to hell would believing in any of them make me happy? Quite the contrary, I would be horrified.

[Homeless Nutter]

Question: What is the best way to achieve "sustained happiness"? [...]

Uhm... Being an ignorant moron, disconnected from reality? Gosh, you must be positively euphoric...

[Pyrrho]

Hey you blasphemer!  Dionysus, the god of divine intoxication, is ready to welcome you with open arms, if only you will take the first steps and open that bottle and drink!

Here is his picture on an inexpensive option that is a good value (at least as typically priced in the U.S.):

Besides, you can be responsible and drink.  You just have to manage when and where and how much you drink.  It is a little less fun that way, but it also has the advantage of minimizing hangovers.

Cheers!

When: whenever the sun is not in the sky.
Where: where ever you and alcohol share a point in space.
How much: till you can't remember your name

Responsible drinking according to the lemon.

Your rules are far too restrictive, and I will never comply with them.  Not drink when the sun is in the sky?  Are you completely mad?  How is one expected to get through the day?  How is one to have a complete, nutritious breakfast that includes the traditional screwdriver?  Do you get up before the sun rises?  Or do you simply advocate sleeping whenever the sun is in the sky?

If I were foolish enough to follow your rules, I would presently be sober.  And what would be the point of that?

[IATIA]

I thought the 'bloody mary' was the "traditional" breakfast. Do you mean to say that I have been wrong for these several decades? Does this mean that I have to go to confession now?

[Pyrrho]

I thought the 'bloody mary' was the "traditional" breakfast. Do you mean to say that I have been wrong for these several decades?  Does this mean that I have to go to confession?

No, you just have to make up for lost time and start drinking more screwdrivers.  How else do you get your orange juice in the morning?  You will want to pick very good orange juice and very good vodka, as having those two ingredients, over ice, means that they both are important.  If you pick substandard ingredients, you will have a bad screwdriver.

The Bloody Mary is traditional for when one has a hangover.  But if you have been pacing yourself and do not have a hangover, you should stick with screwdrivers, as god intended.

So, if you have been drinking Bloody Marys when you ought to have been drinking screwdrivers, you should double up on the screwdrivers for breakfast until you make up for all of the screwdrivers you should have had.