How can we actually create happy societies?

[+OverSword]

14 minutes ago, The Eternal Flame said:

Why is there any reason 

Just because it was basically repeating something I had already said.  

[Phaeton80]

I really dont think it that complex; equality, education, healthcare.. Look at the attributes of any succesful society in the past, and youll find these aspects in considerable balance.

Edit: oh and drugs, lots of drugs.

Edited December 7, 2019 by Phaeton80

[spartan max2]

We could probably do alot by mimicking the blue zones.

The areas in the world that researchers study because they have a higher then normal amount of centenarians. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Zone

Pretty much that laid back lifestyle with strong social connections and frequent casual physical activity.

[GlitterRose]

It would be great if people could be happier. 

I think we can do a lot to change ourselves, our attitudes. 

Maybe living simpler and enjoying the small things. 

[Crazy Horse]

I have recently come to the understanding that, pain and suffering are the crisis point, or, the cross roads, to your future happiness. 

I personally believe that one must suffer before happiness...

But, once you realise this idea, then you shall never suffer again.

Realisation, btw, is a total knowing and experiencing of this "truth".

 

[Crazy Horse]

18 hours ago, GlitterRose said:

It would be great if people could be happier. 

I think we can do a lot to change ourselves, our attitudes. 

Maybe living simpler and enjoying the small things. 

I think we all have to find our own path...

But once found, and taken, then happiness must surely follow!!!

[Coteinberg]

I have a theory. So what I believe is that there are two conflicting choices that a society must be one sided on. They must either adopt the same beliefs and thrive in working in unison. The other choice which I believe is the harmonistic and happier one is that we become a culture less society entirely made up by extremely individualistic people.

One society is commonly the ones we describe as collectivist. They are connected to their ideas in fear and euphoria carrying out it's every command in a way we describe as primitive.

The other society is fragmented into a billion tiny particles held together by common agreements to fulfill natures due and maintain order and safety.

To move towards these society will take deep change's in the populace that could get as alien or even more than it's genetic make up.

Technology opens opportunities for both the paths to assert dominance over each other but as the luxury of everyone goes up so does their desire for introspection and materialism.

Edited January 13, 2020 by Coteinberg

[Piney]

2 hours ago, Coteinberg said:

One society is commonly the ones we describe as collectivist. They are connected to their ideas in fear and euphoria carrying out it's every command in a way we describe as primitive.

My people, the Algonquian are collectivist but at the same time our traditional religion is personal and private so there are no "prophets" or "godly spokespersons" to fill their heads with bad ideas.  The Traditional Quakers are the same way. 

"The sophisticated came become primitive. What this means is understanding the flow and workings of the environment and basing your actions on this as to not go against it to your detriment. The obverse is also true. The primitive can become sophisticated. But not without terrible psychological damage"-  Frank Herbert.

 

[XenoFish]

To create a 'happy' society, you basically need to drug them. Put the chemicals in all the food and water/beverages. Pretty much sedate them and get them stoned. 

[simplybill]

This, in my opinion, was the most important takeaway from the article:

”The mindfulness revolution, meanwhile, urges people to go beyond their notions of good and bad and instead learn how to accept things as they are. These approaches are less concerned with what conditions make people happy and more interested in how people can pursue happiness within conditions of insecurity and uncertainty.”

Personally, I think of happiness not as a “goal”, but rather as an occasional and unexpected result of contentment. Not the false contentment of laziness, but the contentment of being grateful for what you have, and even more importantly, knowing that even if you were to lose everything you would still be grateful for the opportunity and the adventure of entering an entirely new phase of life.

 The bolded part of the quote doesn’t go far enough: ‘Mindfulness’ should include mindful preparations for the future that reduce the impact of uncertain times, ranging from preparing for a crashed economy to identifying the nearest fire escape exit in a hotel. The confidence of having a plan takes the edge off insecurity, and provides a hope for the future, whatever that future may be.

 

Edited January 13, 2020 by simplybill

[+and-then]

On 12/3/2019 at 5:06 PM, spartan max2 said:

I remember that and turn the other cheek.

Just to ditto your point.

Yes, He did say those things, according to scripture.  People who are only casually aware of scripture normally think that is His entire message and persona and that isn't accurate.  He is spoken of in the OT long before He appeared the first time.  Those sayings during His time on earth were to a Jewish audience because they were His people.  He even forbade His apostles from preaching to the Gentiles.  His message was for everyone but it was FIRST for Jews.  

In the OT, the prophets wrote of Messiah's return to destroy the Enemies of His people and of those who were destroying the earth.  I'm just pointing this out because anyone who happens to be around when He returns may not believe He is who He says He is because of that false impression.

[jypsijemini]

I honestly think that while a happy, harmonious and 'happy' society is ideal and desirable, it will forever be completely and utterly impossible.

There are too many factors to consider - and these are just a few:

• mental illness
• drug and alcohol use, dependency and abuse
• domestic violence and abuse
• generational violence and abuse
• materialism
• poverty
• unexpected traumas (sickness, death, accident, loss)
• religion, belief, faith and spirituality
• cultural and social upbringing
• individual beliefs and attitudes

The success of a society really depends on each individual member and the size of each community. A village of thirty to fifty people, for example, would be able to easily support and manage issues created by two or three people. It would also depend on how influential the trouble-makers in a society are.

Look at how seemingly easy it was for Charles Manson to influence and convince his female followers to commit multiple murders - one of them being a pregnant celebrity. He himself was a very troubled, traumatised man and obviously mentally ill - but he had influence over people who had comfortable upbringings, who were decently educated and who hadn't had these desires to maim and kill other people until they became brainwashed by Manson's ideologies.

Even the most seemingly perfect society - even if it offered everything a human could want and need - would eventually start to crack. There would be at least one member who would find reason to complain and rebel. Generations growing up within this society would be desensitised to how 'good' it is and would desire something different as they wouldn't be aware of, understand nor have experienced the alternatives to their normalcy.

Happiness for each individual is a different concept. Some are quite happy with having nothing, being grateful for anything they get and grateful even when it is eventually taken away - and some are only happy when things are going their way and they have not only what they need, but what they want. The happiness is short lived because then they come across something else that they want and if they're unable to have it instantly, their happiness dwindles until the want is satisfied.

It's literally impossible, in my opinion - to keep everyone happy and to have them all live together peacefully and happily. It might work for a few months, or at best, for a few years - but I really doubt that it's sustainable and possible for anything longer than a few short, blissful years. You might find a small group of people who are all dedicated and committed to mindfulness, contentment, gratefulness and communist ideals who can make this sort of society work - but on the whole, it's impossible.

It'd be nice to just give it a chance: clear off a decent sized island and allow a community like this to give it a go and see whether humans really can live in harmony for more than just a few short years.

[Habitat]

1 hour ago, jypsijemini said:

It'd be nice to just give it a chance: clear off a decent sized island and allow a community like this to give it a go and see whether humans really can live in harmony for more than just a few short years.

It didn't seem to work that well on Pitcairn Island, with the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian ladies.

[qunaquna]

On 12/3/2019 at 5:10 PM, Still Waters said:

Imagine two different societies. In the first, people tend to be stressed, tense, irritable, distracted and self-absorbed. In the second, people tend to be at ease, untroubled, quick to laugh, expansive and self-assured.

The difference between these two imagined scenarios is vast. You’re not only more likely to be happier in the second scenario – you’re also more likely to be safer, healthier and have better relationships. The difference between a happy and an unhappy society is not trivial. We know that happiness matters beyond our desire to feel good.

So how can we create a happy society? 

https://theconversation.com/how-can-we-actually-create-happy-societies-124711

I don't think we can, even if you manage to make everyone happy with whatever, there will always be those who want more, it's evolutionary instict that drives the need to be better than everybody else in order to secure better survival of self and offspring.

There's no way to keep 6+ billion people absolutely happy and at ease, that would be almost as same as if they were all depressed.