tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post7505205420766933686..comments2024-03-27T21:10:10.606-07:00Comments on eLearning Technology: Happiness - Must Watch VideoTony Karrerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15408035995182843336noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-43179398854410922242007-06-20T07:33:00.000-07:002007-06-20T07:33:00.000-07:00These comments have been invaluable to me as is th...These comments have been invaluable to me as is this whole site. I thank you for your comment.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-14476999656682414612007-03-03T07:51:00.000-08:002007-03-03T07:51:00.000-08:00As my mother likes to say: through our routines, w...As my mother likes to say: through our routines, we can find freedom.<BR/><BR/>Interesting video. Somehow, I find myself feeling a bit skeptical. <BR/><BR/>Fate control is how this phenomenon was described to me. I found it interesting that Gilbert is working mostly with the exceptions rather the norm.<BR/><BR/>Many people living in deep poverty do not have the ability to see happiness in their conditions. Thus many people in deep poverty succumb to drug addiction, alcholism, and criminal behavior. Again, I didn't say all people in deep poverty succumb to this, but many do (more than half).<BR/><BR/>When I think of synthetic happiness I think of Hollywood, I think of manufactured consent, I think of Stephen's reference to the Stockholm Syndrome.<BR/><BR/>Gilbert touches on the buddhist idea of nothingness/emptiness which is difficult for many Westerners to wrap their heads around, i.e., nothing is everything, and nothing/everything is neither good nor bad-- it simply "is." Thinking makes things good/bad. <BR/><BR/>In my mind, happiness is a condition which invites sadness; you can't have one without the other. Though as Gilbert points out, it's all temporary. So, perhaps the answer is as cheeky as a song like "don't worry, be happy."httAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-70805938564129105082007-03-02T08:19:00.000-08:002007-03-02T08:19:00.000-08:00This phenomenon is well-documented. It's called th...This phenomenon is well-documented. It's called the Stockholm Syndrome, where the kidnap victim begins to identify with the kidnappers.<BR/><BR/>Doesn't make kidnapping good, though.Stephen Downeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06140591903467372209noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-79010979160478057832007-03-01T13:59:00.000-08:002007-03-01T13:59:00.000-08:00David - I actually don't know how to do anything b...David - I actually don't know how to do anything but delete a comment, so I'm going to leave both of yours.<BR/><BR/>By the way - have you been talking to my therapist about "your patterns of distorted thinking" or maybe my wife - I didn't think you knew me that well. :)<BR/><BR/>But that's a really good point about the connection to cognitive behavior therapy. I hadn't really thought about it in that context.Tony Karrerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15408035995182843336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-24462315762525523252007-03-01T13:47:00.000-08:002007-03-01T13:47:00.000-08:00Tony, that was me in the previous comment (about c...Tony, that was me in the previous comment (about cognitive behavior therapy). I'm not sure what happened to my name and link. Feel free to edit that comment (or this one).<BR/><BR/>Dave F.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-91156945199045694092007-03-01T13:45:00.000-08:002007-03-01T13:45:00.000-08:00Tony,You probably know about cognitive behavior th...Tony,<BR/><BR/>You probably know about cognitive behavior therapy (e.g., for anxiety or depression), which seems to me connected topart of Gilbert's message.<BR/><BR/>The therapy includes identifying your own patterns of distorted thinking (e.g., a tendency to see things as only black-and-white), recognizing the connection between your thoughts and the feelings they give rise to, and thus gaining control over those feelings.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-71923306392684470042007-03-01T10:22:00.000-08:002007-03-01T10:22:00.000-08:00Good point Harold. And you've already produced sy...Good point Harold. And you've already produced synthetic happiness about the fact that it's so dang cold up there... I can hear you know - "It keeps the beer cold, eh." ;-)<BR/><BR/>And as it turns out "pursuing happiness" may lead to being unhappy. We might be better off with "s**t happens" than "life, liberty and the pursuit ..." Who knew? And I'm not sure if I should be happy with this since it rocks the foundation of everything - but on the other hand, I don't know if there's anything I can do about it - so maybe I'm happier already. :)Tony Karrerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15408035995182843336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22055982.post-10468842000892238902007-03-01T10:14:00.000-08:002007-03-01T10:14:00.000-08:00Great video (I love TED Talks). I'd like to help y...Great video (I love TED Talks). <BR/><BR/>I'd like to help you, Tony, but "the pursuit of happiness" isn't a requirement north of the 49th ;-)Harold Jarchehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11462304722726586155noreply@blogger.com