The root causes of cheerfulness?

Stephen wrote:

"Thanks for the article. It has triggered some thoughts.
The questions we've been asked are real: how do we control our emotions and desires? how do we maintain our cheerfulness?
While the article was well written, except for two little problems: the author didn't explain to us how to control our desires; and how to maintain cheerfulness?
The devil, I believe, is always in the details.

While we all live in the real world, we need desires and emotions in many of our endeavours, without which we won't be able to survive. As much as we want to eliminate the 'bad' emotions, to a large extent our behaviors are pretty much driven by 'emotional shortcuts' which have been developed in the last tens of thousands of years during which our ancestors gone thru the evolution process(it's been ongoing, even as we speak).

To wit, Dutch Philosopher Benedictus Spinoza once said: "It is necessary to know the power and the infirmity of our nature, before we can determine what reason can do in restraining the emotions, and what is beyond her power."

As we learn from many psychologists, the human brain is run by both the reflexive(driven by intuition) and reflective(driven by logical analysis) systems. Think of the former as 'on auto-pilot' in order to steer us away from immediate threats or troubles; it must be rapid-fire. The latter being a slow, analytical process where our check-and-balance system kicks in. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, most humans make judgments and decisions primarily by the reflexive system. (If not, we are all dead by now!)

That leaves us with the big question: theories aside, how do we practically, consistently control our desires & emotions?

The next key question - how to 'maintain cheerfulness' as opined by the author seems to be alot easier to put into practice, at least in theory. If I understand correctly from my philosophy classes (don't blame me, since I took my PHL101 class during lunch time when I was in the engineering school), the first lesson about cheerfulness or happiness is that the surest way to be un-cheerful or unhappy is to think that they can be directly sought of. (repeat after me please)

The fact of the matter is, things like cheerfulness or happiness is an epiphenomenom(you see, that's all I know to impress you?) - that is, something that arises as a by-product of other things. It comes unconsciously and from the side; it isn't and can never be a direct outcome that it can be mechanically attained by pushing a few buttons. Neither can we 'try to maintain cheerfulness' with a snap of fingers.

So what are the 'things' or activities of which its by-products will make us cheerful or happy? Activities that are worthwhile in themselves, that bring senses of satisfaction and achievement in the doing, that give a sense of well-doing and well-being. Examples like enjoyment with family, good friendship, arts/music, scenic places or beautiful things, of success(in achievement sense, not just material rewards), charity etc. are invariable sources of satisfaction and happiness.

Last but not least, the fact that 'the pursuit of happiness' is written in the American constitution has no guarantee that we can all be happy. The key is how do we put those 'things' or activities mentioned above into actions. That is something we can really control.


Be cheerful,

Stephen"

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