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Page added on August 17, 2014
Kurt Cobb: I’d be happier if I didn’t write this stuff
Thus happiness depends, as Nature shows, Less on exterior things than most suppose. –William Cowper
For years my father–who is a really great guy–has been telling me that I’d be a happier person if I didn’t write about all the converging threats bearing down on the human race. Turns out he’s right!
Here’s what a new study said on the matter:
Recent evidence suggests that a state of good mental health is associated with biased processing of information that supports a positively skewed view of the future. Depression, on the other hand, is associated with unbiased processing of such information.
Let me translate: If you fool yourself about what you are really seeing in the world and convince yourself that it will lead to a good future for you and whomever else you care about, you’ll maintain good mental health. If, on the other hand, you look reality squarely in the eye, you are more likely to get depressed. Life, as it turns out, isn’t a bed of roses.
Now, I would put the “positively skewed” person in the same category as turkeys. You may be familiar with philosopher Bertrand Russell’s story of the turkey. A farmer feeds this turkey every morning. Using inductive reasoning, the turkey becomes more and more convinced each day that the morning feedings will extend indefinitely. One day the farmer appears with an ax, demonstrating the weakness of inductive reasoning.
It’s easy to see that the turkey is happier up to the point of slaughter NOT knowing what is coming. (I’m assuming the turkey, in this case, would be powerless even with foreknowledge to prevent his own demise.) Not knowing, he is better adjusted to his surroundings, and he’s not busily writing columns about the impending turkey slaughter that all turkeys should be aware of. This lack of knowledge certainly prevents stress and stress-related diseases, both mental and physical. One has to admit that the turkey has a good life (for a turkey) up to a certain point.
We should also note that there is no way that examining his past–i.e., previous feedings–would allow the turkey to understand the danger. The slaughter of turkeys is nowhere to be found in the time series of his feedings or his life in general. (The analogy for the human race would be the last 150 years or so in which the notion of perpetual progress has become entrenched in the human psyche.)
We can learn two things from the turkey’s story. First, if you are a turkey, it is better to be ignorant of your own demise if you are be unable to do anything about it (even with foreknowledge). Second, information about the nature and timing of your demise may not be available through an examination of your past–though an examination of the past of many turkeys might shed light on the situation.
Let’s expand on this. Since I am, in fact, not a turkey, or more particularly the turkey in the story above, it is possible that I might be able to do something to avoid my premature demise if I have information about it. But, of course, anyone who writes about our converging environmental and resource-related threats, isn’t really writing about individuals, but about humans as a species.
So, it is possible that one path to relative happiness is to remain ignorant of such challenges so as not to suffer anxiety about them. Then, if society cannot head off these catastrophes, at least you wouldn’t suffer anxiety about them prior to their arrival at your doorstep. And, it’s possible they may never reach your doorstep during your lifetime. This, however, sounds more like a dereliction of one’s civic duty than a path to enlightenment.
That’s because if my efforts and the efforts of millions of others around the globe are able to move the needle of society toward sustainability, those uninvolved and untroubled by our problems would be getting a free ride. We sustainability types do all the work and then have to share the benefits.
But, the more people who join in the work of moving society toward sustainability, the more likely it is that this work will succeed. The failure to achieve a sustainable society might be the direct result of too few participants trying to achieve it. The free ride problem just got a lot more deadly.
There is also the problem of the definition of “good mental health” or more speculatively, the meaning of “happiness,” and whether these ought to be one’s goals in life. Human life, no matter how materially advantaged, is bound to be filled with pain, disappointment and loss. The unpredictability of our lives makes it certain that you cannot plan to have a happy life. You may get what you believe to be a happy existence. But it is likely to be the result of luck more than choice and planning.
And, if the definition of happiness includes all kinds of unhappiness experienced in the pursuit of one’s goals–even if those goals are achieved–I would say that such a definition is drained of all intelligibility. It may have some mystical significance that I don’t understand. The everyday meaning of happiness, so far as I know, does not include excessive suffering, pain and loss.
But back to my father. He also contends that he is very good at dealing with “reality.” And, he is. He’s one of those rare people who, when he looks at what he has to do each day, realizes that the task which seems most disagreeable is probably the most important.
I take this as a clue that he has not pursued happiness as his main goal in life. Rather, he saw his highest calling as his duty to others, to his family, to his friends, to his community, to his country, to the people who worked for him while he was running several companies. There is a certain satisfaction in living this way, some might even say a certain joy in the commitment itself. But it is not a path that leads to a persistent state of happiness.
It really should be no surprise to him that “being happy” is not my highest priority, and that his wish for all his children to “be happy” could easily turn into a curse of ignorance. Admittedly, trying to understand the world around us can end up being burdensome, especially if one concentrates on the human prospect in the face of the emerging multiple threats to the stability of our civilization.
But trying to understand our place in the universe and on the Earth can also be exciting and stimulating. And, trying to move society in a more sustainable direction in concert with others can be both rewarding and fun. It turns out that even people who don’t put their personal happiness first on their list of priorities can have a good time in this world. And, sometimes they can even be happy!
P.S. Doing something which gives our lives a broader meaning can give us a kind of satisfaction that the “pursuit of happiness” can never provide. I am reminded of Swiss psychologist Carl Jung’s story about a meeting with the religious leader of the Taos pueblo. The leader related the following:
“The Americans should stop meddling with our religion, for when it dies and we can no longer help the sun our Father cross the sky, the Americans and the whole world will learn something in ten years’ time, for then the sun won’t rise any more.”*
The leader and his people were not just doing their ceremonies to the sun for themselves. They were doing them for the whole world.
P.P.S. This excellent cartoon nicely summarizes one of the main points of this piece.
16 Comments on "Kurt Cobb: I’d be happier if I didn’t write this stuff"
Plantagenet on Sun, 17th Aug 2014 5:00 pm
This whole article can be summarized in four words: Don’t worry—be happy!
Harquebus on Sun, 17th Aug 2014 5:37 pm
“It got so bad in Greece, a developed EU nation, that people had no access to life saving medicines or food, and underground barter markets quickly appeared to meet demand in a society that ran out of traditional currency to pay for goods.”
http://www.shtfplan.com/headline-news/investment-guru-warns-the-market-is-very-crash-prone-very-fragile_08162014
Ignorant bliss is only temporary. Reality is a bitch, ain’t it?
jmb on Sun, 17th Aug 2014 5:39 pm
Would you go to a doctor who refused to see disease because it threatens ourhappiness? To treat a disease means first you have to look at it.
rdberg1957 on Sun, 17th Aug 2014 5:43 pm
As I view the threats toward mankind, it does cause me distress, knowing that we are merrily ignoring the likely suffering that will ensue. What helps me maintain sanity is knowing that we are one of many species which has come and gone. We will not likely destroy the planet, but there may come a time, relatively soon, when there are very humans left because we have destroyed and denuded our habitat and the habitats of most animals. Plants will likely survive as different species can adapt to a wide variety of climatic conditions.
While I have moments of hopelessness about this possible scenario, I largely have decided to continue living as best I can. I still drive a car because I can’t get to work any other way where I live. My position is that we will move head full steam with production until we can’t. I don’t know when that is. I am therefore an existentialist, believing that existence doesn’t make much sense anyhow and that the only sane choice is to enjoy life as much as one can, balancing a sense of purpose with enjoying each moment I am alive. This is not exactly business as usual, but it may not look radically different. It is radically different internally.
paulo1 on Sun, 17th Aug 2014 5:51 pm
Good one. My sister and I had a similar conversation this morning about folks who simply choose not to be informed, (about anything).
The jist:
One should be informed and try and work towards a values-based deliberate life. (I won’t pretend to tell you what values to follow like so many do.) However, for mental health always keep in mind your sphere of influence and set realistic and attainable goals. Our conversation ended with an agreement to honour our lives with appreciation and thanks for our opportunities, friends, and family.
All the best..Paulo
bobinget on Sun, 17th Aug 2014 6:12 pm
This year’s drought and timely deaths of our two faithful farm-dogs (18 yrs old) has brought untold new wildlife to our irrigated farm. For the first time in years we have wild turkeys strutting about in our tall insect laden grasses, rabbits, geese, duck, birds of all sorts munching away on our blueberries. There are piles of blue-poop, evidence of larger mammals, probably raccoons. A third generation of deer are breeding away with hunting season drawing near.
Only fish are absent as there has been no water in the creek for months.
Do the turkeys worry about the growing ‘Happy Camp’ fire across the freeway? ‘Our’ turkeys are multiplying because no one took packs of coyotes to vets to cure Parvo or even something more sinister caught from infected field mice and rats that are now reproducing at alarming rates because like wild turkey they have no natural enemies.
Winters are milder, dryer. Great for sunbathing not so good for our local ski resort unable, for lack of snow, to open for the first time in fifty years.
No snow, no snowpack, no irrigation, no hydro power.
Turkeys found our patch of green overloaded with
insects, if they fatten up, they will make it through the coming winter, if not, we could have one for a Thanksgiving dinner.
Next growing season if winter snow is a no show, what will ‘our’ turkeys eat? Will we eat them?
We know this, those happy turkeys don’t suspect a thing.
eugene on Sun, 17th Aug 2014 8:16 pm
Every time I’ve ignored reality, it bit me and a couple of times bit me hard. Personally, the “be happy, don’t worry” crowd do not impress me. I learned, the hard way, that reality always wins.
JuanP on Sun, 17th Aug 2014 8:19 pm
There is no doubt that being open to the truth of our predicament as a species and all the unnecessary pain and suffering it will cause is tough on one’s mental health.
I have suffered from cronic and acute clinical depression for most of my life, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I am willing to pay any price in my quest for the truth. This quest for the truth and my relationship with my wife are the only two reasons for me to stay here; the rest of it is not worth what it costs, to me.
Makati1 on Sun, 17th Aug 2014 8:32 pm
“…It turns out that even people who don’t put their personal happiness first on their list of priorities can have a good time in this world. And, sometimes they can even be happy!…”
Frankly, it took me the first 60 years to learn that happiness is relative and you can be happy without most of today’s ‘Stuff”. I grew up in a country that was/is brainwashed by Madison avenue advertising on TV, in books and magazines, on billboards, in movies, etc. All telling me I had to have this or that to be happy/safe/handsome/healthy etc.
Then I moved out of that consumer culture into another less worldly and realized that the US is NOT the real world. I now live with a culture that is only beginning to be Westernized and can still enjoy life without much more than the necessities. With luck, the collapse will happen before they lose this ability to enjoy life without a lot of unnecessary “Stuff”.
As for me, I look at each day as a gift. What happens is an experience to be enjoyed or an event to be endured. I know that when I die, I will not even know it happened. Only those I leave behind will know and that too will fade with time.
rockman on Sun, 17th Aug 2014 8:57 pm
M – Yes. It seems to me that whether one focuses on a negative or positive future they share one thing in common with the other viewpoint: they both die. So pick which path you want to follow but we all end up in the same place…no where. Which is why I suspect so many folks are drawn to the various religions. As a devout atheist I don’t have such expectations to ease my thoughts. There is a heaven and hell for me. They both confront me on a regular basis. LOL.LO
Davy on Sun, 17th Aug 2014 9:26 pm
Well, Rock, “I swear there ain’t no heaven and I pray there ain’t no Hell…an old Blood Sweat and Tears song I enjoy. Heaven is here on earth and when you are dead you are worm food. But I would not discount something deeper beyond our human senses and understanding. I personally can’t friggen figure out why there is anything at all to begin with. I mean there is no friggen reason for anything. I can’t imagine how anything would just poof into existence. In that respect to me there is more to life. I am smart enough to know that all we are is biology and chemistry living by natural laws with geological acquiescence. Faith, spirituality, and their connections are a human construction through chemical and biological processes. Yet, I feel none of us are capable of dismissing something higher and eternal. I find my happiness in nature and close human relationships. The rest of modern life is something I study like a biologist dissects a frog. Human culture that we know today as modern man is something I find ugly and shameful. Real beauty I see in nature. I study modern life with fascination and wonder but I don’t admire it.
J-Gav on Mon, 18th Aug 2014 7:36 am
As Krishnamurti put it:
“Being well-adapted to an insane society is not a sign of good mental health.”
Davy on Mon, 18th Aug 2014 8:00 am
Gav, isn’t it testimonial of modern life of globalism, free market, democracy, and large political/social arrangements that we have so many mental health issues. We know from science some are genetic and because our society can treat and assimilate these conditions many are allowed to live that would otherwise die. Many mental health issues are conditioning of what you mention as an insane society. I also see many as part of our exposure to unnatural toxins and substances. I have done extensive studies of the Native American tribes but with the most focus on the Osage who once dominated my home area. Their living arrangements and social structures were well defined with everyone having a place within this society and the whole society having an intimate connection to nature in resilience and sustainability. There was rigidity but also adaptations when it was necessary. I feel we were not meant to civilize past these so called primitive societies. At least we were not meant to civilize in a condition of energy intensity that allowed complexity and population overshoot in such a short time. I feel because of the coming descent and the uncertainties of climate we may be forced back to these primitive societies. Agriculture may not have a future. There is no traditional civilization without agriculture. It is not yet clear if we can reconnect to what was lost. These earlier societies evolved their social arrangements of thousands of years and they were lost in a generation.
rockman on Mon, 18th Aug 2014 8:06 am
Davy – Well said IMHO. Which is why I never dispute anyone’s feelings/faith in such matters. It’s a very personal decision no less valid then mine. Which is that there is no loving/just being of ultimate power out there. I’ve seen the proof of that first hand. But there could be a cruel Almighty out there that I might stand before in judgment one day. Then I would really hope there’s no hell: if I haven’t already earned a hot seat I definitely would after I told Him what I thought of His actions. LOL.
Like you there are many things I don’t understand. Like the various unit measurements of electricity. But I don’t need to believe in a higher power to accept what I don’t understand. LOL
ghung on Mon, 18th Aug 2014 9:16 am
I admit that it’s a bit tough to go through life in a love/hate relationship with one’s own species. I’m not sure how some of us came to find ourselves in this awkward predicament, but in my case, I just go with it best I can. I suppose it’s why I’ve ‘retired’ to a relatively rural life. I need and enjoy the company of others, but need to retreat from over-socializing with those who share a different surreality. Get headaches otherwise.
JuanP on Mon, 18th Aug 2014 9:41 am
I have learnt that while we can’t control many of the things that happen to us in life, we can control how we choose to react to them. It is in selecting our reactions to events in our life that are beyond our control that we become who we are as individuals.