In praise of melancholy

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Thursday, August 21. 2008

"American culture's overemphasis on happiness misses an essential part of a full life." Chronicle. A quote:

A recent poll conducted by the Pew Research Center shows that almost 85 percent of Americans believe that they are very happy or at least pretty happy. The psychological world is now abuzz with a new field, positive psychology, devoted to finding ways to enhance happiness through pleasure, engagement, and meaning. Psychologists practicing this brand of therapy are leaders in a novel science, the science of happiness. Mainstream publishers are learning from the self-help industry and printing thousands of books on how to be happy. Doctors offer a wide array of drugs that might eradicate depression forever. It seems truly an age of almost perfect contentment, a brave new world of persistent good fortune, joy without trouble, felicity with no penalty.

Smileyface is an abomination. Up here in Yankeeland, a smiling face means that you are probably a car salesman. Keep your inner emotions to yourself.

Posted by Dr. Joy Bliss in Psychology, and Dr. Bliss at 13:24 | Comments (15) | Trackbacks (0)

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I believe that happiness is the most important reason for living. I do not think that it should (or can) be the persistent state for an entire life. And I don't think that relying on external chemicals is the best way to achieve happiness.

But when I spend 85%+ of my day being happy, well, I'm pretty happy about that.

#1 _Jon (Link) on 2008-08-21 13:38 (Reply)

In praise of melancholy? F*ck that noise. We're floating in space on a rock and melancholy is going to bury us, our friends and our family in some unordered fashion. Give me some Tequila, a sunny day and a beautiful woman who dances like mysterious tongues of fire. I want to shout at the sun and piss in the ocean; I'm going to laugh until I die. Melancholy will keep me company as any curse would, but I'm taking the lead as we dance towards the obliteration of every object of my lust and affection. Melancholy can kiss my @ss.

#2 Jephnol (Link) on 2008-08-21 15:24 (Reply)

Jephnol, I'm right with you. Give me burbon or vodka. Do those beautiful women come covered with flour? First we go buy our socom's, piss in the ocean , then take our pants back.
PS We will laugh our ass'es off doing it .

#2.1 jappy on 2008-08-21 18:02 (Reply)

Can you here how that would go?

"What do you mean you can't take these pants back? They're covered in urine! Can't you see I'm carrying a gun?"

#2.1.1 Jephnol (Link) on 2008-08-21 20:11 (Reply)

Melancholy is necessary, I guess, as a counterpoint to happiness, Jephnol, but one should terminate it as soon as possible with a little "whoop@ss' as you point out above. Large doses of it can be lethal. Keep up the dancing with the beautiful woman who dances like mysterious tongues of fire. How does that work, exactly? I'd love to know.

Watching gorgeous Michael Phelps swim cheers me up.

Marianne

#3 Marianne Matthews on 2008-08-21 15:37 (Reply)

Marianne, knowing you and your's our well, and not crankey is all I need to chase the blues away. You just keep looking Father Time in the eye, and tell him to BUG off. Ciao Bella, one of your many distractions. ME!!

#3.1 jappy on 2008-08-21 18:09 (Reply)

i don't know, maybe it's because i'm from the south, but i think if you're happy and you know it, clap your hands.

melancholy really only looks good on a select few.

#4 kab on 2008-08-21 15:56 (Reply)

Marianne

All women practice seduction, but the very best are the women who have seduced themselves.

When a woman dances with an animal intelligence for her own seduction and with a natural grace she is the finger of the devil himself.

#5 Jephnol (Link) on 2008-08-21 16:59 (Reply)

Dear Dr. Bliss,

Screw a bunch of melancholy. I suppose it is fine once a decade or so to spend a day or two languishing in it - sorta like biscuits and gravy. Practice that melancholy crap day in and day out and it'll turn you into the sort of person who believes this kinda tripe:

Ours are ominous times. We are on the verge of eroding away our ozone layer. Within decades we could face major oceanic flooding. We are close to annihilating hundreds of exquisite animal species. Soon our forests will be as bland as pavement. Moreover, we now find ourselves on the verge of a new cold war.

I spend way too much time avoiding those people, and I'm all the happier for it. I'm weary of the battle, the time remaining to me is too short. Screw melancholy and those who embrace it. If the melancholy wanna be miserable, fine, just leave the rest of us out of it.

Row off to Melancholy Island and hang your heads (after you sink all your boats).

#6 Knucklehead (Link) on 2008-08-21 17:26 (Reply)

I suppose, for full disclosure purposes, I should have mentioned that I am prone to bouts of melancholy. They come on every 2 or 3 years or so (not the per decade rate I'd prefer). And they last more than the day or two I think appropriate. And I somewhere around the midpoint of them, I kinda like 'em. But damn, Sam, climbing outta that shit is way too much like climbing outta a mudhole. Fun in the beginning, exhausting and frightening by the end.

So, OK, revel in melancholy when you first drop a brat off at college or somesuch, or when a dear friend passes on, but don't live it. For the love of Gaia, don't live it.

#7 Knucklehead (Link) on 2008-08-21 17:34 (Reply)

Here's a method for fighting melancholia:

HOW TO START EACH DAY WITH A POSITIVE OUTLOOK:

1. Open a new file in your computer.

2. Name it 'Barack Obama'.

3. Send it to the Recycle Bin.

4. Empty the Recycle Bin.

5. Your PC will ask you: 'Do you really want to get rid of 'Barack Obama?'

6. Firmly Click 'Yes.'

7. Feel better?

GOOD! - Tomorrow we'll do Nancy Pelosi!

#8 Knucklehead (Link) on 2008-08-21 17:58 (Reply)

Knucklehead, You funny guy. LOL

Dr Joy, Get rid of the funny face. Chronic depressives would rather prefer you in a bathing suit. You hot wackey shrink!!!

#8.1 jappy on 2008-08-21 18:25 (Reply)

Cool idea! What's great is it works for Oprah Winfrey and Rosie O'Donnel too...

As for the shrinks, yet another example of how this profession generates revenue for itself. We must have melancholia so we have someone to cure it for our miserable, helpless selves. On the other side, we need their help to "enhance" our happiness because, God knows, regular ole run-of-the-mill happiness is for losers who are too uncultured/uncivilized/yaddayadda to know how miserable they should be for not being happier than they are.

This country would be a damn sight happier of its own accord if half the shrinks got productive jobs straightening out our screwed up corporate HR departments or figuring out how to get a damn hamburger cooked properly and delivered to my table without having to ask me every 5 and a half seconds "Is everything OK?". Alas, this is just another sign that I need professional help. Woe is me...

#8.2 KRW on 2008-08-21 19:56 (Reply)

"Up here in Yankeeland, a smiling face means that you are probably a car salesman. Keep your inner emotions to yourself."

Does anyone note the irony in these words coming from Dr. JOY BLISS, shrink?

Dr. Bliss,

Is it not your objective as a shrink to get your melancholics to smile? How do you do that if you insist they keep their inner emotions to themselves?

And how did that make you feel? ... Oh, shut up, please. You are simply boring me senseless. That will be two-hundred dollars. How does that feel, Mr. Lonely?.....
`

#9 Meta on 2008-08-21 22:54 (Reply)

Interesting. Up here in NH, which I assume is part of the so called Yankeeland, people always smile, car salesmen and not.

I don't know too many folks who keep their inner emotions to themselves- except the old farts who have no life, no fun, no personality.

#10 Raven (Link) on 2008-08-25 21:06 (Reply)

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Thursday, August 21. 2008

In praise of melancholy