If you had to choose between Truth or Happiness (page 2)

hillary_step

An interesting question and an apt moment for Arthur Lee's particular brand of nihilism, "you think your happy and you are happy that's what your happy for".

Truth is seldom completely grasped even small matters as it is subjective to input, but the closest we can come to reliant truths are those based on science. Whatever our spiritual inclination, we will all die without knowing the answer to the many fundamental cosmic truths, if indeed they exist, such as those that deal with consciousness and existence. For most of us life is pretty much a 'Western Front' and our lives can work quite well if filmed from just the right angle that allows a mix of truth and happiness to keep us from the pills or the cells.

Personally I think that a state of happy ignorance is highly underrated and it certainly works for some - check out Laura Bush's smile and you will see what I mean.

Best regards - HS

Satanus

I assume that you mean real truth, and real happiness. Bear in mind, that while there is some truth available today, a lot of the commonly accepted, along w the political correctness is not real truth.

By happiness, you mean real happiness? I ask that, because i don't consider most of the feelings that i had in the wt as real happiness. There was always the underlying, how will i describe it, restrictions to thought, guilt, fear of displeasing, and stuff like that. To me, that isn't really happiness. Happiness includes an abundant feeling of an open and free environment.

Anyways, i choose happiness. If i am really happy, but don't know much, at least i am happy.

maxwell

It's hard for me to fathom such a situation. Like most other people I believe that I can find happiness knowing the truth. I don't believe this situation can exist, but what if I had that hypothetical situation where it was either one or the other? I probably would not believe those were my only two choices and I'd choose truth and be forced to suffer unhappiness while knowing truth.

Leaving the confines of that hypothetical situation, I can say that I don't believe happiness is 100% dependent upon the people in my life presently, family, friends, etc. So I don't think that leaving them behind would automatically mean unhappiness. Many of us have virtually done the same thing in leaving the JW. I do think that humans need interaction with other humans. So if the choice included leaving all humans behind and living the rest of my life solitary from humans, I'd probably just choose happiness. People become dysfunctional without regular contact with other humans and I'm sure I would do the same. Humans have survived for thousands of years on this planet in various states of delusion and I think many are happy.

Valis

Ya ever watch Logan's Run? think I'd prefer happiness...*LOL* At least before Carousel anyway...*LOL*

Sincerely,

District Overbeer

Satanus

People tend to think that there must be a catch in the offer of happiness. I base my choice on the premise that there isn't, ie, no god's judgement, no meat grinder in waiting, no other penalty. It will be interesting to see if dh brings in some conditions in this hypothetical offer.

Descender

So this is one of those hypothetical questions where we look back and say, well most of us have opted for the truth at one time or another being the fact that we were trapped in an alternate reality known as Jehovah's Witnesses --- and now we aren't. And a lot of us are happier now than we were before.

This question takes the premice a bit further and basically says that it's possible that we are trapped in a big lie. Maybe it's something like the Matrix, or Vanilla Sky where he was trapped in a dream that became a nightmare. Maybe I'm in a coma and I've dreamed all of this up and if I knew the truth I could break free. Maybe I've lived 100 lives before and I just don't remember and knowing the truth would lead me to eternal enlightenment. Or maybe, the truth isn't so wonderful and mystical. Maybe I'd ask for the truth and learn that there is no god, that evolution has shaped our world and that when we die nothing special happens, we just rot.

If I was given the option right now, without a question in my mind, I would instantly choose blissfull happiness. I wouldn't want there to be a micron of a chance that the latter of the above truths would be the real one if I was going to give up so much. Have you ever known someone you love so much, even after years and years of being with them, that you'd do anything to keep that love. That happiness, for me, would be far to great to take a chance on a truth that might be something I already have a good idea about.

Now on the other hand, if I'd just disassociated myself from the JW religion, if all my aquantances would no longer talk to me and I had no loving wife, children, parents, pets, etc. Then yeah, why not. Show me the Truth, I'd have nothing to lose.

greatcrowd

Truth removes the scales that covers ones eyes. I believe that knowlegde will only bring happiness if it provides a basis of happiness as a goal. If one becomes aware that one has lost a loved one, sadness will prevail. When I found the truth about "the truth", I was depressed. For so long, "the truth" was an opium that I used to lull myself. If the truth is that, we die like animals with no after life, I wonder how that can be a source of happiness.

Well, as for me, I will rather be happy and take the blue pill.

sf

In 'other words'...

Would you rather live with the crap IN your 'fridge/icebox/cold soul/core' or the crap BEHIND 'It'?

Most CAN live with what is within, yet not [edited to correct the word "not"(damn it)] what is behind what is within.

Simple.

sKally

patio34

Good question, dh, but I feel that it's unanswerable for me at least. I do feel as if I "know" the "truth," and I feel happy. It seems to me that your question presupposes some arcane religious, spiritual, mystical "truth," which I don't happen to think that there is any such thing.

That's all just my opinion.

Pat

Rick Aust

Since finding the truth about the "Truth". I've come to understand the saying "Ignorance is bliss". But I prefer knowing the truth regardless. Truth is priceless. People Die for Truth. And people kill to conceal Truth.

If you had to choose between Truth or Happiness

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