The Happiness Fantasy - Summary
The happiness fantasy revolves around ideas of self-actualization, authenticity and pleasure-seeking that arose from the work and thought of Wilhelm Reich in the 1920s, were developed by the human potential movement in the 1960s and 1970s and were commercialized by that same movement in the 1980s and 1990s. In becoming popularized and commercialized, their problematic, contradictory nature has become apparent, rendering the happiness fantasy increasingly untenable.
What you can do:
Think about alternatives to the happiness fantasy.
One such alternative was hinted at in this book: the socialist and anarchist vision of society, in which collective happiness is achieved through the practice of communal solidarity, resource-sharing and mutual aid. If that vision appeals to you, can you work out some of the details of how it could be pursued? If it doesn’t appeal to you, can you think of another alternative?
You’re right there about the happiness fantasy. As long as we’re pursuing tomorrow’s happiness, that’s all it is - a fantasy.
For me, the best alternative is finding a meaning in life. This meaning can either be communal or individual. But as long as you’re pursuing that meaning, you’ll be happy as default.
Great post there, following you 💯 In fact, I also wrote a post about the Illusory Pursuit of Happiness a few days ago. I’ll give you a link to that. I’m sure you’ll like the idea.
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Here’s the link if you’d like to read 😉
https://steemit.com/mindset/@translogicalguy/the-illusory-pursuit-of-happiness-0qulzz6j
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Thanks , I will have a look at it
That is similar to the book I read: Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor. E Frankl.
I might make a summary of that book in the future too
I read that book too, haha. And many of my ideas originate from Frankl’s existential psychology.
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