Thread by @ThinkInPeach

Thread: Happiness Vs Contentment

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Modern life has you chasing thrills.

Sparked synapses seeking a dopamine hit: a night out, casual sex and online attention all hit this nerve.

Yet this is entirely based in the wrong model.

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The cultural weight attached to these activities is seeking one thing and one thing alone; an emotional spike.

And this is premised in the belief that we should be searching for 'happiness.'

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Happiness is an emotion, fleeting and momentary. By definition, it cannot be sustained. As such, we should not seek it. It will come – unsolicited – through day to day life.

What we should be searching for is contentment.

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Unfortunately, contentment has suffered at the hands of a psy-op. You may have felt a programmed thrill of distaste at the word.

That’s because you have been taught that aiming for contentment means living for comfort.

But that’s what they want you to think.

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Contentment is a state of being, one driven by purpose, where you are grateful for what you have, but strive for what you don't.

Those who strike this balance live a harmonized life.

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Another prong to this attack is the cultural focus to swing you away from what you need to achieve it.

Why?

Because the content are far harder to manipulate.

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This is why our society is set up to push you away from the three things you must meet to find it.

But what are these three things?

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Well, they are the things essential to existence:

1) Your Work
2) Your Health
3) Your Relationships

Let’s dive into each.

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1) Work

Your work is what you do -- not just your occupation (although that is a big part of it) -- but also your ethic, your hobbies and attitude.

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This is the cornerstone of everything you do. Those who do not have the correct work ethic never meet the standards they desire of themselves.

Without it, every other aspect of their life stagnates.

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And when you look at modern society, most are pushed into laziness. We are told success is a by-product of privilege,

that comfort is the goal, and discipline is tyrannical.

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Indeed, there are whole swathes of the population who believe work is not an intrinsic driver of humanity, but a system of oppression aimed at imprisoning the layman.

What fools they are.

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And this leads to the second of our three factors for contentment.

Health.

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2) Health

Your general well-being is the lens through which you live life. It is how you experience the day-to-day. Without it, existence becomes miserable. Even small-tasks become a chore.

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And what is an essential for health?

Work ethic.

Those who lack it cannot commit to hitting the gym 4+ days a week. They cannot be bothered to cook nutritious meals. They seek comfortable pleasure, instead of uncomfortable growth.

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And all of modern society is, again, set up to disconnect you from health.

From processed foods, to the availability of alcohol, to gadgets which distract you from sleep, it takes an iron Will to maintain your fitness.

One most appear unable -- or unwilling-- to enact.

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3) Relationships

It is well documented that those in relationships are happier than those who are not. And – whilst it’s the most important – this goes further than romance.

Close friends protect from depression, as well as having other beneficial effects on mental health.

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But once again, we bear witness to how society has pitted us against finding contentment. With the promotion of promiscuity, pair-bonding has been persecuted.

And beyond this belligerence, it biologically prevents both men and women from coupling.

https://twitter.com/ThinkInPeach/status/1297163565787303937?s=20

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And when we look at the statistics we can see marriage is plummeting; divorce is sky-rocketing...

and contentment has collapsed.

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To lay-out the sheer scale of the assault on sex and relationships would take more than a few Tweets.

Luckily I've produced a book on the matter.

gum.co/LdNvQ

22/

Described as:

"Very comprehensive. I recommend reading this as a working mental model of the present sexual and cultural world." - @LifeMathMoney

"It’s 10/10." - @UnmodernM

Without its knowledge, you will be left grasping.

gum.co/LdNvQ

23/

Of course there is more to contentment than just work, health and relationships, the decline of religion – as ever – is key.

But to improve our society requires each of us to fix these three areas.

And as our internal realigns, the external shall reshape.

24/End Thread