The Pursuit of Happiness, Part 2
Happiness = Satisfaction / Desires
Using the equation above, what would be the answer to happiness if Desires approach zero? What would you conclude about the secret of happiness based on your answer?
Hint: What happens when you divided something by a zero?
Comments (17)
Your equation is too complicate for Shrekie; I have only study up to addition and subtraction …. lolz
Happiness = Fiona
Hmmm. Since “desires” normally imply a wish for something in the future, I would say Happiness=Living in the Moment. Mindful living, most likely, and not entrapment in rote behaviors. Satisfaction/gratification would be immediate and thus, you would be happy.
Hmm…nothing can be divisible by zero–so I did learn something from high school math.
But wow…if I only had control over my desires. Actually, maybe I should consider attachment to those desires affecting that equation. It probably belongs in the denominator.
Silly engineer – always trying to put life into an equation.
Ron, because she’s an engineer, she knows it can’t be zero. But I am sure I can minimize my desires, and/or maximize my satisfactions. Either that, or just be happy and let the satisfactions and desires work themselves out to balance with happiness.
Trimtab did say “approaches zero”, if you are only approaching then I would guess that we are not at zero. lol
Happiness=being love
If I have a pie, and divide to zero people; which means I have it all to my self … hahaha
Shrek azn, you are closer…..instead of “pie” just apply the same rational method to “happiness”
The stupid question: Can desires be negative in value? Or are we simply working from the right-hand limit for this function?
The “misery loves company” question: If we can surmise that for a given life situation satisfaction has a negative value, would it not lead to the most possible harm to personal happiness (negative infinity) if desire was brought to zero? Would not the solution then be to spread your dissatisfaction in as many different directions as possible?
The viability question: Can a numeric value actually be put to either happiness or satisfaction? If not, is this not just a fun little demonstration that I’m taking far too seriously?
Do you mean that happiness requires desires to be an existent quality?
Ahh…never mind. i meisread it. As desire approaches zero, happiness will increase tenfold. Fantastic.
Ha ha… great minds think alike. =D
A few weeks ago, I cooked up this equation about enjoyment of food.
Enjoyment = quality/price (valid only to poor, hungry students)
Therefore, free food are always great, regardless how crappy the food is. =D
For this case, I think a general formular is Satisfaction = (what you get)/(what you pay). Or is it Satisfaction = (what you get) – (what you pay)? Uhm…
btw, what’s morton sense of humor? No salt?
Since nothing is divisable by zero I guess I am to give up desire. Not ready for that yet. Judi
…do I need to carry the two, or multiply the three?
It is Never zero. It is maybe just shy of it, a decimal numbr perhaps, but it is there…just waiting to be discovered and multiplied. If you are not intouch with your Desires, or things that make you happy, you need to find a new bag of tricks…a new hobby, a new sport, a new book or class or something that breaks you out of your rut, and into a new productive Zone!
There is always soemthing out there in life, to be discovered. Always. There is joy in living, and indeed, in the very discovery of things itself.
Having no desires means that you would be dead,.and if you were dead,..you couldn’t be happy as the “Dead don’t feel!”
This is in response to the post that you just put up and then deleted as I was writing the comment below!!
“How does one aquire satisfaction?”
Still have desires but don’t need them to be fulfilled? Become the witness.?
Be completely happy with right now. Stop resisting the present.
Have a satisfying day!