{"id":48200,"date":"2017-04-24T23:14:24","date_gmt":"2017-04-25T06:14:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=48200"},"modified":"2017-04-24T23:14:24","modified_gmt":"2017-04-25T06:14:24","slug":"happiness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/04\/24\/happiness\/","title":{"rendered":"HAPPINESS."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"eric-kim-hanoi-street-photography-0012576\"<\/p>\n

What is happiness?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Dear friend,<\/p>\n

I want to write you this letter on discussing some personal thoughts on \u00e2\u20ac\u02dchappiness.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122<\/p>\n

1. Eudaimonia<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In Greek times, they called \u00e2\u20ac\u02dchappiness\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 as \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcEudaimonia\u00e2\u20ac\u2122. The concept is \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcHuman flourishing\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 \u00e2\u20ac\u201d or \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcGood spirit.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122<\/p>\n

Happiness isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t the pleasure we get when certain foods pass through our throats, and exit our bottoms.<\/p>\n

Happiness isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t having an orgy with a bunch of beautiful people, plugging every single orifice with an organ.<\/p>\n

Happiness isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t having a lot of 1\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s and 0\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s in your bank account. Because after a while\u00e2\u20ac\u201d it is like Simcity where you just get bored\u00e2\u20ac\u201d getting more \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcSimcity money\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 is boring.<\/p>\n

Happiness isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t having a cow-skin bag with the letters \u00e2\u20ac\u0153LV\u00e2\u20ac\u009d stitched on the side.<\/p>\n

Happiness isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t owning a rectangular box, with 4 wheels, and a fast engine.<\/p>\n

Happiness isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t traveling to foreign countries and cities.<\/p>\n

Happiness isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t getting fucked up with drugs, alcohol, or substances.<\/p>\n

2. What is happiness?<\/h2>\n

\"Cindy<\/p>\n

Happiness is human flourishing.<\/p>\n

Happiness is active<\/em> \u00e2\u20ac\u201d when are creating, engaged in meaningful conversation, or when we are loving<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Happiness is becoming the best version of yourself. Happiness is the fun you get from the challenge of pushing yourself past your boundaries. Happiness is increasing your 1-rep maximum for your deadlift. Happiness is making a photograph that is better than photos you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve made in the past. Happiness is creating art that uplifts your soul, and uplifts the souls of others.<\/p>\n

\"eric<\/p>\n

Happiness is holding the hand of your grandmother. Happiness is calling your mom, and telling her, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I am so grateful for you \u00e2\u20ac\u201d you helped me become the person that I am today. Thank you.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Happiness is learning, expanding your mind, cutting away prejudices from your mind, and spreading love with others.<\/p>\n

Happiness is knowing that you will die one day \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and to not waste a single moment of your life.<\/p>\n

Happiness is rejoicing in the fraternity of humankind\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and treating everyone else like your brother or sister, your mother or father, your grandma or grandpa, or your wife, husband, or partner.<\/p>\n

3. Heroin = happiness?<\/h2>\n

\"eric<\/p>\n

If happiness was just a pleasure-feeling dopamine\/serotonin response we get from our brain \u00e2\u20ac\u201d it would make more sense to just take heroin all the time.<\/p>\n

If we feel \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcpleasurable\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 feelings from Heroin \u00e2\u20ac\u201d is that \u00e2\u20ac\u02dctrue\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 happiness?<\/p>\n

Most people would probably say no.<\/p>\n

4. Happiness is living for others<\/h2>\n

\"eric<\/p>\n

They\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve done studies\u00e2\u20ac\u201d where students can spend $20 on themselves, or on a friend (or stranger). Students report 0 change in happiness when they spend the $20 on them. But the students report +10 happiness points when they spend that money on a friend\u00e2\u20ac\u201d buying them lunch, a card and some coffee, or a movie ticket.<\/p>\n

To me, I think it is something in our human DNA that we gain happiness and feelings of pleasure, joy, and exaltation of spirit when we help other human beings.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

For me, I gain a lot more happiness helping an old person cross the street than when I play Madden.<\/p>\n

I gain more happiness helping Cindy get out of bed in the morning, making her breakfast and coffee\u00e2\u20ac\u201d than when I play Starcraft.<\/p>\n

I gain more happiness writing blog posts that can help others, rather than just watching porn.<\/p>\n

5. Happiness is bravery<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n The braver you are, the happier you are.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think it is possible to be happy without bravery.<\/p>\n

Bravery will give us the courage to create more art<\/a>. Bravery will allow us to have the courage to approach strangers, and ask them to make a portrait<\/a> of them \u00e2\u20ac\u201d or to just take a candid street photograph<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Bravery will give us the confidence to publish and share our work \u00e2\u20ac\u201d even though we might self-doubt ourselves and our creative merit.<\/p>\n

\"erickim-kkk-photocubism\"<\/p>\n

How to be more brave in life?<\/p>\n