Everything ZEN? "Optimistic nihilism" - Nothing matters, but it's OK

Do what you did to Bart to me, Lisa. I want to be Big Fat Buddha. - His name is Budai, Dad, and he's NOT the Buddha. He is a jolly bodhisattva with a big candy sack . - Ooh, Santa Budai!

Maha Kassapa smiles at a flower.

Is optimistic nihilism a healthy way of life? In the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the original BBC Radio series before the books, there's a very funny scene in an exchange between the human, Arthur Dent, and a stranger on the planet of Magrathea, a mythical planet that builds planets and therefore couldn't possibly exist. But here it is.

• VIDEO: "Optimistic nihilism" is when we take the attitude of "nothing matters, but it's okay

The stolen ship, The Heart of Gold, which is powered by the new infinite improbability drive, has found it. (Zaphod Beeblebrox, the president of the galaxy, stole it when he was meant to be launching it so he could carry out this secret plan, which first includes getting here to Magrathea).

The crew has entered and left poor Arthur on the surface, where he runs into the Magrathean Slartibartfast, who builds planets and who made the fjords of Earth. He is now working on Earth Mark II.

"Don't panic" (Douglas Adams)

Arthur Dent can't believe his ears, a reference to Earth so far out in space? Earth really is significant and special! But now it's all gone, destroyed by the Vogons.

Arthur, reflecting in this way, asks Slartibartfast a philosophical question about the meaning of life, the universe, and everything. Slartibartfast gives a very strange answer.

The question runs something like, "What's the meaning of it all?"

Zen Master Bart* or Lisa Simpson? (Matt Groening)

Slartibartfast replies, "I say, 'Hang the sense of it'! I far rather be 

happy than right any day."

"And are you?" Arthur interjects with awe.

"No," Slartibartfast laments, "that's where it all falls down of course."

It's a nice philosophy but he -- and one suspects most of us -- can't live up to it. We'd far rather be happy than right, but we are neither happy nor right.

(It sort of gives a boost to those of us who'd far rather be right than happy, though, sadly, we're not right either most of the time, and as for happy? Fuhgeddaboudit.)

So what's the chance any of us are going to pull off this optimistic nihilism?

Optimistic? Okay, if we can manage it or set it as our default option and not worry. Nihilism? Easy, for some of us, all bleak, depressive, laughing at Woody Allen quips at the absurdity of things. WATCH

How to be happy and get saved?

Cosmic Amitabha [God] Buddha

*Does anyone remember that episode of The Simpsons when a psychologist decides that Bart is the healthiest person in Springfield? The doctor finds Bart the most "Zen." He's spontaneous, unpremeditated, artless, authentic, speaks his mind. He's so healthy everyone decides to be like him, and Bart hates it. Suddenly his uniqueness is taken away.

These attributes really are aspirations of Zen Buddhism, according to Alan Watts. The reason for it seems rooted in Taoism more than in what the historical Buddha taught. But it all comes down to a great division that occurred in Mahayana Buddhism, the great Tariki versus Jiriki Debate, whether salvation (enlightenment, awakening, spiritual liberation, emancipation, moksha, freedom, nirvana) is to be attained by our power (efforts) or other power (the efforts of something extrinsic), by our force or an outside force).

What patriarchal Mahayana Buddhism needs is a Goddess of Compassion, a Mary: Guanyin

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The historical Buddha Gautama (Gandhara)

The historical Buddha taught a path of our own efforts, but many later Mahayana Buddhists deviated back to the world-popular path of blind faith, intense devotion, petitioning a higher power to do it for us.

This is never what the Buddha taught, but it makes more philosophical sense: Since we can't by our own power, we need to engage a Higher Power (like Amitabha Buddha, Mother Mary/Bodhisattva of Compassion Kwan Yin, other Cosmic Buddhas, God, or who knows) and hitch our train to that.

Hey, and this tulku bodhisattva?

In Mahayana, everyone will be saved eventually because a great Bodhisattva is going to see to it before attaining buddhahood and his own emancipation.

That's the thinking, Alan Watts explains, and that's why Pure Land Buddhism (Nichiren Shōshū) from Japan and China, Imperial Holy Roman Catholicism, Christianity (Jesus freaks), Islam, some New Age teachings...are all so popular. Will it be us doing or other doing?

Christianity as afterthought

Super Friends: Buddha, Krishna, Mo, Yeshua, Aquaman, Moses, Laozi, Joe Smith (South Park)

Misquoting Jesus (Bart Ehrman)

It's funny that those who are adamant that some other power must save us still have a lot for us to do, as if we were saving ourselves.

Christians hypocritically say ONLY Jesus saves -- but to be saved, WE have to ask, repent, plead for the Holy Spirit to take possession of us and live our lives for us as the driver, be born again, get on God the Father's good side, pray and petition for His "grace," which is a "gift" that can only be given and never earned -- as if all the behaving and other stuff weren't work and earning it.

Savior? Now younger, nicer, whiter, easier!

Jeesh, what kind of scam? Most will do all that work and still not get it because their efforts weren't good enough. "Works without faith are dead" or something? "Not by thine own works art thou saved"?

Works (intentional karma, deeds) mean nothing? Clearly, they mean something. But Imperial Christianity (Protestant movements and the worldwide Catholic Church) wants to keep everyone in bondage and call that being "saved."

Compassionate Kwan Yin Bodhisattva

When you're up in heaven singing in a heavenly choir praising the Almighty God of the Universe, the great Creator, the doer, maker, thinker, and power of everything for an eternity, then you'll be happy?

No thanks. who wouldn't rather be a Buddhist, Independent, or New Ager to understand and make our own way to freedom and the end of all suffering (nirvana), to enlightenment in this very life and the deathless (amata)?

• Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Wisdom Quarterly

Harvard U's free course on Happiness

I took Harvard's free 6-week course on happiness—and here's what I learned

After six weeks of reading articles, watching videos, and contributing to class discussion boards, I've officially completed Harvard University's "Managing Happiness" course, led by social scientist and Harvard Professor Arthur Brooks.

The online class is completely free for audit only (not class credit), and anyone can take it up until March 27, 2024, which is past, so forget about becoming happy (j/k).

The course is self-paced, but after six weeks, one will lose access to its materials and one's progress.

Now that I've finished the course, my biggest takeaway is that I feel a lot more in control of my own happiness.

I left with an understanding that the things beyond my control can, and will, affect my happiness, but my reactions to these outcomes are more important (more important than what happens to me).

When I first started the Harvard course about happiness, I had several questions that I hoped to have answered. Here are some insights that I've gained.

Here's what I learned from Harvard's free happiness course

You make me smile, Buddha. And I get happy.

1. How often should we experience happiness? Though there isn't a set frequency for how often we should feel happy, we can experience happiness very often, especially by doing things that will make us genuinely smile.

The first thing that we were asked to do for the class was to grip a pencil between our molars for 60 to 90 seconds to mimic the act of smiling. [If the tail wags the dog, the dog will get happy, however counterintuitive that may seem. Try it.]

Though the activity felt silly, it did make me laugh, which [kickstarts deep breathing and] is associated with happiness.

Duchenne smile engages muscles of mouth and eyes

Guillaume Duchenne de Boulogne, a French neurologist who studied facial expressions, was particularly interested in what some call the "Duchenne smile," a smile that engages the muscles around our mouth and eyes.

"If we force a Duchenne smile, we start to feel happier," Prof. Brooks says in one of the course's videos.

And research from 2022 seems to support that theory. The Duchenne smile teaches us that "you can stimulate your happiness and improve it," sometimes by just genuinely smiling, Prof. Brooks adds.

2. Is it realistic to expect to feel happy all of the time?

Why was the Buddha always happy? Nirvana

 

As often as we can cultivate happiness in our own lives, it's not possible to feel happy 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

"Modern research shows us that our emotions are under our control — but only partly," Prof. Brooks says during the course.

Our genetic makeup and outside factors, like other people's actions, can also affect our emotions, he explains.

It requires effort and discipline to better manage our feelings. It's also important to remember that "happiness requires some amount of unhappiness," Prof. Brooks says.

Instead of avoiding unhappiness, we should embrace it and try to see what it is teaching us that can lead to growth.

3. If happiness is connected to our experiences, especially with those around us, how can we protect it when dealing with difficult people? Relationships greatly impact our happiness, but how to handle interactions with difficult people was not something we covered in depth.

However, one of the seven practices that Harvard researchers believe leads to happiness and good health is having good conflict-resolution skills.

• Google Zen expert on the number one skill for dealing with difficult people

I'm not really smiling, just mellow and content.

To be happier, researchers interviewed for the course also encourage people to form and strengthen relationships with people they can count on.

An 85-year Harvard study found that the Number One thing that makes us happier in life is positive relationships.

Prof. Brooks recommends developing great relationships and achieving healthy friendship balance by:

• Having check-ins with our friends
• Asking deep questions to gauge people's true opinions on important topics to build upon friendships with acquaintances
• Making more friends that "you don't need"

"In order to have a friend, you must be a friend," Prof. Brooks says, so you should practice the behaviors that you'd want a friend to have.

Be supportive, give people the capacity to be themselves, and provide advice without judgment, he recommends for those looking to become better friends.

4. How can we cultivate happiness during tough times in our lives? We typically feel like we're having a tough time during major transitions in our lives, but writer Bruce Feiler, who was mentioned and interviewed for the course, believes that life is found in the transitions.

Sometimes transitions are ones that we choose like moving to a new city or starting a new job. Other times, we can't anticipate them like the pandemic or the loss of a loved one.

But after interviewing hundreds of people and asking them about the transitions in their lives, Feiler learned that 90% of people were able to get through their tough times. For this reason, he suggests accepting our emotions and going through the process of recovery, instead of not acknowledging that things have changed.

Psychologists have also discovered that many people experience post-traumatic growth, a transformation after life-changing experiences and trauma.

According to the American Psychological Association, signs of post-traumatic growth can include:

• Appreciation of life
• New possibilities in life
• Personal strength
• Relationships with others
• Spiritual change.

And if you're struggling to find happiness during a tough time, Prof. Brooks offers this piece of encouragement:

"Remember that bad things don't last."

• I’m taking Harvard’s free 6-week course on happiness—here’s what I hope to learn
• CNBC's Make It, the new newsletter
• An 85-year Harvard study found the No. 1 thing that makes us happy in life: It helps us ‘live longer'

• Renée Onque, CNBC.com, 8/2/23, I took Harvard's free 6-week course on happiness—here's what I learned (msn.com); Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

To be happy, don't chase it. Be anti-fragile

Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, Big Think, 1/26/22; Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Don’t chase happiness. Become anti-fragile | Tal Ben-Shahar | Big Think

(Big Think) Hey, Little Snowflakes, don’t chase happiness. Become anti-fragile, with Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar. Anti-fragility is the idea of putting pressure on a system (such as a human) because by doing so that system grows bigger and stronger.

Antifragile systems are all around us. One example of this is our muscular system. We go to the gym to lift weights. By doing so we are putting pressure on our system to help it grow stronger. The human body is an antifragile system.

From a psychological perspective, antifragility comes in the form of PTG, or "post-traumatic growth." After we experience a stressful event, we learn and grow to become more resilient.

To learn even more from the world's biggest thinkers, get Big Think+ for business: bigthink.com/plus. Read the video transcript: bigthink.com/videos/happiness

Subscribe to Big Think on YouTube ► bigthink. Up next: The science of happiness, motivation, and meaning | Dan Ariely

ABOUT: Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar is an internationally renowned teacher and author in the fields of happiness (positive psychology) and leadership. After graduating from Harvard with a BA in philosophy and psychology and a PhD in organizational behavior, he taught two of the most popular courses in Harvard’s history: "Positive Psychology" and "The Psychology of Leadership."

He then taught "Happiness Studies" at Columbia University. A prolific writer, his books have appeared on bestseller lists around the world and have been translated into more than 30 languages.

Dr. Ben-Shahar consults and lectures executives in multinational corporations, educational institutions, and the general public. Topics include leadership, education, ethics, happiness, self-esteem, resilience, goal setting, and mindfulness.

He is also the co-founder of The Happiness Studies Academy. Learn more here: happinessstudies.academy. He is an avid sportsman and a certified yoga instructor, whose work bridges Eastern and Western traditions, ancient wisdom and modern technology, science and art.

Read more stories on happiness:

• Epicurus and the atheist’s guide to happiness https://bigthink.com/thinking/epicure...
• The meaning of happiness, according to a baker in ancient Pompeii https://bigthink.com/the-past/ancient...
• How to avoid “toxic positivity” and take the less direct route to happiness https://bigthink.com/neuropsych/avoid...

Albert Einstein's Theory of Happiness

Aira Misty (msn.com, 10/20/22); Seth Auberon, Dhr. Seven, Ananda (DBM), Wisdom Quarterly

Albert Einstein explained his Theory of Happiness in a simple handwritten letter

I like being goofy. I failed at math.

When one thinks of the most famous geniuses to ever get famous on earth, Albert Einstein is likely to come to mind.

His work in physics [which made life-destroying atomic bombs possible] not only earned him a Nobel Prize but aided humanity as a whole make strides in understanding the particle (Buddhist material kalapa), the world, and the universe [or at least formulating endless theories about these three levels of reality].

Albert Einstein on...Buddhism for World Peace and Humanity (Facebook)

The Buddha, Einstein, and Fake News (BudBlooms)

But even Einstein understood that to understand the world and humans' place in it, we must also understand ourselves. What happens inside of us has a direct impact on the outside world. [Who would blow up Japan unless he was really, really mad or callously insensitive to the suffering of other humans?]

To be able to make positive changes within it, we must first make positive ones for ourselves, starting with figuring out how to be happy.

Einstein's Theory of Happiness might have the answer to that, too! Maybe the answer is found in numerology says about our life using only our birth date (or with just that information, maybe astrology has the answer). More: Einstein's Theory of Happiness

Buddha and Einstein Walk into a Bar: How New Discoveries About Mind, Body, and Energy Can Help Increase Longevity

Author Guy Joseph Ale (3.7 out of 5 stars with 7 ratings); Eds., Wisdom Quarterly

Buddha and Einstein Walk...

Buddha and Einstein Walk into a Bar presents the revolutionary idea that sensing how long we can live is a latent capacity (potential) in us, currently unknown, just like the introduction of fire, the invention of flying, and the discovery of radio waves were before we “discovered” them.

Understand how the knowledge of transcendence, consciousness, and self-healing are integral to our well-being. We could drive a car without a fuel gauge, but knowing how much gas we have clearly gives us more control of the vehicle.

Einstein Questions, Buddha Answers

Using the latest breakthroughs in cosmology, neuroplasticity, super-string theory, and epigenetics, Buddha and Einstein Walk into a Bar helps us master our entire system of mind, body, and energy and provides practical tools to help us live our longest and healthiest life.

Readers will learn Lifespan Seminar’s multiple-award-winning tools of:

• Exercises that align the different systems of the body.
• Mindfulness and meditation—to relieve daily stress.
• Good nutrition—simple rules sustainable for a lifetime.
• Proper rest—for peak mental and physical performance.
• Active lifestyle—to stay vibrant through the entire lifespan.

It's easy to train the brain to be happy

Features Writer Sahar Ejaz, Gulf News, 8/26/22; Ashley Wells, CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Happiness? When justice wins! (Che)

Does anyone know that it’s easy to train our brain to be happy? Turns out, Pavlov (the guy with the dog) was right. The Russian psychologist proposed that we learn by conditioning our brains.

Remember the dog that salivated every time a bell rang after it was conditioned to associate food with the sound? Apparently, we’re a lot like Pavlov’s dog except for the drool.

In our case, the bell is a sight we see every day that slowly grows on us, simply because it’s there. As obvious as this sounds, it is a psychological phenomenon that can actually help us reboot our life for the better.

We hold the power to train our minds to lead happier lives. And the best part? All we have to do is change our environment to get the ball rolling.

See it more to like it more

It reveals much more | Same Here Global

According to American social psychologist Robert Zajonc, familiarity does not breed contempt. He proved the statement in a seminal paper he titled "Attitudinal Effects of Mere Exposure" back in 1968.

Through a series of experiments, Prof. Zajonc showed that we tend to favor objects we’re repeatedly but subtly exposed to. He called this the "mere exposure effect," otherwise known as the familiarity principle.

Now think about the social and behavioral cues around us and all that we could have picked up without realizing – good or bad. The effect, then, works both ways. The brain favors the good and the bad the more it sees it.

• Familiarity breeds contempt: Humor (reddit.com)

Funny American Mark Twain always has a quip.

"We feel more secure as we are exposed more to the same person, object, or social situation. It reduces the uncertainty in the environment" (Dr. Lakshmi Saranya, Lifeline Modern Family Clinic).

According to Dubai-based clinical psychologist Dr. Lakshmi Saranya, it only takes a fraction of a second for our subconscious mind, the one in charge of decision-making and storing habits, to internalize what it has seen. More

Depression: real causes, real solutions (TED)

Johann Hari, TED Talk, The Weekend University, Feb. 17, 2019; Eds., Wisdom Quarterly

Johann Hari - Depression: The Real Causes (& Unexpected Solutions)

Lost Connections: Why You're Depressed...

(The Weekend University) What really causes depression and anxiety – and how can we really solve them?

In this talk award-winning journalist and author of Chasing the Scream Johann Hari discusses his recent 40,000-mile journey across the world, where he interviewed social scientists uncovering evidence that depression and anxiety are not caused by a "chemical imbalance" in our brains.

Rather, they are largely caused by key problems with the way we live today. Johann Hari’s journey took him from an Amish community in Indiana, to a mind-blowing series of experiments in Baltimore, to an uprising in Berlin.

Along the way he uncovered nine real causes of depression and anxiety, which eventually led him to the scientists who are discovering seven very different solutions – ones that really work.

Chasing the Scream: Search...

ABOUT: Johann Hari is a New York Times best-selling author. His book Lost Connections: Why You're Depressed and How to Find Hope has been translated into 15 languages and is currently being adapted into a major Hollywood film and into a non-fiction documentary series.

With over 20 million views, he is one of the most-watched TED speakers of all time. He has written for The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, and was twice named "National Newspaper Journalist of the Year" by Amnesty International.

LINKS: Get latest psychology lectures by email. Check out next event: theweekenduniversity.com/events. Support: patreon.com. Website: thelostconnections.com.

Is happiness possible in hard times?

Global Peaceful Cities Project, 6/14/20; Ananda (DBM), Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Is happiness possible in hard times? Find out. Take the healing and happiness challenge! Take the challenge before and after participating in the Global Peaceful Cities Project, scheduled for the week of June 19-26.

This project is an opportunity for EVERYONE to help heal hearts, ours and others', so that we have the presence-of-mind to participate in difficult conversations required for sustainable change.

All will have an opportunity to experience deep healing in life as well.

By entering an email on this site (peacefulcities.org), all will be sent a 20-minute meditation on June 19-26 that can be performed at home to help facilitate the deep healing for the nation and our lives.

The 2018 Schenectady Peace Project demonstrated a 25% reduction in violence in the area of focus compared to the rest of the city.

The 2019 Albany Peace Project demonstrated a 30% reduction of crime in the area of focus compared to the rest of the city.

Our research has also measured a 25% increase in happiness when people open their hearts to send peaceful intentions to cities during the eight-day Global Peaceful Cities Peace Project.

Surveys of well-being before and after the Juneteenth Peace Project will be sent out to measure changes in well-being. Participants in both the before and after surveys will be offered a 30% discount from the next Happiness Athlete Program (formerly known as our Intentional Coherence Athlete Program).

Learn how to use cutting edge, research-inspired intentional skills to heal and enhance life. Based on the experiences others have shared, we know all will be happy they did.

This peace project is in honor of Juneteenth.

Sign-up now at: PeacefulCities.org

The Science of Pleasure: Jackpot (video)

Dr. Robert Sapolsky (FORA, 3/2/11); Ashley Wells, Pat Macpherson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Dopamine Jackpot! Stanford University's Dr. S. on the Science of Pleasure

Stanford University Professor of Biology and Neurology Robert Sapolsky compares dopamine levels in humans and monkeys. He argues that in both species, "Dopamine is not about pleasure. It's about the anticipation of pleasure. [It's not about happiness.] It's about the pursuit of happiness." Unlike monkeys, however, humans "keep those dopamine levels up for decades and decades waiting for the reward." Even going so far as waiting for those rewards in an afterlife, trying to make St. Peter proud.

• Dr. Sapolsky: Are Humans Just Another Primate? (fora.tv)

Dr. Robert Sapolsky is also a research associate at the National Museums of Kenya and the author of several works of nonfiction, including A Primate's Memoir, The Trouble with Testosterone, Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers, and Monkeyluv: And Other Essays on Our Lives as Animals.

Free life-changing weekend event: Unsinkable

Unsinkable.com via Lisa Garr (Aware Show); Amber Larson, CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

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Hi, I'm Lisa Garr!

Lisa Garr says she just heard about something unbelievably special happening THIS Saturday. She highly recommends you attend. (And it won’t cost you a cent!)

Many of the top "Bounce Back” experts, teachers, and motivational speakers from the blockbuster hit movie Unsinkable: The Secret to Bouncing Back are coming together in a powerful FREE all-day “Unsinkable” global online conference.

The focus will be on one thing – YOU and how YOU can live YOUR greatest life in 2020! Go here to reserve your spot now.

This brand new exclusive event is hosted by Garr's good friend Sonia Ricotti. She is a #1 bestselling author, one of the top "Bounce Back” (resiliency) experts in the world, and the executive producer of the Unsinkable movie.

Resilient: How to quickly bounce back

Thanks, Lisa. This sounds like "The Secret" all over again. So I can be a millionaire, too?

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This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity where you can learn from Bob Proctor, Lisa Nichols, John Assaraf, Les Brown, Rhonda Britten, Shellyann Siddoo, and Marci Shimoff!

With a front row seat to this all-day event, here’s a sneak peek at some of the life-changing sessions you’ll experience:

• 

  Famous motivational salespeople

  Sonia Ricotti: 3 Steps to Bouncing Back BIG and Living Your Greatest Life!
• Bob Proctor: Shift Your Paradigm, Shift Your Destiny
• Lisa Nichols: Winners Never Quit: Rising Above the Impossible
• John Assaraf: How to Reprogram Your Brain for Success in 2020
• Marci Shimoff: The Secret to being Happy (Even When Life Isn’t Perfect)
• Rhonda Britten: Forgiving the Unforgivable
• Les Brown: Mind Over Health: The Magic of Believing
• Sonia Ricotti: 6 Steps to Manifesting Money in 2020
• …and LOTS more!

This is one of those “must attend” events, so make sure you reserve your spot and block off your calendar to be there. Go here to reserve a spot now.

P.S. Because of the long length of this event, it will most likely not be recorded. Do everything you can to attend the entire event. It’s going to be incredible! This is one you really don’t want to miss!