Don't chase happiness but become antifragile

There are only two kinds of people who do not experience painful emotions, the first kind are the psychopaths and the second kind are dead.

There is a false understanding or expectation that a happy life means being happy all the time. No. Learning to accept and even embrace painful emotions is an important part of a happy life.

There is a very important concept that was introduced by Nassim Taleb, called antifragility. Antifragility is the growth of someone/something after a pressure is lifted off. Positioning ourselves to grow stronger and better with pressure and choas is a skill we have to master in this world which is full of uncertainty. A typical example is our muscles, we go to the gym and we lift weights, puts pressure on the muscles and what happens is that, we actually grow stronger.

There is a paradox when it comes to pursuing happiness. On the one hand, we know that happiness is a good thing, whether in of itself, or as a means toward other ends. At the same time, people who say to themselves, "Happiness is important for me, I want to pursue it", those individuals actually end up being less happy. They are mor likely to experience depression. So the paradox is that on the one hand, happiness is clearly a good thing. On the other hand, valuing it as a good thing is problematic. The way to resolve this paradox is to pursue happiness indirectly. We do this by breaking it down into elements. Finding happiness in the everyday things we do, resolving in our minds on days that we are not "happy", that it si all part of living and growing.

The objective then isn't to chase happiness and keep looking for it in the near future, but experience it as a byproduct of doing life in general.

Enjoy a happy weekend friends. Share with me what your thoughts are in the comment section and share with a friend as well.