Chicken Soup

i have frequently been told by people that being happy is a function of telling yourself that you are
happy. that being in love with someone is a function of telling that person that you love him/her.
such advice is frequently backed up with heartwarming stories of 'chicken soup for the soul' variety.

i have also been told that reading some stuff will make me a better person. tyically the type of
reading that is suggested is again, of a very decent and heartwarming theme. there are no four
syllable words, sentence construction is kept to a minimum and no great concepts are propounded.

while i agree that in an age of increased mechanisation, sometimes an 'emotion made easy' is
necessary, disagree that it should be universal.

the points i make are the following:

1. the objective of sentient life is not necessarily to be happy. if that were the case, then all
children, once off the feeding bottle would be dosed regularly with psychotropic substances which
would give them greater happiness that anything else.

2. the purpose of sentient life is to ACHIEVE. let me say that again. TO ACHIEVE. to reach higher,
and greater than before in every sphere possible. in order to achieve, we must, first try making sure
that everyone gets to eat and be clothed. telling someone who is poor and hungry that he should be
happy is not just stupid. it is cruel.

3. unhappiness is an indulgence of the well fed.

4. little heartwarming stories designed to make people cry have their uses. however, the ability to
THINK AND FEEL is one sorely lacking in most. people with a minimum of education should not need such
shortcuts.

5. there is decent reading out there. what makes me slightly angry is seemingly intelligent people
around me reading shite which is supposed to make them empathise. things seem to tend to move towards
the simpler and the simpler. this is sad.