I think that actually everyone can control their own happiness. I just think that it's a false assumption to go from that to the idea that controlling your own happiness is easy. It's not, and sometimes you're not happy when you would rather be happy. And the ability to control one's happiness has to be learned.
For example, let's say everyone could learn to drive a car. With the right teacher, the right conditions to take the lessons, the right effort applied to the lessons and the right practice followed, then sure. But no one can just sit behind a wheel and suddenly be Lewis Hamilton.
I think brains are like that. We can control them, but it's not instinctive, and yes, it's entirely OK to not be the Lewis Hamilton of brainchemistry.
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Date: 2009-04-09 09:15 am (UTC)I think that actually everyone can control their own happiness. I just think that it's a false assumption to go from that to the idea that controlling your own happiness is easy. It's not, and sometimes you're not happy when you would rather be happy. And the ability to control one's happiness has to be learned.
For example, let's say everyone could learn to drive a car. With the right teacher, the right conditions to take the lessons, the right effort applied to the lessons and the right practice followed, then sure. But no one can just sit behind a wheel and suddenly be Lewis Hamilton.
I think brains are like that. We can control them, but it's not instinctive, and yes, it's entirely OK to not be the Lewis Hamilton of brainchemistry.