Over the Hedge by T Lewis and Michael Fry for April 08, 2023

Oh Hammy, people aren’t nearly as smart as y

Oh Hammy, people aren’t nearly as smart as you are.

Unfortunately some people are only happy if others are miserable.

Or maybe … those who are saying, “It’s not a competition.”, are saying it because they are losing the competition.

To most people, life is a competition and we must always strive to upstage others.

Happiness is where you find it. I find it everyday I’m alive.

I find that hard to believe, no one, but, no one is happier than Hammy!

It’s the Hedonic Treadmill… Never being content with the content of one’s life.

Give credit where credit is due: “Puritanism: The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.” ― H.L. Mencken

Too many people watching the news. Out doing each other to present the newest, scariest horrific stories. Seems hatred is the way of life now in America.

“Shared joy is increased, shared pain is diminished.” —-Spider Robinson, one of my favorite authors.

I don’t mind if someone is happier than me. I know that they are out there by the millions. But I do want to know what brought them joy in case it might be something I might be interested in.

“Puritanism.—The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.” attributed to H. L. Mencken

“Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” – Bobby McFerrin

Zardoz was a strange but brilliant movie from 1974 that dealt with the ramifications of apathy and immortality. Apathy is great to prevent being unhappy, but happiness itself, according to ancient philosophers, is an activity. The something that makes someone happy can’t be nothing.

Happy is overrated, it’s the foam on a glass of beer. I’ve moved on the content. Lasts a lot longer.

I’m happy when I’m on my motorcycle…VROOOM!!!

Some people don’t know what it takes to be happy. Others aren’t willing to put in the effort to achieve it (or don’t think it’s worth it). Others are unable to feel it (google anhedonia).

Or as Carlin used to say, they become “More Than Happy” and have to be institutionalized.