The Happiness Problem

by Jon Sullivan - 2025-07-30 - Status

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I haven't blogged in a while. Not that I have nothing to say. But being happy as civilization crumbles is complicated.

To be sure, I am happy. Pretty much all day every day. In many ways I feel this is the best my life has ever been. And my homebrewed philosophical system of modded Stoicism is working quite well. I feel like I live a virtuous life, with plenty of adventures and events, and people seem to enjoy my company. But it's not a painted on smile life where I'm deluding myself in a cult of one. I have times when I'm less than completely happy. I see the weaponized ugliness and anger that now defines "The United States". I see the cruelty and injustice. I try to do what I can to help. Which is usually too little.

But I'm really fucking happy these days.

The problem is that so many aren't. So much poverty and sickness. So much bigotry and romanticized violence. So much death and grief. So much stupidity and victim blaming.

So much hurt motivated by nothing more than the urge to hurt others. Motivated by the American delusion that for us to succeed, others must suffer.

And here is where the flaw in my carefully engineered happiness system is exposed. I'm happy in a very unhappy world. And no amount of virtue will help any of it. We're mourning the loss of democracy and science and equality and laws and rights. And I'm all smiles and light. Sometimes there will be a moment of clarity and I'll be disgusted by my inappropriate joy.

So..... Blogging gets hard. There are more than enough pundits and journalists out there documenting our national fall into evil. More yelling at the obvious won't do any good. But neither will the happy joyous platitudes of a fat old man. Science and civilization will collapse irregardless of how happy I am.

So..... I'll try to find something useful to write about. Something at least a bit helpful. Something to bring happiness when I can.

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