Happiness is smile shaped

There is a series of articles on BBC about happiness. Research into happiness suggests that our levels of happiness changes throughout our lives. That sounds pretty obvious. But what is interesting is that most people are unhappiest in there 30’s and 40’s which is the age that I am at. We all start out happy when we are kids, dip to the lowest point in our 30’s and 40’s and then rise back to our childhood levels when we are grandparents.

Personally I can say that I am not as happy as I was when I was Mohan’s age. But then again we tend to only remember the good times and forget the bad times. Its discouraging that i still have more then a decade to cross my forties and get into the upswing of my happiness curve. But I am looking forward to it. My dad and mom seem more happy now then when they were in there forties. I am sure it had a lot to do with me and my sister hitting adolescence at that same time.

Another article suggest that there is a formula for happiness

Pleasure + engagement + meaning = happiness.

Apparently most people get pleasure from loving their work, engagement from their family and friends and meaning from religion or spirituality. When all these ingredients are added in the right amounts, it produces happiness. If we have too much of any one thing, its might lead to sadness. Notice that there is not money in the equation

There is research that suggests that marriage makes you happy and kids don’t. Well they say that kids are neutral in that they give you as much happiness as they make you worry about them. Although I must say that those fleeting moments of happiness are worth the trouble mostly. Then again my kids are only 5 and 1. Lets see how the equation is once they grow up. But the marriage part is surprising, considering all my married friends always complain about how miserable it is to be married. Single life was bliss.. But then again we tend to only remember the good parts right

Socrates’ Fundamental Principles

These are the basic principles of socrates philosophy. I think they are simple yet complete. They embody the spirt of what is good in all mordern religions. Impressive.

• We must always act on the basis of good reasons and good reasoning,
  not out of fear, mere self-interest, etc.
  • We value the opinions of those who know, not the many (hoi
    polloi).
  • The principles on which we rely must stand the tests of time
    and change of circumstances, and the conclusions we draw from them
    must be ones to which we can be constantly faithful.
• It is not enough to live; we must live well, i.e. nobly and justly.
• We must never do wrong willingly, even in requital.
• We must always keep our agreements, provided they are just.

Good Quote about parents

Parents rarely let go of their children, so children let go of them. They move on. They move away. The moments that used to define them-a mother’s approval, a father’s nod-are covered by moments of their own accomplishments. It is not until much later, as skin sags and the heart weakens, that children understand; their stories, and all their accomplishments sit atop the stories of their mothers and fathers, stones upon stones, beneath the waters of their lives.

-Mitch Albom in “The five people you meet in heaven”

Mohan’s Hip Hop

Mohan’s hip hop video that I uploaded to YT. I also uploaded it the google video but its is still being verifed That is really lame. I dont know why they have to verify every video for a couple of days. They dont say what they are doing as part of the verification either. Lame.