tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12606710.post5128817725803526452..comments2023-09-08T10:55:45.553-05:00Comments on Rhyme Of The Day: Self HarmJohn Enrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14128784556482929672noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12606710.post-3399132112398019452015-10-22T12:42:55.074-05:002015-10-22T12:42:55.074-05:00Some scattered thoughts will follow. It's occu...Some scattered thoughts will follow. It's occurred to me lately that much of human interaction and the desire for companionship is driven by a net deficit in happiness; thus rather than share happiness, people dump their miseries on each other.<br /><br />The pop sentiments of "That's what friends are for" and "We all need somebody to lean on" capture it well, and I think are to some degree toxic.<br /><br />Despite the common perception of loneliness causing unhappiness, I'd argue the causal relationship is quite the reverse. Happy people are magnetic, and also can enjoy solitude to the degree that they choose it.<br /><br />As to self-harm, I have the impolite position that suicide is unfairly demonized. Given that much unhappiness is biochemical rather than circumstantial, I think it's unethical to expect an individual to bear his miseries for the comfort of others. I found "Savage God" by A. Alvarez to be excellent and enlightening on the topic.Charlie McDangerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02804446793739355030noreply@blogger.com