NGAF - Chapter 2 Happiness Is a Problem 20180118

1 - Q&A

(1) Q: Why "happiness is a problem"?

A: Life is full of problems including happiness. In conventional views, people tends to believe in and pursue for eternal happiness and get rid of problems. This kind of view is a problem since life consists of problems unavoidably and the path to happiness is a path of struggling and solving problems.

(2) Q:Why the author invented “Disappointment Panda”? What is it for?

A:The author invented "Disappointment Panda" to tell people the truths in life which is usually unpleasant to hear. It's used for introducing an unpleasant truth that we suffer for the reason that suffering id biologically useful.

(3) Q: What is the role that emotions play in our life? why they are overrated?

A: Emotions, part of the equations of our lives, are feedback mechanisms telling us that something is either likely right or likely wrong for us. They are overrated because people don't understand and value their functions reasonably.

(4)Q: Why you don’t have chiseled abs? (If you do have, how did you make it?)

A: I don't have chiseled ads because I'm not interested in the result nor the process of having it.

2 - Thoughts

When I read the part that the author dreamed about being a star, I laughed. I had the same dream years ago, but as time go by, the dream just went by and I attributed the let-go to the dream's unrealistic. But the truth is, I thought I wanted something, but it turns out I didn't. I never made any effort to realize the star dream, and I just simply attracted by the fantastic stage and shining stars. 

This chapter also make me ponder the relationship between happiness and struggle, which in past I thought were contradictory things. According to the author, our struggles determine our success, and our problems birth our happiness, along with sightly better, slightly upgraded problems. The idea will help me face troubles more positively.