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Here's the part where I say something hackneyed and trite like, Dictionary.com defines happiness as... Well, Dictionary.com defines happiness as:

1. the quality or state of being happy.
2. good fortune; pleasure; contentment; joy.

Lame.

So, happiness is being happy. Fine - definition #1 is completely useless to me. Definition #2 may be of some use, though. Good fortune - so something like winning the lottery can make you happy? I guess so, momentarily. It seems like I've heard one too many stories of how winning the lottery ruins lives, though. So, while I'm sure the winner is ecstatic at first, the lifestyle change that a sudden influx of several million dollars facilitates is often too much for a person to handle comfortably. That's not the kind of happiness I'm looking for.

What about pleasure? Well, again that seems all too fleeting. Sex is pleasurable. A cigarette is pleasurable. Watching a girl slip and bust her face on a treadmill while trying to answer her cell phone is pleasurable. But these things are all too ephemeral to justify turning your back on a lucrative and secure position in a large American corporation. No, I need more if I'm going to get closer to what I'm looking for. Incidentally, this is where the great American philosopher Denis Leary says that happiness is found. I'll withhold judgment for now.

Contentment - ah, contentment. We may be on to something here. This is what I want - to be content. But, what does that mean? I used to think contentment would come from leading an interesting and adventurous life. After six years in uniform, five continents, and countless islands, I was so desperate to free myself from that government-sanctioned slavery that I regularly hoped for a minor maiming, like the loss of a pinky finger or toe. Nope, that wasn't it. Maybe knowledge would be the key. So, off to college I went and I was happy there - for a while. But the life of a college student in his thirties with a wife is one of constant financial strife. No, obviously I need money to be happy. So, I took my little degree in the arcane and useless and headed off into the "real world." Surely, not having to worry about money and having enough extra cash to do the things I want to do, like travel, would bring me sublime contentment. I bought a decent car and took myself to Rome before figuring out that I'm fucking miserable.

So, here I go again on my own (with wife in tow). I'm turning my back on a healthy income because my job leaves me drained and hollow and I refuse to put up with it anymore. Somewhere between the ages of 32 and 34, I lost sight of my childhood fantasy world. Not that I think I'm going to have any luck finding a job as a secret agent/archaeologist that runs a private investigation firm on the side, but I refuse to play the role of corporate tool anymore. I'm currently finding contentment with the knowledge that I have the nuts to say, "This isn't who I am, so fuck you." When I was in the navy, I promised myself that if I ever found myself that miserable again, I would walk. I'm keeping a promise to myself and for that I'm currently very happy.

Who knows what the future holds? Will I actually find that elusive contentment that I've been searching for most of my adult life? Probably not. I definitely won't find it if I don't even know what I'm looking for. But, like Socrates and Meno discussing the definition of virtue, I haven't come to a satisfactory definition of happiness and I didn't expect to. I have listed things that I know happiness does not come from and that's a good start. Like the last 35 years of my life, I'll just make things up as I go along - it's worked so far.

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As I've said before, I am not a philosopher. However, as someone interested in the subject, I thought I'd look for groups of like-minded individuals to further my philosophical studies. After all, the dialectic approach is an excellent way to broaden one's understanding of things. A Google search for "Philosophical Society" delivered a host of choices. Now, I wasn't surprised to find that some societies are a bit choosy when it comes to membership. Groups such as the American Philosophical Society are by invitation only and that's understandable. But, they do draw from every conceivable field of study, which is staying true to the spirit of philosophy. However, groups like the American Philosophical Association are a different story. Below are the requirements taken directly from their site:

Regular or International Associate membership is open to persons whose training in philosophy has been advanced and systematic enough to make them competent to teach the subject at the college or university level and/or to persons with special achievements in philosophy. To qualify for Student Associate membership, persons must be actively engaged in the study of philosophy at an accredited college or university.

So, basically you have to have a PhD in philosophy, or be enrolled in the organized study of philosophy at a university. So what about everyone else? Would this group tell people like Descartes to take a hike? What about good old Socrates? At what point did philosophy cease to be the love of wisdom and become a pretentious clique for ivory tower academics only? Are they saying that wisdom cannot be gained by the study of the arts and literature? What about history and human culture? What about the mathematics that was so dear to so many philosophers in the past?

There's another point I'd like to make. Considering that so much importance within philosophy is given to the ability to find new ways of thinking about issues, it makes sense that some of the best philosophers would come from outside philosophy departments. How can you expect a person to think originally when all they've studied is how their predecessors thought? Doesn't strict instruction in how to read and interpret philosophical writings extinguish the flame of free thought? The "love of wisdom" is reduced to writing what your professor wants to hear so that you can pass the class.

But, all is not lost. There are groups out there that endeavor to bring philosophy to the masses where it belongs. The Society for Philosophical Inquiry is one such group "devoted to supporting philosophical inquirers of all ages and walks of life." There is also the Dallas Philosopher's Forum, a group that organizes philosophical discussions that are designed to engage the academic and the Regular Joe - now, that's good shit.

In short, I say we all need to study a little philosophy - or a lot of philosophy. This is not some arcane and dead discipline that has no bearing on modern life. This is life. You engage in philosophy everyday, whether you know it or not. Don't let a bunch of effeminate elitists tell you that you don't have philosophical worth - you do. Philosophy is a living, breathing entity and it belongs to all of us, not just those that have had their creativity systematically squashed by chasing academic accolades.

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I'm mainly thinking about this one guy I work with. He's a nice enough chap, but he annoys the piss out of everyone in a 30′ radius with his inane babblings that are supposed to convince us all that he's not really the stupidest person within 4 miles. He knows more about cars, computers, cell phones, travel, and weather (dear God, the weather) than anyone in the Great Plains. If you have the opportunity to refute his "facts" with a book or publication written by the most respected scholars in the Western world, he will tell you that your information is outdated. His information always comes from the Internet, TV, or "a friend" and is therefore much more accurate. And his ears are a marvel of evolution. He can hear a conversation that he wants to interject himself into from up to 100 feet away. The most amazing thing is his powers of hearing work across crowded rooms and through lead walls. And he won't waste the time to cross the room to correct - no, no - he'll shout across unfathomable distances the correct information that you so desperately needed. Eventually, everyone ends up wanting to start a mosh pit on the poor fool's testicles.

My point here, which I've tried to discuss with tonight's protagonist, is that there's nothing wrong with ignorance. Without ignorance, there is no learning. Without ignorance, all knowledge would be instinctual and humans would be no better than those fucking cats on my couch. But, ignorance is often seen as a weakness, an intellectual shortcoming. And it's perfectly human to want to hide or downplay weaknesses. We often hide weakness by overcompensating and that's how someone becomes an insufferable know-it-all. I used to be a frequent offender myself. However, the more I learn, the more I realize I don't know.

So, if someone brings up a topic that you're not well-versed in, don't pretend you are. You'll end up looking like a bigger douche than if you'd just said "I don't know." Or, if you have a little knowledge, by all means share it. When you reach the limits of what you know, say that you don't know anymore than that. After a while, those around you will respect your honesty. They may even think you're wise. They won't want to tee off on your nut sack.

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As you may or may not know, Socrates was tried and sentenced to death for basically being an obnoxious old fart and habitually pointing out the ignorance of supposedly "wise men." On top of that, he influenced the children of Athens to question their elders and taught each of them to be a royal pain in the ass. How did he do this? All he did was ask for further explanation until he had stonewalled the so-called "expert." By doing so, Socrates was forcing people to face their own ignorance. This is but a single aspect of the examined life.

I think too many of us lead unexamined lives, especially in this fast-paced, high-tech world. We can set our coffee to begin brewing automatically in the morning. We can have our bills paid automatically online. Machines answer our phones for us. Cruise control, DVR, and sprinkler systems have all eliminated a little bit of thought from our lives. There are even cars that will parallel park themselves now. Is it any wonder that we end up living lives set on automatic pilot? Think about what you do during the work week. Most of us get up and get dressed, go to work, go to lunch, finish the work day, come home, eat dinner, watch some TV, go to bed, and then get up and go through the exact same routine with only the most minor variations. What are you getting from this a priori way of life? How is this helping you to grow as a human being? Think about it for a minute.

Now, I'm not throwing stones from a glass house. I'm the first to admit that I'm as likely as the next guy to dig myself into a happy little rut. Routine can be comforting - I understand. However, abject adherence to routine breeds personal stagnation. Instead of watching a rerun of Lost, I suggest taking a look at yourself. Ask yourself if there's anything you want to improve upon (there always is if you're looking hard enough). Is there something you want to know about, but have never taken the time to learn? Read a book or sign up for a class. Are you unhappy with where your career is headed? Seriously look at changing jobs or figure out a way to shake things up at the job you have. Personally, I've always wanted to play a musical instrument, so I'm in the process of learning to play the harmonica. Sure, it's not the guitar or the piano, but it's something.

Self-examination is never easy. If it were, everyone would do it. We never want to see ourselves as we actually are; we always gloss over our shortcomings. For instance, I tend to see myself as a fairly charming and well-educated person. My wife sees an insufferable jackass. So, I try to see why she would see me that way. It's not always easy for me to see it, but I'll admit that I can be a bit of a know-it-all at times. I tend to have just enough knowledge to back myself into a corner. I know a lot of arcane little facts about history and anthropology, but I'm no expert on anything. But, if people think you are, then it's a big letdown when the truth is revealed. This is why the Mrs. thinks I'm a jackass. In fact, she'll bitch about this post being too long. So on that note, I'll start wrapping up.

I think what Socrates was getting at was the importance of taking a long, hard look at yourself. Point out your own flaws before anyone else can. It's definitely better to know thyself more intimately than someone else knows you. When you see yourself from the outside, you can't help but be a little dissatisfied. This will drive you to become a better person and, while you'll never achieve perfection, the struggle will make you great.

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