You can learn a lot about fluid dynamics by watching a mug of coffee after pouring in some cream.

As a lot of people have, (I’m as sure of this as I am that this comes as no surprise to anyone who’s a semi-regular patron of this sitewhich is as frequent as one can be when it comes to semi-regularly updated sites) I’ve been giving a lot of thought to subject of happiness, what is by meant by the term exactly, and how to go about achieving it. I’ve had a three-tier model with contentment going through my mind for some time, and have now been able to base a theory on itthat being that it’s impossible for one to be completely happy.

The three tiers I just alluded to are being happy with one’s self, being happy with one’s life , and being happy with the world. I like to think of it as a center-to-outward approach, though I’m not necessarily certain that a former tier must be true before one can say that a latter one is, e.g., one might not necessarily have to be happy with one’s self to be pleased with their life. Anyhow, that’s how I see things, and I feel that it holds true for me.

Personally, I am happy with myself, probably moreso than almost everyone else. I’m no one if not a narcissist. Mind you, my self-perception is separate from how I believe others ought to regard me. I’ve done all I could over the past few years or so for me to be happy with myself.

I am not pleased with my life. There may be aspects of it that I’m happy with every now and then, but as a whole, I can honestly say that I hate it. I am working on it, however, and I believe that my strong sense of self-love (which is ironic, since I don’t believe in an actual “self”) holds as a strong foundation to build my life upon, or rather my satisfaction of it.

I want to be content with how my life is ASAP, so I can work on improving the whole world at large. Given this tall order, no one can be fully happy, at least not until a distant-future utopian Nanotech Age (we’re still in the dawn of the Information Age). There’s a joy in improving the world that just isn’t present in helping your self-perception or contentment with life. It isn’t really more satisfyingit’s just different. I think that if you try to experience that pleasure, without getting your life straight first, you won’t feel all that great about it. But making the world a better place after having made amends with yourself and those around you will augment the immaterial rewards that come with doing so.

It’s all the difference between plain old fucking and truly making love. Yup.

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