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RE: Two Types of Happiness: Hedonistic and Eudaimonic Happiness
Seeking happiness is good.
How so?
The pursuit of life isn't about being happy. Being happy is part of life, it comes with life, just like being sad. In our avoidance of being sad, in avoidance of the negative, we instead put happiness as a pursuit when it's rather just another part of life to experience, not something that should be the most important as something to seek out and strive for. That doesn't imply the polar opposite is the automatic fallback position, of being negative or unhappy, or sad, etc. It only implies a balance towards a neutral place of contentment without excitation of our emotions towards positive states as a primary goal in life.
The better word is joy.
Seeking joy is the greatest thing you can do in this life. All other things will fall in place along this path.
I didn't say be happy (or be sad) I said seek joy. Trying to be happy, as you say, is putting the cart before the horse. Trying to force things, that can't be forced.
There is no neutral place.
There is more sadness and despair than we can imagine. And there is more joy and happiness than we can imagine. Even trying to discuss such things leads to phrases like: "having good sex, times ten, all the time. And that is just saying, hello"
As we bring more joy into the world, more joy is possible.