Hoses of the Holy in the Parallel Universe: Ken Dodd and old sods

May 04, 2006

Ken Dodd and old sods

Good post from Martyn at Introverts Anonymous on The Happiness Formula, which I missed on BBC2 last night, being on a Lost jag.

5 Comments:

Here's my 32 years of wisdom(?) in concentrated form, for the younger generation…

I've always been a happy person, it's just part of my makeup, like a smiling idiot (which is probably closer to the truth than I care to think about). Left alone, I'll while away the hours content in my own company, enjoying the solitude. In a group I'll happily be one of the crowd, I do quite enjoy joining in.

I've never really worried about material things, although I do enjoy having nice stuff. There's always a better car/house/guitar/toaster/etc so it's all reletive. I'd never be happy if that was the chase. So I get the best I can for the budget I have. Money has never been a big issue, I'm certainly not rich and as long as I've got enough to cover the bills I'll been fine. Money really isn't the be all and end all. The only thing that money gives you is the ability not to worry about money, and that doesn't equal happiness - as proven by Robbie Williams, more money than sense, but completely desperate and lost. In fact most of these so called 'stars' are the same, there's something missing upstairs, they need to be 'fabulous'.

As I've grown older I've become aware that I'll never be the big success I'd secretly hoped for as a younger man. But this doesn't stop me from being content. I don't think I have the answer to my happiness, is it lack of ambition? Ambition can always knock on your face, I'm sure lack of ambition is a good thing. It'll stop you from becoming angry and desperate when things don't work out. So what about career advice? I'd say, just stick at it, do good, do the right thing and it should happen naturally, maybe not as quickly as you'd like, but you'll be happier in the long run. This isn't a sprint. It's one long marathon.

Our culture is probably the biggest creator of unhappiness, celeb life styles, home makeovers, second homes in the sun, luxury holidays - It's all we see on the box at night, but who can sustain that? And if you are lucky enough to afford luxury holidays then home makeovers might have to wait a couple of years, but we're lead to believe that we can or should have it all ways. Do the maths, what kind of salary would you need for that, and If you did have that kind of salary then you'll still be at work and not have time to enjoy the lifestyle.

I guess the real secret isn't that difficult, enjoy what you have, worry less about what everybody else has, do things for you and be good to people and they should be good back. Like karma innit, only with the addition of at least one nice set of espresso cups and and a half decent guitar, no ambition and a general air of not really giving a shit!

…And people get so angry these days about stuff that doesn't matter, what's that all about? for crying out loud CALM DOWN!

By Anonymous, at 3:48 am
…sorry that was a rather long comment for a two line post.

By Anonymous, at 3:49 am
I think you'll find that the real answer is to turn back time 300 hundred years and be born the heir to an English Lord.

Certainly worked for me.

With that in the bag, you can dash off some popular fodder, shag a few titled tarts and, bing bong, you're an instant sleb. Easy.

By Anonymous, at 4:40 am
James post reminds me about my previous mention of the lyric of Jackson Browne's 'The Pretender'

...I'm going to be a happy idiot, and struggle for the legal tender...

I tried it, it doesn't work...

so MO '75 to James' manifesto.

By patrische, at 1:59 pm
BTW the Happiness program the OP mentioned was very good - catch the next one!

By patrische, at 2:01 pm

Hoses of the Holy in the Parallel Universe

May 04, 2006

Ken Dodd and old sods

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