[analphilosopher] Keith Burgess-Jackson: From Today's *New York Times*

[analphilosopher at lists.powerblogs.com]

Posted by Keith Burgess-Jackson:
>From Today's *New York Times*
http://www.analphilosopher.com/posts/1136237051.shtml


   To the Editor:

   Re "In Pursuit of Unhappiness," by Darrin M. McMahon (Op-Ed, Dec. 29):
   What is happiness? It's a question that I suspect Plato and Aristotle
   tried to answer.

   Subsequent generations in any case didn't benefit because to this day
   nobody knows what it is or at least what it consists of. And therefore
   happiness can never be an objective. It is a dividend, and the only
   people who worry about being happy are the unhappy ones.

   In fact, if you feel happy, the best thing to do is avoid admitting
   it. Because it won't last, and if you do acknowledge its presence, the
   awful god Nemesis will quickly change things.

   Terence O'Flanagan
   Rockville Centre, N.Y. Dec. 29, 2005