The Happiness Paradox
Reaktion Books(July 2003)
Happiness is the signature tune of our times. The rise of therapists, gurus, new age cults and prozac are familiar indicators of how central this Jeffersonian pursuit has become in Western culture. Yet the state of mind we seek is highly elusive, while much of the energy devoted to searching for happiness is wasted or even self-defeating.
The dream of a happy life has preoccupied thinkers since Plato. By surveying this history, Ziyad Marar shows how our modern obsession has evolved. He argues that happiness is a deceptively simple idea that will always be elusive because it is based on a paradox. Caught between the need for adventure or self-expression on the one hand and the hope of appreciation or belonging on the other, we suffer perpetually from too much or too little. We are riven by conflict in wanting to feel good while simultaneously trying to be good. In a lively and accessible style THE HAPPINESS PARADOX moves easily between the ivory tower and popular culture to discuss how these tensions permeate what Freud called the two central parts of a happy life: love and work. Drawing on a wide and varied range of sources from psychology, philosophy, history, novels and film this book will engage those who are looking for meaning within a secular culture.
“Ziyad Marar has put forward an audacious and innovative thesis about the nature of happiness… contains a great deal to enlighten and engage.” --Times Literary Supplement
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