Тонкое искусство пофигизма

           Thereisapremisethatunderliesalotofourassumptionsandbeliefs.Thepremiseisthathappinessisalgorithmic,thatitcanbeworkedforandearnedandachievedasifitweregettingacceptedtolawschoolorbuildingareallycomplicatedLegoset.IfIachieveX,thenIcanbehappy.IfIlooklikeY,thenIcanbehappy.IfIcanbewithapersonlikeZ,thenIcanbehappy.

           Thispremise,though,istheproblem.Happinessisnotasolvableequation.Dissatisfactionanduneaseareinherentpartsofhumannatureand,aswe’llsee,necessarycomponentstocreatingconsistenthappiness.TheBuddhaarguedthisfromatheologicalandphilosophicalperspective.Iwillmakethesameargumentinthischapter,butIwillmakeitfromabiologicalperspective,andwithpandas.

           TheMisadventuresofDisappointmentPanda

           IfIcouldinventasuperhero,IwouldinventonecalledDisappointmentPanda.He’dwearacheesyeyemaskandashirt(withagiantcapitalTonit)thatwaswaytoosmallforhisbigpandabelly,andhissuperpowerwouldbetotellpeopleharshtruthsaboutthemselvesthattheyneededtohearbutdidn’twanttoaccept.

           Hewouldgodoor-to-doorlikeaBiblesalesmanandringdoorbellsandsaythingslike,“Sure,makingalotofmoneymakesyoufeelgood,butitwon’tmakeyourkidsloveyou,”or“Ifyouhavetoaskyourselfifyoutrustyourwife,thenyouprobablydon’t,”or“Whatyouconsider‘friendship’isreallyjustyourconstantattemptstoimpresspeople.