Discordians Can't Be Happy With Happy

[Q. G. Pennyworth]

Some people, some people can live their lives in pursuit of happiness. Experiences, accolades, stuff, influence, kids, whatever. There is a thing that will make them happy, and they can feel it and keep it and sustain themselves on it indefinitely. Maybe they don't know what exactly will make them happy, maybe there will be false starts, maybe the luster on their happiness will dull over time, but it is still possible for them.

These people are not generally called to Discordia.

Discordians -- or at least, a subset of Discordians -- cannot be happy with "happy." Discordians are only happy when they're fighting. They fall asleep on vacations and sink into depression when the going is easy. It doesn't matter what a Discordian is fighting, could be an international tickle fetish conspiracy, could be each other, could be the goddess-damned weather. We live and breathe to fight. Not to win, not to make the other guy see the error of his ways, not even for our legacy.

We live in deserts and in frigid coastal towns. We live in environments where our sexuality could get us beaten or killed. We live with axes over our heads, where the sun never shines and the bridges sing every night. This is not an accident.

We can't keep friends worth a damn half the time because we are fueled by fighting and it is exhausting and we burn out and fall down and get back up again only to fight. We get kicked out of parties and singled out in the office and can't stand Thanksgiving because everyone keeps telling us we're not supposed to fight and they don't know that they're telling a fish to stay out of the water, that without the fighting we'll shrivel up and die. And we don't fight with fists half the time but with words and song and art and poetry and the hunch of our shoulders and the occasional well placed boot.

As long as we're fighting we can live. Happiness just isn't enough.

[Salty]

Yes. All of this. Mittens and stuff.

When happiness comes creeping along, like a worn down, broken, stinking ice cream truck, it's hard not to throw things at it.

[MithridatesXXIII]

Great post tentacle face. It reminds me of this. Appropriate if the Pines are where we live: in conflict. Or if the woman is Eris, because it's always her.

A nice blues cover by Kurt
https://youtu.be/mcXYz0gtJeM

Where Did You Sleep Last Night
Nirvana
Lyrics
My girl, my girl, don't lie to me
Tell me where did you sleep last night
In the pines, in the pines
Where the sun don't ever shine
I would shiver the whole night through
My girl, my girl, where will you go
I'm going where the cold wind blows
In the pines, in the pines
Where the sun don't ever shine
I would shiver the whole night through
Her husband, was a hard working man
Just about a mile from here
His head was found in a driving wheel
But his body never was found
My girl, my girl, don't lie to me
Tell me where did you sleep last night
In the pines, in the pines
Where the sun don't ever shine
I would shiver the whole night through
My girl, my girl, where will you go
I'm going where the cold wind blows
In the pines, in the pines
Where the sun don't ever shine
I would shiver the whole night through
My girl, my girl, don't lie to me
Tell me where did you sleep last night
In the pines, in the pines
Where the sun don't ever shine
I would shiver the whole night through
My girl, my girl, where will you go
I'm going where the cold wind blows
In the pines, in the pines
Where the sun don't ever shine
I would shiver the whole night through

[The Wizard Joseph]

 
Ah... pity. Poptart confirmed. I really had some hope for this one. That's what I get.



As for what matters ITT. I am sure that the active to strive is part of the NAME of Eris as much as any other sense of such silly things. Silly or not, it's in the EFFORT, or it's noted lack, that the Truth is to be found, and this is in all life and living, like it or not. If you can't keep up... tough nuts for you then. Eris won't be helping you all by herself, and most likely not at all.

She's kinda not into suffering fools..

What's a being to do?
A goddess Who's name
quite nearly means Try
must be hard to please,
and indeed can be.

But if you hear Eris' call and turn away,
none will lay you blame.
Many say that such gray comfort has it's perks.
Except, of course, Her Discordian jerks,
and all those other poor saps that her bull-reddened favor would claim.

[Junkenstein]

Yes. All of this. Mittens and stuff.

When happiness comes creeping along, like a worn down, broken, stinking ice cream truck, it's hard not to throw things at it.

Kinda, but not quite for me.

For me, the fight is an incidental that comes from awkward questions like "Is this truck hygienic?", "What's in that freezer you never open?" or "When was the last time you undertook any maintenance on this van because it looks like a heap of shit".

Sometimes the questions have reasonable answers like "Yes", "It's empty" or "Here are my inspection logs". Most of the time the answers are closer to "Fuck you", "None of your damn business" or "Get the fuck out of the queue, I have customers". When faced with unreasonable answers, it's only fair and morally right to start a long running grudge that spirals beyond all reason or control and makes life as uncomfortable as possible for those continuing to frequent the van.

[Junkenstein]

In the interests of full disclosure, I am involved in 3 blood feuds with Ice cream purveyors.

Fuck those guys. They've all been told where they can shove their fucking cones. With sprinkles.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

This is so perfect.

I think it could be used as a basis for a 62-question diagnostic questionnaire for Discordianism: "Is Your Score Over 44? Here's Why!"

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Personally, I always seem to be chasing happiness. It's elusive. Friendship isn't, so I take refuge in friends as much as I can. I feel lucky to be able to have the happiness of having one of those friends for my partner.

[Q. G. Pennyworth]

Personally, I always seem to be chasing happiness. It's elusive. Friendship isn't, so I take refuge in friends as much as I can. I feel lucky to be able to have the happiness of having one of those friends for my partner.

The friends part I knew wasn't going to be as relevant, tried to word it in such a way that it wasn't describing a universal symptom but one that comes up from time to time. I have some good friends but fucked if it isn't hard to hold onto them. I'm not sure if I quite nailed the workplace stuff, either.

[LMNO]

I personally define it as a search for Joy, which to me is more ecstatic and dangerous than happiness is.  It's also more fleeting.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Personally, I always seem to be chasing happiness. It's elusive. Friendship isn't, so I take refuge in friends as much as I can. I feel lucky to be able to have the happiness of having one of those friends for my partner.

The friends part I knew wasn't going to be as relevant, tried to word it in such a way that it wasn't describing a universal symptom but one that comes up from time to time. I have some good friends but fucked if it isn't hard to hold onto them. I'm not sure if I quite nailed the workplace stuff, either.

I feel like you captured something, though, in a "if you have seven or more of these ten symptoms, you may have Discordianism" sort of way.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

It also harkens me back to some conversation I had here a long time ago about strife, and how humans need to always be striving against something in order to feel fulfilled. Otherwise we turn into weird, dissatisfied, uncomfortable, entitled assholes, or get depressed.

I know that I always need to feel like I'm pushing on something or I get restless and kinda mean.

[The Wizard Joseph]

I personally define it as a search for Joy, which to me is more ecstatic and dangerous than happiness is.  It's also more fleeting.

I've sometimes wondered if you might not make a case for joy being a sort of "weaponized" or refined happiness. A form to be cultivated and a product of sorts to be made from the original basis for one's "surplus" happiness. One that can be shared with the like minded as a sort of meme-nutrient perhaps.

It could be seen as a thing worth "doing extra" for. You can be happy with a job, but without joy there's little need or desire to do more than is likely expected and expectable. If something or someone deprives you of it you have effectively been robbed. In a sense it would be the most valuable thing humans are able to make, and by far the most potentially dangerous in abuse. A bunch of GRIN'n Ninnys all hopped up on joy could potentially do just about anything.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

We live in deserts and in frigid coastal towns. We live in environments where our sexuality could get us beaten or killed. We live with axes over our heads, where the sun never shines and the bridges sing every night. This is not an accident.

Or it never STOPS shining.

We can't keep friends worth a damn half the time because we are fueled by fighting and it is exhausting and we burn out and fall down and get back up again only to fight.

Or the fighting just progresses to the point where the precondition for friendship - mutual respect - ceases to exist for one or both parties and then this is demonstrated to the person in question.

Because that's going to happen if you fight long enough.  169% guaranteed.

[Q. G. Pennyworth]

Last winter I was in a bit of a slump and the thing that shook me out of it was the first really bitter cold snap. Like, it's sad and boring when it's just cold enough that nothing's growing and the trees are bare and the grass is brittle and yellowy and the skies are gray and nothing happens. Give me some "so cold you'll seriously get frostbite if you don't cover up," some black ice and freezing rain, give me snow up to my armpits and leaky boots and the buses aren't running. THEN I'll show you what I'm made of. I'll SHOW that fucking weather who's boss.