"To be stupid, and selfish, and to have good health are the three requirements for happiness; though if stupidity is lacking, the others are useless." Flaubert
Perhaps my liking for this quote is sparked by the bitter cynicism that my own happiness is rarely anything more than ephemeral, but then I've never admired hedonism. People who are consistently happy, naturally or by their own assertion, have always seemed counterfeit, (sub)consciously naive. Or as Tarkovsky said, "I can't stand mirth. Cheerful people seem guilty to me, because they can't comprehend the mournful value of existence."
I disagree with selfishness being a requirement, as I have known a number of altruistic (sincerely even), happy people, though they're usually either delusional or bigoted. Maybe a lack of ambition, dreams, or imagination should be the third.
Perhaps my liking for this quote is sparked by the bitter cynicism that my own happiness is rarely anything more than ephemeral, but then I've never admired hedonism. People who are consistently happy, naturally or by their own assertion, have always seemed counterfeit, (sub)consciously naive. Or as Tarkovsky said, "I can't stand mirth. Cheerful people seem guilty to me, because they can't comprehend the mournful value of existence."
I disagree with selfishness being a requirement, as I have known a number of altruistic (sincerely even), happy people, though they're usually either delusional or bigoted. Maybe a lack of ambition, dreams, or imagination should be the third.
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