What is joy? What is sorrow? These two things seem to mark all meaningful moments in our lives. All the most meaningful that is. How often do we experience joy?

Daily to some degree. The same with sorrow. My moods swing a lot in a day.

Maybe once a week, or a couple times.

Every day.

I think it differs for different people.

If you feel no peak in emotion is that depression? A depressed person feels little sorrow as well as joy, right? Actually, no. Depression is a progress of degradation, and they do feel sorrow. It is usually why they are depressed. The sorrow is habitual.

Depression is a signal that something needs to change in ones life. Yes. Depression could also be called spiritual stagnation, but depression is not the opposite of joy. Apathy is.

It can also occur with sudden unexpected change. Occasional depression is natural. It’s actually in our genetics. But just like kidneys that don’t work, the natural depression can go out of balance.

If you seek joy, will you find it?

Perhaps.

I think you might seek the things that give you joy. And they can fail to give you joy, because joy has no external source.

Actually, I think you find joy when you stop seeking it.

But, but … it’s a given “right.” The pursuit of happiness. Yes. A strange American notion. I feel no qualms about saying that being American by birth if not by residence right now.

I think there are certain TV shows that you enjoy that you can sometimes count on to make you happy, or seeing someone you care about. It’s the process that you allow to happen at those times that gives you joy, not the things themselves.

Isn’t joy more a state of some kind, whereas happiness is an emotion? Joy is not a state, but yes, happiness is an emotion. The reason I say joy is not a state is because we have the word enjoyment. You could also say engagement. How many people actually know how to enjoy their lives? It’s easy to say that life is for living, but most people actually live like life is for working, or that life is for suffering even.

Is that not a western culture male thing? Their happiness tied to work? Oh, it spreads beyond males now.

I keep thinking enjoyment will come when we aren’t worried about rent and family health. If enjoyment isn’t now, it won’t come later. If joy isn’t in this moment, it won’t come because you are waiting for it.

I know people who think life shouldn’t be fun. That strikes me as a strange notion. It is maybe sort of a spin off of the catholic /puritan view of the world and human experience.

Yes, like making some kind of sacrifice makes you better. People love to point out how hard they work. No. It just makes you sacrificed until it makes you dead. True joy doesn’t actually involve sacrifice.

My uncle would proclaim that he never uses a computer for games, only for work. As if that made him more noble somehow. That hurts my head, but yes, I have heard it said.

He was the same one that cheated on his wife with his secretary. We all have our games, but some people don’t play fair in this life. They don’t add joy.

Adultery is a game isn’t it? How long can I go before I get caught? Yes. If it was a genuine disaffection for their partner, they would not cheat. They would divorce. So it isn’t an honest path.

Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.

Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~