Re: Unhappiness (Was Extropian ...)

Gerhard Kessell-Haak (gerhard_kessell-haak@mail.tait.co.nz)
Mon, 12 Oct 1998 12:10:20 +1200

> > Who says clinical depression is bad, anyway? Negative thinking is
inherently
>> more powerful than positive thinking, despite the silly fad in
>> willpower-worship. The response sets of unhappiness evolved to
handle tougher
>> problems; the analytic abilities that deal with failure are considerably
more
>> powerful than the skill-formation abilities evoked by success.
Whatever price
>> chronic depression exacts, it's more than worth it.
> > I speak from experience, of course.
>
>Speaking from experience I can say that the exact opposite is
true;
>depression leads to nothing, while happiness and success go hand
in
>hand. I guess we humans are a very divers species...

Personally, I tend to agree with both of you. Clinical depression can be a debilitating mental disorder, sapping one's mental strength, actively preventing you from achieving your goals. Simple depression, on the other hand, can be used in a positive sense to kick-start one's life into another, more rewarding, direction.