If I'm upset and someone told me that I'd be even more upset that it essentially is telling me that this feeling I have is not one I am allowed to feel and express.Nifty_Shark

[QUOTE="fdsfgs"][QUOTE="xaos"]Zero sum happiness? the underlying concept seems to be that there is only a finite amount of joy to be spread among the people of the world, and if you aren't the one individual who has the absolute minimum, you are "winning". Hrm, no thanks.SEANMCAD

its been said that in life you are either moving forward or moving backward.

The 'life is worse for some others' is almost aways used to convince someone its ok to move them backward. Think about who told you this 'others have it worse' and why they maybe trying to shift your view point. It can be used as a tactic

[QUOTE="fdsfgs"][QUOTE="LoG-Sacrament"]

counter: sucks for them. what if they are some poor haitian living off grain and mud? its not too comforting thinking "atleast im not that guy."

counter #2: using that same rationalization, you could say that no matter how good you do there will always be somebody better than you and therefore you should never feel good about yourself.

LoG-Sacrament

your epiphany has opened my eyes. thanks tc

zmbi_gmr

Zero sum happiness? the underlying concept seems to be that there is only a finite amount of joy to be spread among the people of the world, and if you aren't the one individual who has the absolute minimum, you are "winning". Hrm, no thanks.xaos

What about the person who has it worst? Secondly comparing yourself with someone else only makes you comparatively happy not objectively happy. You can apply this to other things such as injuries: if one man has a broken finger and another has a broken leg the man with the broken finger is less injured than the one with the broken leg though in no way could you say that he has no injury. You may also want to note that quality of life is not an objective hierarchal scale. What you consider good another may consider hell, ie a lot of people say they want to be a rock star but i'ld hate that.markop2003

counter: sucks for them. what if they are some poor haitian living off grain and mud? its not too comforting thinking "atleast im not that guy."

counter #2: using that same rationalization, you could say that no matter how good you do there will always be somebody better than you and therefore you should never feel good about yourself.

LoG-Sacrament

Therefore, if you lose everything you own and your family dies in a fire, you really shouldn't complain because there's someone who'd trade places with you.Theokhoth

What if you are that person that has it the worst? He's a person after all.Genetic_Code

you should never be unhappy about anything in your life because someone always has it worse and would gladly take your life over theirs. :D