A couple of things recently prompted me to consider our use of language. The first was on one of the podcasts on http://abuddhistpodcast.com/ . Where Jason Jarret was talking about how there is a vacuum on positive philosophy in most people's life, which generally speaking, I agree with. Having brought up in the Punk era, I guess I kind of identified with the nihilism of the times, and certainly as a teenager, it had great appeal .. You know how it goes when you're young .. the whole world's against you isn't it !
But when we've finally cast off our black t shirts and ripped jeans, we have to live in this world and become more and more aware of what is going on outside our own little world, and it sometimes ain't that pretty.
But why can we not become more positive ? I honestly think one problem is around language. Kind of in the same way as they used to say the Devil has all the best tunes, I personally think he nicked the language too.
The problem with a lot of positive language is that it's just .. well ... too nice and fluffy .. words like 'happy', 'wonderful', 'joyous' etc .. doesn't it remind you of Sunday schools or a bunch of niaive folkies sitting around a camp fire ... and most people don't relate to that liberal wishy washy attitude even if we, in most cases, desire the same ends.
So .. I think the time has come to abandon the fluffy language and use more constructive non wishy washy terms ... for example ... isn't it better to be 'fulfilled' rather that 'happy' .. happy is a transient thing where as 'fulfilled' indicates a certain longevity.
Anyway .. this is going to be a shorther blog than I'd intended and I may come back to it again but I got interrupted for the third time by a film location crew who are very likely using my flat for a feature film .. I couldn't believe the pic they took last time !!! Thanksfully, I had a bit of notice this time to get rid of the evidence :-)
(should be a pic here but blogger doesn't seem to want to upload them grrrr)
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Nothing wrong with the word happy, although it's often used ironically. Remember when you were young and you'd done something wrong and your mother would say "Happy now?". Also used extensively in pop/punk, usually to me the opposite!: Happy House - the Banshees, Everybody's Happy Nowadays - Buzzcocks, Happy Hour- Housemartins, Only Happy when it Rains - Mary Chain etc
Happy though as a word in its purist sense transcends fulfilled. One can justify fulfilled in terms of say job, relationship etc, but you can be happy for no reason at all. Fulfilled needs justification, reasons. Happy needs none - it's a state of mind. Lets' hear it for happy.
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