Readings - Some Interesting Contrasts

Currently in the middle of three books - Bushwacked, on some of Bush's years in office and the damage done to America in those years, The Audacity of Hope by Barak Obama with his views on what's been happening in American government and what needs to happen to improve it, and The Art of Happiness by the Dalia Lama. Am only about halfway through each, but finding each very interesting in its own way.

Bushwacked covers Bush's activities during his time as governor of Texas (much of this was also covered in the author's previous book on Bush - Shrub) and how those same activities and approach have been applied to governing the nation rather than just a state. A lot of it covers how individuals have been affected. Reading it, although it has been written as a comedic expose, could make you cry.

When Bushwacked makes me too depressed, I switch to Obama's Audacity of Hope. Although he presents some dark pictures of government today - the great Senate debates in which the debator stands in an empty room with no listeners except for the C-SPAN cameras - "In the world's greatest deliberative body, no one is listening." He talks a lot about the influence of business on politics and I'm reading a lot lately in other places about the drive for separation of corporation and state. There is much which is about seeing both sides of issues and the perspective of people in this country. Should be really interesting to see how much of this he puts into play as he moves into the presidency.

The Art of Happiness provides an interesting perspective on finding happiness while living, which leads to some thinking on why the economies of the US and UK are the way they are right now. Individuals and businesses both contributed to this situation (although I would argue that businesses should have known better, being the 'experts'), by spending more than they have creating a house of cards collapsing when the right amount of pressure is applied. The Art of Happiness discusses why people do this, usually it is done to fulfill a need not being met elsewhere in one's life, usually this boils down to the pursuit of happiness. There was one particular point that really struck home for me in what the Dalia Lama had to say - there is a difference between happiness and pleasure.

Often times in today's society the two are confused and pleasure is pursued rather than happiness, and the two are quite different. Pleasure is having that second piece of cheesecake or the whole pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, pleasure is the feeling you get when buying that new car or a bigger house. Happiness can be health, fitness and is definitely financial freedom. Pleasure is finite and short lived - think of how long you enjoyed that last raise (statistically that enjoyment lasts about 15 minutes). Uncontrolled pleasure seeking often results in a reduction in happiness - bills piling up at the end of the month, stretching to make ends meet, weight gain. Happiness is a constant, although people are found to have differing levels of happiness. Levels of happiness can be increased or decreased often based upon one's approach to pleasure. A big learning for me was a simple question that I will use when making decisions, 'Will this bring me happiness or will it bring me pleasure?'