HOW TO BE HAPPY (a practical and scientific guide to living well)

PATREON: [www.patreon.com/user?u=3261155]
MUSIC: [ / @izaakthomasmusic ]
TWITTER: [ / 5isyphus55 ]

[@vaevictus4637]

The entire point of Stoicism and of Buddhism was that people tend to become unhappy even if EVERY SINGLE THING is perfect around them. These schools of philosphy are meant to demonstrate how at the deepest level, your internal world is the final judge of how the events of life are experienced by you.

[@daikucoffee5316]

If these ideas are so great, why do they only work for some?

[@valeriorocket3620]

Listen, you can't write cbt and call it "cognitive behavioral therapy" without smiling a little 3:04

[@jethrotool4828]

You thinking of CBD?🤔

[@shadok1214]

@@jethrotool4828 Cock and Ball Torture

[@noonmoom9615]

Secondly, COCK AND BALL TORTURE

[@jethrotool4828]

shadok 😂😂😂

[@saturatedneowax]

@@jethrotool4828 KICKING

[@mateabanana3506]

I love you Sisyphus let me give you a head pat, your voice could be a pillow.

[@lupemeza8197]

Some people, like dogs, don't like to get pat on the head

[@mateabanana3506]

@Piyush Wagh Thanks for the notice, I want to defile my crevice.

[@Dylan-yd8kw]

Underrated comment. Thanks for existing

[@mateabanana3506]

@@Dylan-yd8kw You too, Honey.

[@Dylan-yd8kw]

Matea Banana No you. *pulls out Uno Reverse card*

[@ahmedaminedahmeni8441]

can you please start a podcast, i would love to listen to you more often.

[@anglenot6715]

He actually already has one heres the link my guy. open.spotify.com/episode/0x1TX8ZbKvgeXCFQpAGGzQ?si=sF9Y2MzgQ8a5zhUK6nQFEw

[@indomitablemidwesterner]

@@anglenot6715 thanks guy

[@kewlcucumber]

Yes

[@vanguardcycle]

@@anglenot6715 thanks!!!

[@Dhead-io4om]

He has one now it goes by the same name as the channel

[@OnePercentBetter]

5. Smoke DMT

[@hfhehdhwhhahshhauwunsnammw6790]

sup

[@1ute]

wrong. boof DMT

[@VibhorDubey99]

Joe Rogan has entered the chat.

[@gravy3858]

i had one trip and I’m scared to do it again lol.

[@hboyO2]

@@gravy3858 what are you scared of?

[@smiley426]

never been this early to a sisyphus vid

[@jayv-in1860]

sam

[@tristant6764]

Reihan Rizky triumph

[@this_rishi]

@@jayv-in1860 harris

[@catsoncoke]

Just spent a few hours self reflecting and thinking about my future, I then started writing down what I think would be my ideal, realistic future in which I would be happiest. I often struggle with finding purpose in my life, as I’m still young and haven’t figured out what I want to do yet. After writing down where I want to live, what my house looks like, what kind of job I have, the natural environment around my house, basically imagining a calm lifestyle that I wish I had right now. And I found that after writing it down and reading through it, I felt much more complete and the happiest I had been in days, I think this is because I’ve been lacking purpose for awhile. Thanks for the video

[@panzerjagertigerpelefant]

THIS. I am having trouble myself, finding happiness, and purpose. I'm like you, a lot, and I hope I can find an answer to it soon enough as well.

[@armanderschreckliche]

Thanks for your comment. It's enlightening.

[@ekronb5287]

This is what I found for me. I’m living a life w no goals really, just breezing thru. It makes my life feel kinda empty at time because I feel like there is nothing really to show my progression other than my thought process

[@vincivedivicilextalionas4036]

Thank you for writing this. Im looking at huge changes coming up. Leaving my wife a note and leaving for good tomorrow. Wish me luck

[@Malef1x]

@@vincivedivicilextalionas4036 Don't do that. If you want to leave your wife and start fresh, do it the honorable way. Don't just disappear, then you're just running away

[@eggplant3667]

Blue Print: 1. Recognize divided Self 2. Change your mind / Be less pessimistic - Meditation - CBT - SSRI's 3. Change External Conditions - Lowering environmental noise - Commuting less - Getting into institutions that allow the exercising of choice - Make progress towards reducing shame 4. Find a flow activity - Painting, gardening, skating etc - whatever you enjoy forgetting/losing time in Love, Virtue and Meaning are part two, which will be discussed in a future video.

[@someonesomeone25]

I wish these things worked for me. Tried everything, but still not happy.

[@toasty_slugcat]

Funny cbt

[@kaleidzwei]

im stuck at cbt

[@sandoreriksson7412]

stfu

[@azrael4457]

Before I strive for happiness, I always say to myself that happiness is a passing emotion and is transient. Because when that feeling of happiness disappears, I don't get disappointed, instead, I look forward to another day in which I experience it once more.

[@olliegrant5375]

Man I sure do love some CBT. Oh wait never mind turns out you were talking about cognitive behavioral therapy.

[@jasonwalsh8281]

What else is CBT?

[@yyyaaa3928]

SISSYphus sure knows how to HYPNOtise people

[@nathanshlap]

@@jasonwalsh8281 Coock and baaaall tortuure

[@jasonwalsh8281]

@@nathanshlap ha I should have guessed. Thank you.

[@dL-ky2rp]

Sisyphus: are you happy? **2020 has entered the chat**

[@irreversiblyhuman]

Happiness is the exhaust fume of joyous life. It's the moment of connection with the Here and Now you feel when something goes perfectly right, but seemingly - it's not because of one's volition. It's touching, it never lasts, it can't be forced. It's the nature of Tao - the more you seek it, the less likely you are to find it.

[@philumen948]

nothing shatters me more than when my brain hits me with the "U R PooPY PooP BuTT" thought 1:48

[@notsodailydiscorddump1610]

And reality throws a pen at you

[@harshnarayan7656]

The last time i came this early my wife left me

[@ti2218]

Amazing

[@imbetter599]

Ouch

[@syzygy9725]

I’m going to keep this video in the back of my head and whenever I need it, I’m going to watch this over and over again. Thank you so much for this!

[@chamberofcam]

Found this channel last night, great stuff man keep it up.

[@ObeyRL99]

This is such a damn good channel. I discovered it on accident and since then, I can´t stop watching. I´m so excited for the next Video!!!

[@helpsloan]

i’ve been thinking ab this a lot. perfect timing sisyphus

[@zanzoy]

Sending good vibes to you man. Your channel has been a blessing

[@jamesc6028]

Really appreciate the more regular uploads!

[@Brandon_Brando]

its videos like these that makes me extremely grateful youtube is a free service

[@jahrazzjahrazz8858]

1. Meditation 2. CBT 3. CBD

[@smiercksiazka776]

@@nirgunawish well science say placebo

[@smiercksiazka776]

Sorry for hating too fast

[@smiercksiazka776]

@@nirgunawish if it works it works imao

[@jahrazzjahrazz8858]

@@nirgunawish I dont think "science say placebo", im pretty sure its proven to help with muscle relaxation and inflammation or something?

[@silverthatrandomdragon5509]

Cock And Ball Torture

[@Wingedmagician]

One of my favorite videos. On KZbin. Thanks.

[@soullessleftover8427]

To me the most happiest moments are those when i can enjoy now. When I don't have to worry about stuff and that I don't have to specially wait for or get ready for. The idea behind those goals is very cliché, and it's meant to give to the most average person some goals to look forward to. But since the average person isn't the brightest mind, than it's no wonder why these people will do almost everything in their power to over-blow the whole situation. All the way from spending thousands and thousands of dollars for something that at it's best will be interesting for an hour or so, all the way to making the biggest drama about it. It's easy to forget what you already have, and to just want more and more. But if you can't appreciate the current moment, than you lost something very valuable. Money can't buy you happiness, it can only mask the current moment and corrupt you.

[@Bilboswaggins2077]

Your voice is so relaxing it calms my existential anxiety

[@abby_photos]

I've watched a bunch of your videos and I still can't tell if your academic background is in philosophy or psychology, but I really enjoy the way you seamlessly integrate them both.

[@pikerpoler]

Plot twist: His academic background is actually chemistry. Philosophy is just his past time activity. (My actual guess: He is probably a phisosopher, judging by the other videos)

[@ashvindas3875]

@@pikerpoler Wildly enough I believe he's a PoliSci major who started studying Psychology and Philosophy on his own

[@humanbeing4893]

I have never actually caught one of your videos on the day of. This is neat :) I always enjoy your videos.

[@jensvejmand1176]

I think I could only be truly happy if you got a better mic

[@ryancrabtree9071]

For some reason, I kind of like the lower quality of the mic, it just fits the aesthetic of his videos so well.

[@vandollism]

Offer to buy them one 👍

[@vault311]

Some extra thought: Does happiness also depend on the amount of attention one gives to the world around them? Can you be happy while seeing and knowing all the injustices happening in the world? And isn't it morally reprehensible for one to choose to be ignorant of the things happening around them in order to achieve happiness?

[@timothymakoni5563]

This is an interesting question. Obviously it would be difficult for one to achieve happiness whilst knowing that they surrounded by a world that suffers, at the same time it makes no sense to be completely ignorant of the evils just beyond your wall should you choose to just ignore them. My personal view on the situation (you can disagree if you want) is that, and as cliche as this sounds, you have to have a balance. As sad as it sounds there are people out there suffering for no inherent reason but at the same time even those people have things to be grateful about, just like you and me. I think that there would be no good in the world if there was no evil so at the end of the day you need to be aware of the bad things going on to appreciate the good as well

[@Gelatinousblob33]

Playing devil’s advocate: Is it any less morally reprehensible to notice an injustice and not do anything about it? Ignoring whether or not action is possible in a given circumstance, does it make any sense to notice problems which make you feel worse than you did prior to noticing them, and not take any action on the issue? I think we have to identify the endgame of noticing issues around us, as well as realize that action in every circumstance is impossible. To fix a given issue (which would logically result in improved lives for those who were affected by it) is to fulfill one’s moral responsibility, but to notice the issue, not take action, and kill any chance at personal happiness is both counterproductive and morally reprehensible. After all, are those people affected by said issue any more human/ deserving of happiness than we are? Are we not all part of the society we are trying to improve? To be happy with what you have and to help where you can is to improve at least one life in the world (your own) without acting at the expense of others.

[@eddygci8]

It is possible to be happy in the eyes of suffering

[@Ixe2077]

@@josiahbrown5582 I must say, it is pretty easy to ignore problems in the world until they get out of hand. I'd say only if they affected my life in a drastic way I'd care to look into it. Then again it truly depend son if you're capable of doing something and making a change. It completely depends on a person's mental state, physical state, and social state on if they are capable of helping others in a situation. Definitely need more people out there fighting for a sense of humanity. Very few people care about the big picture and it's sad, but still understandable. I hope you understand where I'm coming from, cya.

[@mehimself3936]

One of your best videos. Really good man

[@thetriptrap622]

Gracious lo-fi mood of this video, so good

[@nathananderson8720]

This is one of the channels that gave me the courage to start my KZbin channel 3 months ago about self development. Now I have 262 subs and almost > 97 hours of watch time. I know it’s not comparable with others but I’m still proud I started because I’ve been learning so many lessons that I couldn’t have learned without getting started in the 1st place.

[@connorcrock2546]

Thank you for sharing this, I have practiced meditation for a very long time tho inconsistent I can vouch that it does allow freedom of anxious thoughts, amazing video as always

[@thesaladballs]

goddamn i love your videos man. highlight of my day

[@abuelasaurusrex3146]

You always provide good videos, thank you for all of them

[@thomasobrien1034]

I love every single one of your videos man. Especially this one, I really needed to hear a lot of what you said and it came at the perfect time! Thank you v v much :)

[@peterferguson6996]

Hey man, thanks for these videos.

[@TT-fk2gj]

i love your relaxing content really much

[@TallgrassMeander]

Philosophical as well as pragmatic and concrete. I dig it.

[@hachid9579]

3:03 CBT is a must for happiness

[@mindpalace7242]

Keep em coming bro!!!

[@dant5349]

Would love to see a full video on meditation and/or Buddhist psychology. It may interest you that the CIIS (formerly the American institute of Asian studies, where Alan Watts worked) has a Master's course called 'East-West Psychology' that attempts to bridge the gap between Western psychology and Hindu and Buddhist approaches to the mind.

[@nahimaakter7156]

Thank you papa Sisyphus

[@ti2218]

I remember doing out-patient group therapy almost a year ago, and I had to stop myself from laughing about CBT many times.

[@LosTheGuy]

Perfect vid while waking up

[@jeremykinley1457]

This is literally the teachings of Epicurus; that the three conditions which effect happiness are freedom, relationships, and the fulfilment of basic necessities for survival

[@130598st]

With regards to the contradiction between authenticity and self improvement, i do not think it exists, since authenticity is essentially to be viewed as the individual being the highest version of themselves. Based on the process of individuation, authenticity is the path towards meaning, and if you need drugs to induce meaning in your life, it means you cannot truly be living authentically, and therefore, you are not all you could be.

[@juanrincon777]

great work as usual

[@matthew_thefallen]

You know what is funny? I discovered that what makes me happy is to stop thinking about myself. I think that being self aware is troubling at times, too many thoughts run in your head about anything you do. So i started to stop thinking about those thoughts, let them come and go (thanks to meditation and lockdowns). I realized that life is like a Jazz jam session, you gotta improvise at times!

[@merihs.7944]

I‘ll be happy once you do another face cam video

[@hhenub2485]

i love your vids man :)

[@yes7855]

I think I’m happy inside, but somehow miserable on the outside. Like a glowing ball is hidden deep in me , but most times I don’t feel it but can feel that it’s there. Weird.

[@freepills2382]

Yes

[@hardrocklobsterroll395]

Love your work. Thanks for the videos. But have you considered turning the levels up on your microphone or increasing it in post? It’s difficult for me to hear even on the highest volume (sorry for being deaf lmao)

[@gabrielsantiagorivera8613]

Beautiful video.

[@LosTheGuy]

Banger vid like always

[@Maid_of_Spiders]

Ok I cant be the only one who metaphorically spit out my drink when I saw cbt as the number 2 solution. You almost gave me whiplash before explaining that you meant cognitive behavioral therapy.

[@Ixe2077]

I just did what I enjoyed or want to do and keep my anxiety at the back of my mind, but still knowing that it is correct about things, and using that and my logic to live life as I wanted to. Anyways lads stay safe in quarantine.

[@lifeasjohn1390]

Man I need to learn how to be happy in my life rn

[@Ixe2077]

Do what you want, as long as it's ok. That's the way I see it. Life is like a game and there are alot of games to play, but you have to choose the game (or games depending on what kind of player you are) you want to play and try to get your highest score.

[@psychogenical1419]

Love ur vids man

[@annaturquoise7114]

I don’t know if you mentioned modern subliminal messaging on yt, but it’s an important point

[@saywhat1870]

thank you

[@patcharaponworawongwasu8304]

Your videos better us all.

[@McCOOL-vo1un]

its my b day. and im a little down...so thank you 🙏🏽 EDIT: The day kept getting better throughout, Thank you for all the wishes, it was a day of reflection :)

[@abitchwaiting7822]

happy birthday!

[@charlie4300]

Happy bday bruh

[@karlvx1000]

Happy birthday

[@jordankent9764]

Happy birthday!

[@kieranmcglade8446]

Happy bday dude! Hope your day picks up

[@spencer120]

never been this early. great vid

[@tidypog3272]

I've had good luck with 6 micrograms of LSD twice a week. 100 micros is for tripping and 6 is for unplugging the serotonin machine and turning it back on

[@pineapplehead789]

@@thesquee1838 Liquify LSD 10ml for 10mcg of lsd

[@pineapplehead789]

@@thesquee1838 distilled water, and depends how much u want

[@tidypog3272]

@@thesquee1838 I got an airplane vodka and dumped out half, then put 4 weak tabs in. Pretty close to 90 micros per tab. With an eyedropper and about 20 drops per mL, it's easy

[@noahh9355]

thanks man

[@coffeeklutz9318]

I recently decided to schedule a pysch eval. It's been idk 12 years since I was forced to do one. Now I'm not, I already know the answer (to only a slight degree) but a true second opinion is always appreciated. On CBT, I saw an episode where they said "you don't like yourself now, why do you care what you are like on antu-depressants" and truth be told that's 100%. My case anyway

[@coffeeklutz9318]

I also was lucky enough to meet Ryan Holiday a few years ago. Good dude.

[@puttingthegilfinofguildfor1085]

What humans seek is fulfilment not happiness because happiness is short term during the moment whereas fulfilment is your logical achievement that you have accomplished

[@puttingthegilfinofguildfor1085]

The feeling of happiness and fulfilment are two very different states of person often confused

[@1lps1]

man, you deserve more subs 😞

[@wheatie4628]

thanks

[@HealthyNick]

I love the content 👍

[@stevenhenderson1198]

How to be happy: 1: meditation 2: cock and ball torture 3: drugs. Fuck yeah! Count me in!

[@tusharroy6712]

H = S + C + V S = set state of happiness (base level) - Meditation - CBT, talk therapy - SSRIs (for some) C = conditions - Commuting - Reducing environmental noise - Engage in activities/institutions with high autonomy - Work towards reducing shame V = voluntary activites - Activities that involve flow (high difficulty, high match to ability) - Enable progress principle (enjoy for enjoyment's sake) - E.g. sports, conversation, creative pursuits, gardening etc love, virtue, meaning

[@fooforthewin6758]

I think things which are often too overlooked in trying to be happy is basic things, like exercise and taking care of yourself. Our body is a fairly primitive machine and if provided with the things it has historically depended on to live best such as exercise and interaction with fellow people, then it will put you in a happy state.

[@joeblow9657]

This video was very interesting

[@EfrainMcshell]

Happiness..... what an embroidery

[@hydra1346]

Sisyphus: how to be happy me: don’t do that, don’t give me hope

[@suezuccati304]

Yo a fellow ygo player

[@hydra1346]

@@suezuccati304 sadly, I don’t play anymore.

[@suezuccati304]

F

[@what._._._]

i added a career that combined multiple passions of mine, and subtracted romantic/sexual relationships never been happier ^_^ p.s. i feel like meditation is greatly underrated

[@datwolfe3512]

3:00 CBT, i'll give it a shot

[@tatertot5743]

Wow I’m really happy that I’m early

[@iacobibrasiliensium2139]

Narrator: "Are you happy? Like truly happy?" me: Absolutely not...

[@mosshotep]

We have a power to belive meaning we can have a statement any statment and make it as if it is true and through this power we can be happy simply by deefininig certine tasks to happy to be that for lack of a better term the good emotion and even more we can see the ways of which by defing that will give us a max happiness and from there we would have created objectivity again it is time to realise that any philosophy we have doesnt give us an absloute truth of wich we havnt defined to know and it is time to use our abiltiy of belife and use it to the best of our abilties

[@jvmango3057]

i love your content man but i sincerely hope that you get the chance to upgrade your mic for better audio other than that good work on this one

[@eddy-currents]

Would have been fun to have Montaigne's perspective on this. "In practice thousands of little women in their villages have lived more gentle, more equable and more constant lives than [Cicero]." To Montaigne, overcomplicating happiness is how one finds unhappiness :)

[@pumpkinhat8949]

damn I wish I had a friend like you.

[@XxLegenderywhitewolfxX]

ah I felt happy at one point but it was something that was never constant, but maybe it's my fault for easily letting them go. Maybe I should've been more upfront about how I felt but that also lead disappointment most of the time .. What a fun existence lol.. Maybe my happiness should've came from within than finding external things to fill my void.. Oh well you live & you learn

[@zachrooney5667]

You need to make these videos in to a podcast so I can Listen to them when biking

[@dabqu]

Very god video, though I think you glossed over the significance of C.B.T. That is crucial!

[@marlonjareck7367]

So old so good. Being aktive will change a lot too

[@emantide1262]

Watching your videos make me feel physically I'll and hopeless.

[@catedoge3206]

Yes

[@lewisw3436]

What kind of meditation do you recommend? I have done a little bit of some basic mindfulness but other than that I don't really know where to start.

[@mouselmao]

Mindfulness is probably one of the most accessible and most directly applicable forms of meditation that I've seen. I recommend continuing with practicing mindfulness in a variety of situations, such as eating dinner, petting a cat (or other animals), taking a walk, looking at flowers, etc. Practice by focusing on your senses while doing everyday tasks is really helpful for learning how to apply mindfulness anywhere.

[@aceofacez10]

good vid

[@N00b0super]

Does anyone have the source for the $75k being the happiness cap? And it would also be nice to know where the 5 distressing things that Sisyphus talks about at 8:10 come from.

[@martabandur]

The $75k number is (perhaps erroneously) cited from a study by the scientists Deaton and Kahneman. [May be an error, because their study did NOT show that people stopped getting happier after $75K. In fact, it showed the opposite - that life satisfaction actually grew the richer you were, with the richest people being the most satisfied with their lives. The $75K statistic comes from data based on the day-to-day occurrence of specific emotions, like stress. So, while rich people still encountered stress daily, they were indeed happier.]

[@fiveminutezen]

You hit the nail on the head... I do often feel like a poopy poop butt (Sorry for the shit post.)

[@ethanvee8490]

Hell yea

[@lyndis1306]

That cbt part caught me off guard ngl

[@heyywalker]

I was just about to sleep. But it seems I shouldn't.

[@ricoakano2905]

Well I feel like the lack of happiness is a major contributor to me not being able to actually pursue what I want to do. I always start doing something and stick with it for like two weeks but then it just fades away like any of the other things I’ve tried in my life. I could imagine that I can’t stick to anything because it doesn’t make me feel any happier than doing nothing would. And I always come back to my bed and KZbin.

[@bigballsmcgee8681]

You should explain this to your doctor, I have ADHD and can recognize a lot of these thoughts and behaviours in myself. There are people who can help you out, you are not a broken person.

[@ricoakano2905]

@@bigballsmcgee8681 first of all, thank you for your kind words. I talked about it with my doctor and he prescribed me a therapist appointment, which I’m guessing I’ll have to wait for quite a long time (I live in Germany). Regardless, I’ve noticed that I always have my ups and downs, and I guess I’m in quite an up right now, maybe even my best up yet, cause I’m slowly starting to feel joy in doing the things I want to do. It feels very good. I’m guessing I’ll get into a down again eventually, but if I know I’m going to come out of it a bit happier than I was before, I think I’ll be able to deal with it. Maybe my experience can do something good for anyone who reads this. It truly does get better.