Happiness and Misery as sources of self-knowledge

[Kyriakos]

There is a quote by Oscar Wilde according to which these two conditions promote self-knowledge, but he goes on to say that it is prefferable to be happy.
There are many writers who seemed to have been quite miserable, and their knowledge was linked to that state. Kafka, a writer i studied for more than a decade, both in university and in my private life, is a great example of a person who was trying to understand himself, but he was in a very obvious downward spiral.

My view nowdays is that happiness is the sole protective source of self-understanding, and that all self-understanding should be based on it, if one's system of thought is to be healthy.
In my adolescent years this was not at all my view. Then i was pretty much convinved that misery was a friend of thought. But, like Wilde said, both can be producing great thoughts, one just should choose (if he has the choice of course) the happy state.

What is your view on all that? Are you fundamentally happy, or unhappy? And do you link your knowledge of yourself to either of those states? :)

[iamnobody]

Of course it is preferable to be happy. Self examination is much easier to accomplish in a happy state. When the mind is not burdened with misery one is free to contemplate such things. However, (in my opinion) it is when we are unhappy that we discover what we're really made of. i.e. How does one deal with unhappiness\adversity? How well does cope? How strong is one's resolve.

[Kyriakos]

I agree. Going through difficult periods ideally has the result that one realises what problems there are inside (which keep him from ridding oneself from the difficulties) and thus can reform himself for the better.
Of course sometimes a bad state can perpetuate itself, and one can even develop a chronic affair with misery. Some writers were examples of that, which is why i hinted that in the realm of thought such a question about happiness and misery is important in my view ;)

[philosecon]

if at all happiness is the major requirement of life!!!!are you born to be happy? if so then why? some times it feels great to be unhappy, happiness is i think one of many elements that justify life where every element is of equal priority. So the choice will not serve the purpose as it results in a void state of value if exercised, and at every situation you should stop self-hypnotizing to assure self-understanding, may be even now!

[Theunderground]

I think Happiness and unhappiness is a false dichotomy. Life is more profound than that!
I love suffering as it produces the strength to achieve my aims,shows me what i dont want and is a herald of good things to come.
I love genuine human relationships,to me theres no other purpose or aim that i aspire to.
I am realist,but i dislike writers who are nihilistic or perssimistic,life is and always has been superb despite lots of suffering. But YOU have to make it work with blood,sweat,tears and fears.
So in sort i will suffer to keep my loved ones happy,and that keeps me happy.