[Music] [Applause]
[Music]
[Music] [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] it’s my position that we’re going about
it’s my position that we’re going about
it’s my position that we’re going about this all wrong
recently we’ve had a number of experts
recently we’ve had a number of experts helping us to strive for and achieve
helping us to strive for and achieve
helping us to strive for and achieve certain ideals and objectives objectives
certain ideals and objectives objectives
certain ideals and objectives objectives valiant and we’re striving for such as
valiant and we’re striving for such as
valiant and we’re striving for such as happiness gratitude mindfulness
happiness gratitude mindfulness
happiness gratitude mindfulness compassion that before you go to bed
compassion that before you go to bed
compassion that before you go to bed tonight write down the ten things you’re
tonight write down the ten things you’re
tonight write down the ten things you’re happy for and when you wake up in the
happy for and when you wake up in the
happy for and when you wake up in the morning take out your gravity journal
morning take out your gravity journal
morning take out your gravity journal and write down the five things for which
and write down the five things for which
and write down the five things for which you’re grateful and it’s my position
you’re grateful and it’s my position
you’re grateful and it’s my position that we need to flip the causal arrow
that we need to flip the causal arrow
that we need to flip the causal arrow and instead start from a position of all
and instead start from a position of all
and instead start from a position of all because if you’re starting from a
because if you’re starting from a
because if you’re starting from a position that we’re on this spinning
position that we’re on this spinning
position that we’re on this spinning rock spinning through this massive
rock spinning through this massive
rock spinning through this massive galaxy next to that star comprised of
galaxy next to that star comprised of
galaxy next to that star comprised of these minut particles with this brain
these minut particles with this brain
these minut particles with this brain surrounded by other people with this
surrounded by other people with this
surrounded by other people with this brain it’s my position that you can’t
brain it’s my position that you can’t
brain it’s my position that you can’t not be happy and grateful and mindful
not be happy and grateful and mindful
not be happy and grateful and mindful and compassionate now this may feel a
and compassionate now this may feel a
and compassionate now this may feel a little bit like a like self-help
little bit like a like self-help
little bit like a like self-help or some sort of cockeyed optimism but
or some sort of cockeyed optimism but
or some sort of cockeyed optimism but it’s not it’s coming at life from a
it’s not it’s coming at life from a
it’s not it’s coming at life from a starting point and recognizing that all
starting point and recognizing that all
starting point and recognizing that all as the starting point and these aren’t
as the starting point and these aren’t
as the starting point and these aren’t the goals these are the results so this
the goals these are the results so this
the goals these are the results so this didn’t come to me until about ten years
didn’t come to me until about ten years
didn’t come to me until about ten years into my 20 years of studying philosophy
into my 20 years of studying philosophy
into my 20 years of studying philosophy and now teaching philosophy having
and now teaching philosophy having
and now teaching philosophy having written numerous books on the subject
written numerous books on the subject
written numerous books on the subject I’ve so I’ve committed my life to this
I’ve so I’ve committed my life to this
I’ve so I’ve committed my life to this work and recognizing that as a starting
work and recognizing that as a starting
work and recognizing that as a starting point these are the results so we can
point these are the results so we can
point these are the results so we can take the whole glass half-empty or this
take the whole glass half-empty or this
take the whole glass half-empty or this poor guy who’s complaining to his waiter
poor guy who’s complaining to his waiter
poor guy who’s complaining to his waiter that his glass is half-empty or the
that his glass is half-empty or the
that his glass is half-empty or the glass half full approach to life and
glass half full approach to life and
glass half full approach to life and just throw it to the wind because
just throw it to the wind because
just throw it to the wind because instead starting from a position of awe
instead starting from a position of awe
instead starting from a position of awe is an admission that you are throwing
is an admission that you are throwing
is an admission that you are throwing yourself into the world so when I look
yourself into the world so when I look
yourself into the world so when I look at this object I say tell me how much
at this object I say tell me how much
at this object I say tell me how much liquid is in the glass this is what I
liquid is in the glass this is what I
liquid is in the glass this is what I want to know and while we’re at it
want to know and while we’re at it
want to know and while we’re at it what’s the capacity what’s left how much
what’s the capacity what’s left how much
what’s the capacity what’s left how much more liquid can I fit into this glass
more liquid can I fit into this glass
more liquid can I fit into this glass and tell me about this liquid the two
and tell me about this liquid the two
and tell me about this liquid the two hydrogen’s bonded to the oxygen the two
hydrogen’s bonded to the oxygen the two
hydrogen’s bonded to the oxygen the two electron pairs their charges give us
electron pairs their charges give us
electron pairs their charges give us that little dip the meniscus actually
that little dip the meniscus actually
that little dip the meniscus actually what allows water droplets to fall and
what allows water droplets to fall and
what allows water droplets to fall and how in the world does wetness manifest
how in the world does wetness manifest
how in the world does wetness manifest from all this molecular work and the
from all this molecular work and the
from all this molecular work and the charges that result in surface tension
charges that result in surface tension
charges that result in surface tension and
it really does taste much better when
it really does taste much better when you know that much about it and so this
you know that much about it and so this
you know that much about it and so this gets us to those results that we’re
gets us to those results that we’re
gets us to those results that we’re seeking we’ve thrown our self into life
seeking we’ve thrown our self into life
seeking we’ve thrown our self into life we’ve done everything we can and then
we’ve done everything we can and then
we’ve done everything we can and then results the happiness the gratitude the
results the happiness the gratitude the
results the happiness the gratitude the compassion the mindfulness and it turns
compassion the mindfulness and it turns
compassion the mindfulness and it turns out that this happiness we’re seeking is
out that this happiness we’re seeking is
out that this happiness we’re seeking is a little bit elusive I used to push back
a little bit elusive I used to push back
a little bit elusive I used to push back against this phrase pretty heavily if
against this phrase pretty heavily if
against this phrase pretty heavily if ignorance is bliss right as a
ignorance is bliss right as a
ignorance is bliss right as a philosopher who spends his every waking
philosopher who spends his every waking
philosopher who spends his every waking moment writing about instead about in
moment writing about instead about in
moment writing about instead about in discussing thinking the depths of the
discussing thinking the depths of the
discussing thinking the depths of the universe and the human brain and the
universe and the human brain and the
universe and the human brain and the mind I wanted to say
mind I wanted to say
mind I wanted to say no no not ignorance no ignorance no
no no not ignorance no ignorance no
no no not ignorance no ignorance no ignorance it’s not bliss
ignorance it’s not bliss
ignorance it’s not bliss it turns out ignorant is bliss and we
it turns out ignorant is bliss and we
it turns out ignorant is bliss and we just don’t want bliss we want something
just don’t want bliss we want something
just don’t want bliss we want something much deeper
much deeper
much deeper what I can best borrow from and
what I can best borrow from and
what I can best borrow from and translate from Aristotle as flourishing
translate from Aristotle as flourishing
translate from Aristotle as flourishing but flourishing takes work it takes that
but flourishing takes work it takes that
but flourishing takes work it takes that throwing yourself into the world and so
throwing yourself into the world and so
throwing yourself into the world and so we can actually combine this then with
we can actually combine this then with
we can actually combine this then with my favorite cognitive error confirmation
my favorite cognitive error confirmation
my favorite cognitive error confirmation bias
bias
bias this is something our brains do
this is something our brains do
this is something our brains do naturally and it’s an error but we can
naturally and it’s an error but we can
naturally and it’s an error but we can actually flip it and use it to our own
actually flip it and use it to our own
actually flip it and use it to our own benefit so the human brain all the
benefit so the human brain all the
benefit so the human brain all the brains in this audience the brains in
brains in this audience the brains in
brains in this audience the brains in the front row the brain in this skull do
the front row the brain in this skull do
the front row the brain in this skull do the following naturally we formulate
the following naturally we formulate
the following naturally we formulate these pet theories in these hypotheses
these pet theories in these hypotheses
these pet theories in these hypotheses and then we go out into the world to
and then we go out into the world to
and then we go out into the world to test them but we don’t test them
test them but we don’t test them
test them but we don’t test them objectively and scientifically we close
objectively and scientifically we close
objectively and scientifically we close ourselves off and we ignore all of the
ourselves off and we ignore all of the
ourselves off and we ignore all of the disconfirming evidence that goes against
disconfirming evidence that goes against
disconfirming evidence that goes against our pet theory and instead hand-select
our pet theory and instead hand-select
our pet theory and instead hand-select everything that supports our theory to
everything that supports our theory to
everything that supports our theory to show us that we were right all along but
show us that we were right all along but
show us that we were right all along but if your bet theory is that everything
if your bet theory is that everything
if your bet theory is that everything from the seemingly mundane to the
from the seemingly mundane to the
from the seemingly mundane to the grandiose is filled with an experience
grandiose is filled with an experience
grandiose is filled with an experience of all everyone with whom you interact
of all everyone with whom you interact
of all everyone with whom you interact everything you do and everything you see
everything you do and everything you see
everything you do and everything you see then you can’t not experience that
then you can’t not experience that
then you can’t not experience that happiness compassion gratitude and
happiness compassion gratitude and
happiness compassion gratitude and mindfulness and so when I walk on to my
mindfulness and so when I walk on to my
mindfulness and so when I walk on to my workspace at the school where I teach
workspace at the school where I teach
workspace at the school where I teach philosophy and I have this brown Hubble
philosophy and I have this brown Hubble
philosophy and I have this brown Hubble of a of an office where I do a majority
of a of an office where I do a majority
of a of an office where I do a majority of my writing and then I walk out onto
of my writing and then I walk out onto
of my writing and then I walk out onto the pool deck to work with young men as
the pool deck to work with young men as
the pool deck to work with young men as a water polo coach striving to be their
a water polo coach striving to be their
a water polo coach striving to be their best and overcome obstacles work
best and overcome obstacles work
best and overcome obstacles work together as a team and I know that I’m
together as a team and I know that I’m
together as a team and I know that I’m backlit by the sky the trees and if I’m
backlit by the sky the trees and if I’m
backlit by the sky the trees and if I’m lucky
lucky
lucky billions of those water droplets that
billions of those water droplets that
billions of those water droplets that are taking natural light and diffusing
are taking natural light and diffusing
are taking natural light and diffusing it into the visual spectrum I cannot not
it into the visual spectrum I cannot not
it into the visual spectrum I cannot not experience that deep sense of happiness
experience that deep sense of happiness
experience that deep sense of happiness compassion mindfulness and one of the
compassion mindfulness and one of the
compassion mindfulness and one of the feeling right now gratitude thank you
feeling right now gratitude thank you
feeling right now gratitude thank you [Applause]
”
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