Comment:

Many major religions and philosophies will have, as a selling point, the idea that following their precepts is the way to a happy and healthy life.

Of course, then, you have to contend with the human brain, which frequently will feel bad for reasons that do not correspond to ethical rightness or proper lifestyle. You have to contend with people willingly taking on difficult or painful realities as a form of sacrifice that is clearly laudable, good people compelled to be miserable because of their goodness. You have to contend with bad things happening to good people.

I remember, as a young Christian boy, being taught that Joy was one of the Fruits of the Spirit, and singing "I've got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy, down in my heart", followed immediately by a clarification that "joy" was not, necessarily, the same thing as feeling happy all the time, or even necessarily feeling happy ever. "Joy", you see, is simply acknowledging that God is Good and the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross is Good. I guess. (One must wonder what "joy" will await believers in heaven.)

Anyway, if someone says "do this and you'll be happy all the time", they're either a con artist, a cult leader, or a drug dealer. Maybe being a good person and doing the right thing isn't about that.

Transcript:

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0094 - 2167/07/06/12:27 - Lee Caldavera's apartment, living room
[LC and Zoa are sitting on the couch, having just finished watching The New Adventures of Sox, Plate 'n Tottle]
SFX: ...and always try your beeeeest! [music notes]
LC: Y'know, I can't help but think that The New Adventures of Sox, Plate 'n Tottle was less educational than advertised.
Zoa: What tipped you off? The fact that Sox was a blue kitty cat?
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LC: Well, that, and the fact that Sox just kept saying "well, what do you think?" to everything. I can't imagine forcing a kitty cat to drink hemlock for that.
Zoa: It might start to get pretty annoying after a while, though.
LC: Fair enough.
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LC: Speaking of annoying things, it was also pretty irritating how all three of them said some variation of "being good will make you happy". I'm not happy. Does that mean I'm a bad person?
Zoa: There's no such thing as a bad person.
LC: Are you programmed to say that?
Zoa: I'm programmed to say a lot of things.
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LC: Is it true, though?
Zoa: "True" is a valuation of a statement. If I've been programmed to consider something "true", then as far as I'm concerned, it's true, regardless of whether or not it corresponds to reality.
LC: So no, then.
Zoa: No comment.
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