Happiness is a Choice

[Undertoad]

I think the current thinking in psychology is that you can affect your overall happiness through changing your general patterns of thinking in the most basic of ways. I believe that having a happier narrative on the world makes you happy. And even small things - this article (naturally with a stock photo of someone smiling) summarizes the notion that even just smiling can make you happier. I believe this is the case and generally force myself to be happy once in a while.

But all this isn't the original question! The question is, is the poster offensive?

I say the sentiment isn't offensive, but the poster is. Not because it isn't true, but because it was placed by management. They think a workplace is improved if all the people are regularly reminded to be motivated and happy by motivational posters.

Well, I know that I'm happiest in an organization when there is strong leadership in which I am valued.

I like workplace posters that remind us to do our fucking jobs. "Perform final inspection on all outgoing shipments" is a poster I like to see in the warehouse.

[xoxoxoBruce]

You're right, the poster was the question.
But to honor the tradition of thread drift, lookyhere.

“Forty-seven percent of respondents say they either could not cover an emergency expense costing $400, or would cover it by selling something or borrowing money,” reads this year’s annual report.

[BigV]

hm. I read the opening post asking "Is it (happiness) a choice?" and for our thoughts.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Sometimes you may think you can see it, but are mistaken.

[sexobon]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

... I say the sentiment isn't offensive, but the poster is. Not because it isn't true, but because it was placed by management. They think a workplace is improved if all the people are regularly reminded to be motivated and happy by motivational posters. ...

The poster can be fixed with an indelible marker by writing in the word feeling.

Happiness is a Choice Feeling.

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

I say the sentiment isn't offensive, but the poster is. Not because it isn't true, but because it was placed by management. They think a workplace is improved if all the people are regularly reminded to be motivated and happy by motivational posters.

Motivational posters posted by employers are creepy in general. This one in particular, when posted by the employer, seems to say "you'll take what we give you and be happy with it!"

"Happiness is a choice" is a sentiment that takes drastically different connotations based on who is telling it to you.

[lumberjim]

GAYNESS IS A CHOICE

[DanaC]

YOU SAYING THAT IS TEH GHEY

[monster]

Originally Posted by lumberjim

GAYNESS IS A CHOICE

that's exactly what I was going to ask the store director if it would be equally ok to have on a poster. It wasn't actually a poster is was a piece of wood with the motto hand-drawn to make it feel homey. it may have accidentally disappeared some time this morning. I'm sure a choice was made that caused someone to be happier

[lumberjim]

VANDALISM IS A CHOICE

[infinite monkey]

I Choo Choo choose vandalism.

[Clodfobble]

The great irony of the phrase is that, if true, it negates the need for the poster in the first place. Because if happiness comes from each person internally, then it can't be foisted on others via poster or otherwise, and there's no point in trying. It's like having a big poster proclaiming, "You'll have to decide for yourself if you like bacon." Factually true, yet with a clear agenda, one which will nonetheless affect precisely zero tastebuds.

[lumberjim]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

"You'll have to decide for yourself if you like bacon."

That would make an awesome T Shirt, clod

[it]

Ofcourse happiness is a choice: Can you imagine a world where people didn't have full and utter control over what they felt all the time?

They would have things that make them feel bad or unsatisfied regardless if they feel like that, they would have distance between their current emotional state and their desirable emotional state, they would be "driven" to move from undesirable emotional states into desirable emotional states, things that impact their emotional states would act as "goals" to reach or "motives" to act upon, It would be madness! Madness!!!

[it]

...Sarcasm aside...

I have had a bit of experience exploring a few fringe theories in psychology, and quite a few of them suggest there is a certain mindset that is capable of weaving out a world view to suit what they subconsciously seek within it.

For both amazing objective benefits, such as coming up with new perspectives in a near instant completely discontinues from the last, and amazing subconscious benefits, such as weeding out and mentally blocking aspects that do not fit with their preferred world view. The later has a huge cost for others around them, because in states of conflict the perspectives and experiences of others can very easily become such weeds, and at a cost for themselves, because they can very easily fail to develop healthy ways to cope with perspectives that don't fit with how they'd rather view things. This kind of selection process exist in everyone to some degree, but it is very rare as a dominant cognitive ability.