Does the act of witnessing miserable people make you happier?

Question: Does the act of witnessing miserable people make you happier!?

a wise man says that if you think you're life is miserable go see the terminal cancer ward, or go to africa and see those starving!.

also, there's a saying that you would not know happiness unless you know the downhill of life!.

from both of the example, i can extrapolate that humans extract joy from comparison to others!.

now it seems then that we can use the above assumption to our hand; if you feel miserable go find someone who is desperately miserable and artificially extract joy out of it!.

Would this work!?

It sounds immoral but since wiseman says so in the examples, i think it would be hypocritical to think it as immoral!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

How can you judge anything without having something to compare it to!? Everything is relative!.

It doesn't mean that you extract joy from the pain of others, it means that you have a relative point to judge your own personal situation against!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

happiness revolves around being contempt with your current situation is and how it wout be in the future!.
And the mind is allways comparing, relating and contrasting in order to understand what it's enviroment acutally is!.
By your example: if you watch one in misery you automatically compare it with your life and when you find yours is greater a scence of contempt forms froms in the situation formed in comparision!.
so yes this WOULD make you happy, and morality only goes as far as survival!. Which is the sole reason for it!.
and even in classic morality, artificially rxtravting joy from one, without doing it damage woud not be immoral!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Wow, It will work in the way, that once you see the ones that are in TRULY MISERY example, starving children in Latin America, Africa and parts of Asia you will realize how wealthy and powerful our country is!.(If you live in America) Once you see those in suffering of HIV/AIDS, Cancer!.!.deadly diseases, you will realize how your problems match nothing to others around the world!. You will learn to appreciate more, and be a little more thankful!. I doubt making fun of the ones in misery will make any better, just listen to the statement, its ignorant!. But seeing others in suffering will work!. again, you will appreciate and be thankful more!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I find it depressing to do that; however, the act of feeling gratitude is the objective in that advice!. If you can't feel any gratitude, then perhaps you do need to look at a bigger picture to see that what you suffer is unique but we all have our burdens!. I think the idea is to realize that you are not alone in finding life difficult at times, and it takes work to appreciate what good there is!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

No, that is just an old saying to try and get people to appreciate what they have!. Seeing less fortunate people generally makes individuals feel guilt or empathy with the destitute!. Humans are biologically and socially altruistic, which is why such large efforts are made by people to help others even if they don't know them!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I wouldn't say immoral!. But I don't think it's happiness so much as gratitude!. Being thankful for what you have is different than finding sadistic joy through another's pain!.
And I often find that I am more grateful for what I have but then I get sad because I question why it's fair that I have this much and somebody else doesn't!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Yes - and no!. Yes, especially when it is someone you know doing something foolish, like losing money at blackjack!.

However, going to a cancer ward makes me feel sad, not happy, so witnessing misery or desperation isn't the answer here!. Witnessing such things can make me feel less unlucky!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

it leads to an awareness of pain that exists around us, it makes us realize that our own little lot of misery is nothing when compared with that of others, it makes us think that "this could happen to us also, it teaches us that selfishness is a sin if we have the capacity to relieve their pain but selfishness prevents us from doing that!.

!.!.!.and finally it teaches us to search for the ways which leads to freedom!.!.!.both from pain as well as pleasure, as both are forms of bondages in one way or the other !Www@QuestionHome@Com

I have never bought into this reasoning!. One has to see ugly to know what beauty is!. Nonsense!. One has to smell stink to know what fragrance is!. Bologna!.

I don't wise cancer or disease on anyone, but do not have to visit a cancer ward to then feel great, that would in fact make me feel miserable!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

personally, that dosent make me feel better!. it's just more depressing, not only does your life suck but the world is falling apart (people starving, diseases, natural disasters, etc!.)!.

i guess it would make you grateful and thankful for what you have, but certainly not happy!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

were not getting joy out of seeing the pain of others
when we expirience the negative sied of things this maes us appreciate the positive side of what we expirience!.!.!.!.
but unfortuantly seeing other people fail makes us feel better than ourselves, instead of us getting better other people being worse makes us feel superiror and better about ourselvesWww@QuestionHome@Com

Well if you see someone suffering it may help you because you might see how bad they have it and see how good you do have it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Lots of people think they're wise when they're high and I still find what they say immoral!. I hurt when I see other people suffering, but it does make me appreciate what I have!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I feel better when some 1 does worse on a test or something than me but to compare mmyself to cancer, thats a bit muchWww@QuestionHome@Com

No!. That's twisted!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

No, not at all! If anything, it makes me miserable!. =[Www@QuestionHome@Com

Philosphers have wondered this for thousands of years!. Read kant, Locke, etc!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

yes,there is actually a term for it, i am uncertain of it though!. Do some researchWww@QuestionHome@Com

You probably won't be happy!.!.!.but at least you will learn to appreciate your life more!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

No!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

it doesnt make me happyWww@QuestionHome@Com

Ahhh, I'm going to come back to this!.!.!.I had a really great answer and my computer went crazy!.!.!.crap!!!!!Www@QuestionHome@Com

First, who is the "wise man" you are referring to!? I don't think people can become happier by viewing miserable people!.!.!. This is immoral and downright evil to me!. If I were to see a terminally ill person or see the starving people in Africa!.!.!. this would make me more miserable!. I have a difficult time accepting this disparity!. I can see how viewing these things can make people more appreciative of their own fortunes but not happy because of the misery of others!.!.!. It is saddening to see this!. also, you're second example, that you do not know happiness unless you know the downhill in life!.!.!. this does not have to be in comparison to others have deemed it to be!. It can be a downhill in your own personal life struggle involving only you!.

Interesting post!. But I think happiness from other's misery is not what you truly mean!.!.!. Unless you're pure evil, this would not be the case!.Www@QuestionHome@Com