I recently read an article from The Atlantic that contrasted happiness with finding meaning in life. The article, citing some psychological studies, equates being in the present with a kind of shallow, selfish happiness; and said that people who spent more time thinking about the future or about past struggles found more meaning.
This is not my personal experience. I have found much deeper meaning through the practice of living in the present, and the thinking that I do about the past and the future is much more open, compassionate, and honest.
The article also described happy people as 'takers,' their happiness coming from getting what they want and having no worries or struggles. People who found meaning in life, on the other hand, were 'givers.'
Again, this is not my personal experience. I have always been happier giving, being helpful, being useful. Perhaps the problem is with the premise - that happiness and meaningfulness are somehow opposites.
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