Here’s my cartoon for Dollars and Sense from two months ago. (My contract requires me to let them publish the cartoons first, so I always wait a couple of months before putting them online). I think the drawing for this one came out pretty nice.

Here’s my cartoon for Dollars and Sense from two months ago. (My contract requires me to let them publish the cartoons first, so I always wait a couple of months before putting them online). I think the drawing for this one came out pretty nice.
You might want to look at the book The Right to Feel Bad, which discusses much the same issue, of rushing past grief, trying to ignore it when you really should be accepting it. (This is a distinct issue from that of depression as the treatable illness, though they do touch upon the same issues.) Happiness on those terms isn’t real.
Amp? I sent you an email, but it bounced. I need to ask your permission to quote something in a book I’m writing. Please email me at maha@mahablog.com. Thanks much.
I think you’re absolutely right about the importance of sadness. And sacrifice. I’m not sure I agree with the way you’ve applied the principle in this cartoon, but I applaud your recognition of the dangerous pursuit of “happiness” 24-7.
Philosophically, I think you’re wrong. I think if we could all be happy all the time, that would be great.
In practice, though, obsessively seeking to avoid sadness rather than come to terms with it can just lead to more sadness, as with the deficit.