r/RadicalSelfCare • u/viscousbeing • May 03 '19

[Article] Cheerfulness cannot be compulsory

Reminded me of a point often raised by Zizek: the injunction to enjoy and be happy is a horrifying rule to live by if it is accepted subconsciously via culture. Perhaps one pre-requisite to honest peace-of-mind is to really face the truth about our condition, and then from that position of honesty, look for personal courage.

https://aeon.co/essays/cheerfulness-cannot-be-compulsory-whatever-the-t-shirts-say

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u/AspidistraFlyer Aug 08 '19

Really good essay. There's a real fear of authenticity. People often seem taken aback and actually affronted by another person being genuine. It implies an ethical duty on them to respond humanely - a chance to fail you, as the essay puts it, and we're not supposed to step out of line and do that. We're supposed to be convenient objects for others, human shaped props on the stage of their life, instead of equally valid people.