[jim30698]

i actually think this is a very interesting question, and there a lot of different ways of looking at it. first of all, clearly defining ‘happiness’ is something philosophers, psychologists and theologians have been knocking themselves out trying to do for years. does it mean contentedness with one’s circumstances? a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction? the accumulation of wealth? material comfort? a close-knit community? a sense of meaning? what is it that makes you happy? is it in small, intimately personal moments or as part of a larger picture of life? these questions are all important. certainly, our privileged status from having pale skin in a racist society gives us a certain amount of protection from having to ever think about the kind of negative experiences you describe. but i think there is the superficial happiness that comes from not thinking about others, a kind of shallow selfish happiness, as opposed to a deeper, rawer, more fulfilling happiness that comes from vulnerability and taking risks. maybe if i step out of my comfort zone and admit that things are unfairly easier for me because of the way i look, i will expose myself to some discomfort, but i believe that in the long run i will be happier because i have tried to do my part to create a better society. thank you so much for your question.

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Name : jim30698, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : prefer, Religion : Buddhist, Age : 37`, City : seattle, State : WA, Country : United States, Occupation : writer/musician, Social class : Lower middle class, 

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