Quora: On happiness, the Good, and the Golden Rule
Q: If everyone just wants a happy life why can’t we have that?
A: Because happiness means something different to everyone and sometimes these ideas are at odds.
You could argue that if we all just lived according to the Golden Rule (do unto others) we would all be happy. But although most would agree with it, they might not be willing to live by it.
Group identification, such as race, religion, nationality and so on, can make us less willing to treat others according to the Golden Rule.
We want to be treated well, have enough to eat, be safe and have the freedom to pursue our dreams. And we want the same for our friends and family, and those we consider “our own”. But the “others, not like us” we might not be so generous with.
This is because of our ideas of scarcity, that there is not enough Good to go around. And if the Good is scarce, we must preserve it for ourselves first. This idea is the biggest obstacle to universal happiness.
