Daily Signet
Happiness and unhappiness come from very thoughtful, serious, logical reasons. I think Marx approved of happiness, but only in the right circumstances. I think Freud approved of happiness, but only in the right circumstances. I think they thought that unhappiness is the normal state (since we’re oppressed and repressed) and that we must have good, material reasons to feel happy or unhappy…. Joy is completely unreasonable; there is no reason to feel joy. “The heart has reasons that reason doth not know.” I think Marx disapproved of joy; there are never the right circumstances for joy. I think Freud disapproved of joy; you are kidding yourself if you feel full of joy. How can something good and true come up from the pit of darkness? How can death be faced with joy?
….Joy comes unbidden from the inside. Joy rises up irresistibly inside of us and bursts out. Joy is natural; you have to work hard to suppress joy; senseless and random are the acts of joy. Joy is more than a bubbling spring welling up inside; joy springs; joy is a gusher. Joy infests and saturates every breath. Let fairness, disappointment, righteousness go. Let pride, resentment, anger go. Let hard work, well-done and good-job go. Instead, make a joyful noise. Dance then, wherever you may be. All atoms are dancing; all our atoms are dancing; all our cells are dancing; how can our tongues and feet resist? Joy, ecstasy; joy evermore.
Ben Leichtling
