Symptoms persisting greater than 12 years

[Lancer]

Now you're an expert on happiness? Don't deny any avenue of hope.

[Jon Miller]

In Christianity, true rightness (in life and the world) and happiness is brought about by being reconciled to God, through Christ Jesus.

So Christianity does not claim that it is only an answer of morality (and, specifically, not happiness).

JM

[Lorizael]

Happiness is only a means to an end. The end, for me, is the accumulation of all knowledge in the universe. And that end does not mesh well with religion, because religions nearly always claim special, unverifiable knowledge about the universe. Sorry, but while religion may be able to bring me happiness, happiness isn't the point.

[The Mad Monk]

There's one dirty trick that I've read in academic literature a few years ago that sometimes works, to get you back into persistent normal mood. Take one pill of XTC. ONE. Not two. Or three. This only works if you've never used it before. Apparently, sometimes the first experience will re-balance your brain settings.

IANAMD. All advice at your own risk.

Okay, now I'm reasonably sure you're not Sultan.

[Lancer]

Seems you don't want to get rid of your depression.

[Lorizael]

Because I disapprove of one option for doing so? Seems you lack perspective.

[Jon Miller]

Happiness is only a means to an end. The end, for me, is the accumulation of all knowledge in the universe. And that end does not mesh well with religion, because religions nearly always claim special, unverifiable knowledge about the universe. Sorry, but while religion may be able to bring me happiness, happiness isn't the point.

If True Knowledge is only found in one single religion (or in religion in general or from God), wouldn't staying away from religion stop you from accumulation of all knowledge in the universe?

Just asking (not trying to convince you of anything now).

Another question: do all ends provide happiness/satisfaction with life?

JM

[Lorizael]

If True Knowledge is only found in one single religion (or in religion in general or from God), wouldn't staying away from religion stop you from accumulation of all knowledge in the universe?

I'm not seeking "true knowledge," whatever that may be, but all knowledge. I literally want to know everything. I may discover, after learning everything, that one of the random religions humans have come up with happens to be correct, but I believe it is absolutely impossible for me to know that until I've acquired at least all the knowledge in the universe. It's a simple matter of priorities.

Another question: do all ends provide happiness/satisfaction with life?

All ends? Like, all possible ends? No. Definitely not. People have some pretty crazy ideas about how to run their lives (me included).

[Jon Miller]

True Knowledge = Knowledge that is reflects facts/etc about reality. Unlike, per se, knowledge about the Ptolemaic system.

If you are just looking for all knowledge, then don't you have to also learn about religion? What about religions which claim 'secret' knowledge (which is many of them)?

If one of the religions are correct, then (for most), you can't acquire all knowledge in the universe unless you believe in that religion.

It seems that one of your assumptions are that religions come from humans, without any interaction from God?

Maybe what you are seeking, and how you are doing it, means that you will be unable to be happy/etc in life.

JM
(Also very interested in Understanding. Not in acquiring all knowledge, just that which is about the Universe (so a lot of it, but not all. Mostly interested in True Knowledge.)

[Elok]

Folks, there's no point in hard-selling Christianity. If he isn't interested, and has thoroughly made up his mind on the matter (as it seems he has), all you're going to accomplish is to eventually turn this thread into a duplicate of that bloated Sting Chameleon abomination.

Now, it would make sense for him to try talking to a priest simply for a different perspective on his problems, if he likes, but it sounds like he's already tried that. One possible solution I haven't seen here--though I've only been skimming--is to volunteer for a little charity work if he has free time. When I was depressed, I was relentlessly, gloomily introspective (though I fixed it with drugs). Helping people out could maybe help with that by focusing his attention on others and giving him something to feel good about. And if it fails, hey, at least somebody's life is better for it.

[Lorizael]

True Knowledge = Knowledge that is reflects facts/etc about reality. Unlike, per se, knowledge about the Ptolemaic system.

If you are just looking for all knowledge, then don't you have to also learn about religion? What about religions which claim 'secret' knowledge (which is many of them)?

If one of the religions are correct, then (for most), you can't acquire all knowledge in the universe unless you believe in that religion.

The distinction, for me, between knowledge that reflects reality (laws of nature, positions of particles, etc.) and knowledge that simply describes concepts (regardless of their reality) is often a fuzzy one, and I'll be honest that I don't have a perfect method of discriminating between the two yet. Despite that, I have learned plenty about religions. Generally speaking, I find religions to be fascinating.

As far as "secret" knowledge is concerned, however, I put that into the category of supernatural knowledge. While I won't discount the possibility that a supernatural something exists, I do discount my ability to understand it until I've acquired at least all the knowledge in the universe.

It's like I'm playing a game and trying to unlock a secret level. I can do it by the rules of the game (following a particular religion) or I can rummage through the game's source code and find the secret level that way. If I play by the rules, I run the risk of mistaking a perfectly ordinary level for the secret level (following the wrong religion) whereas if I rummage the source code, I can know for certain. The difficulty is that understanding the code completely sometimes requires understanding everything that goes into it. And of course, this analogy can only be taken so far.

It seems that one of your assumptions are that religions come from humans, without any interaction from God?

My assumptions are that (a) humans have described a lot of religions, regardless of their source, and (b) I have seen no evidence for the existence of gods and so do not take them into account when considering the cause of various phenomena.

Maybe what you are seeking, and how you are doing it, means that you will be unable to be happy/etc in life.

Yes, I've struggled with this problem before. What I eventually decided, half-jokingly, was that I had tried achieving my goals through being depressed for most of my life, and that didn't seem to work, so I was going to try being happy instead.

[Lorizael]

... all you're going to accomplish is to eventually turn this thread into a duplicate of that bloated Sting Chameleon abomination.

Yes, heaven forbid.

Now, it would make sense for him to try talking to a priest simply for a different perspective on his problems, if he likes, but it sounds like he's already tried that.

I've talked some with my uncle, who's an ex-Catholic priest.

One possible solution I haven't seen here--though I've only been skimming--is to volunteer for a little charity work if he has free time. When I was depressed, I was relentlessly, gloomily introspective (though I fixed it with drugs). Helping people out could maybe help with that by focusing his attention on others and giving him something to feel good about. And if it fails, hey, at least somebody's life is better for it.

I have various excuses for not having done charity work. They might be dumb excuses. This might be a good suggestion.

[Jon Miller]

Yeah, baring religion my other suggestions focused on charity work type things and exercise.

JM

[Asher]

I've talked some with my uncle, who's an ex-Catholic priest.

Hopefully under the supervision of someone?

(Forgive me Father, for I have sinned)

[Lorizael]

No supervision, no. He took me back into his private quarters and we talked about my issues in the nude, the way God intended. Why do you ask?