no, because there is no such thing as universal happiness.
everyone’s happiness is different, and often conflicting.
for example, my father’s happiness would have been me playing football. I hated sports. hence, he hated me until he died for ‘hurting him’.
That really sucks. Can practically feel the tension through your post. What a bummer… shouldn’t kill anybody to let somebody else be happy doing their own thang (and be happy not necessarily copying another person’s thang).
Less importantly:
When I think about ‘universal happiness’, I’d think it’s more about creating conditions where everyone has the opportunity to pursue their own version of happiness, rather than imposing a single idea of happiness on everyone.
yeah, but that’s not how people work.
This is a strange exclusionary way of considering happiness, tbh.
Like even if I want, and maybe even would be most happy, to sit down in front of a plate of duck a l’orange for dinner doesn’t mean I can’t or won’t be perfectly happy eating a sirloin steak for dinner instead
Edit: for clarity, I am referring to your father’s view on happiness, not your response to it
He’d be much happier in the grand scheme of things if he accepted his kids as they are.
