Are Sustainability Advocates Happy People?

In the course of a given day, the typical human has approximately 60,000 independent thoughts – some in our waking hours, others in our dreams. This seems like re-enforcement of the idea that we make our own heaven (or hell) right here on Earth.

Not to state the obvious, but this appears to be a good reason to try to aspire to a life that produces happy thoughts – perhaps thoughts of love, charity, peace, and general good will to our fellows. I wonder if there is a case to be made that the folks involved in the sustainability movement, those who honestly and actively care what type of world we’re creating for the seven billion others around us, have happier thoughts than those who are indifferent to their neighbors.

Of course, one could argue that there is a great deal of heartbreak in failed efforts, that ignorance is bliss, and that, in the words of Emerson: “You can have truth or repose, but you cannot have both.”

I’d be interested in readers’ comments.