Thanks for sharing your personal story. To me, the very nature of your comments indicate that you are not apathetic. My definition of apathetic (in reference to employees) is one who does not express their feelings negatively or positively, not because of their particular communication style or level of extraversion or introversion, but rather because they simply do not care enough to do so.

In answer to your question, I think Timothy expressed it eloquently saying that everyone in the community is responsible for the flourishing of the community. Brian, your note shows your thoughtful analysis of how you are contributing to a group and your quest for meaning within the context of the group. Apathy is an absence of feelings and clearly you have some!

Thanks, J

I appreciate your sharing!

Firstly, I believe everyone in our community has the responsibility to contribute to a flourishing community.

Besides, your experience is in line with the argument between hedonic and eudemonia. Clearly, one might value immediate disposition, pleasure, satisfaction and subjectivity more but others might value better the feeling of possessing the greatest goods available and fullest potential. However, my question is, do we really have to take the extreme of either perspectives, or we can actually achieve both or at least strike a better balance?

As they are not necessarily contradictory, why can’t a hedonism also work at something with constant meaning, purpose and value? And why can’t a eudemonism take the steps to enjoy the momentary pleasure in the process of achieving meaning and long-term happiness?

Best wishes,
Timothy

According to Christakis and Fowler’s research, sadness/unhappiness also spreads to 3 degrees of separation, but the effect is not as strong as that of happiness. (Also refer to my reply to Victoria)

In theory, other emotion should spread through one’s social network in the same degree as well.

Regarding why and how emotion spreads, you might be interested in reading: http://content.flkr.com/evan/Evan-EmotionalContagion.pdf

Thanks for your comment!

Best wishes,
Timothy

Thanks for your inspiring question. Firstly, I think we should have a consensus on how to define, measure and testify what is a “flourishing community”. Like happiness and life satisfaction, flourishing is a subjective concept. Before it is operationally defined and a measure of it is established, it is hard to offer any interventions or try including different people with various personalities to ‘fit in’.

Besides, I think education helps. Education shapes our beliefs and values in a certain extent. The whole theme of Positive Education proposed by Marty Seligman might be an important tool for those wallflowers, or outliers I’d say, to change their perception and thoughts and be integrated into a flourishing community. I understand it is not an easy mission at all but obviously it’s a meaningful and significant one.

Thanks for your comment and inspiration again.

Best,
Timothy

Thanks for your insightful question!

I’d like to answer your 2nd question first. One very recent neuroscience research looked at the pattern of cerebral asymmetry in the perception of positive and negative facial signals. It shows that we can detect expressions of happiness and surprise faster than those of sadness or fear. Our brains get a first impression of people’s overriding social signals after seeing their faces for only 100 milliseconds. The study concludes that positive expressions, or expressions of approach, are perceived more quickly and more precisely than negative, or withdrawal, ones. So happiness and surprise are processed faster than sadness and fear making sense.

Re your 1st question, I am sorry that I cannot offer you a proper answer on the role of empathy as I simply don’t know. I hold, however, a similar assumption as yours that empathy might play a moderating role on the spreading of happiness or sadness. Though unfortunately I don’t have the actual answer.

Best wishes,
Timothy

References: Torro-Alves, N.; Aznar-Casanova, J. A. y Fukusima, S.S. (2009). Patterns of brain asymmetry in the perception of positive and negative facial expressions. Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition, 14: 256 – 272.