We can have a bias to Anger and Cheerfulness as righteous or positive emotions. Different moods carry different creative possibilities. The 'Five Temperaments' Model looks at how long we take to come to a conclusion (temperature - hot/cold), and how long we hold onto what we are feeling (fluidity - dry/wet). Sanguine (Air/Pragmatic) moods are impulsive and short-lived. Phlegmatic (Water/Getting) moods take a longer time to form, but are also short-lived. Choleric (Fire/Ruling) come quickly, and last a while. Melancholic take a while, and stay a while. In Melancholic (Earth/Avoiding) moods, we chew. "Against Happiness" is an ode to Melancholy as a creative force. We don't always have to be happy. There is beauty in struggle. We all struggle. Melancholy can lead to deep and meaningful insight. It isn't always something to fight or medicate.
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