What is the difference between a thriving and a happy cow / human?
I dreamed that there were some cows pasturing by a river who were happy and thriving. I woke asking myself if cows could be thriving and not happy, or happy and not thriving.
Starting questions and some tentative answers:
When cows are thriving can we assume they are happy? No.
Can cows thrive and not be happy? Yes.
Framing this in human terms, should we pay more attention to helping
people thrive than to striving to make them happy? I think so.
The basic question is:
Can a human or animal be happy and not thrive? Yes.
Do cows know what is good for them? Not all the time.
Do people know what is good for them? Not all the time.
Do people know or care when they are thriving or not? Often not.
Thrive:
Old Norse grasp / grow, increase
ME grasp, get a a hold of
Means benefiting from control over the circumstances of one's life that are conducive to flourishing
A thriving cow: Cows have little control over the circumstances of their lives, therefor whether they thrive of not depends on outside circumstances and forces that are looking out for their welfare or they might just be lucky cows
A thriving human is a human who is effective in influencing the circumstance so their life and therefore flourish.
Happy:
Feelings of joy, contentment based on good fortune / luck
Means experiencing joy / contentment because things happen to be aligning or panning out, in one's favor
A happy cow ia a cow that happens to be in a good situation that allows it to be carefree and content.
A happy human is a human that is lucky in life and, due their nature they are able to make the most of their luck, to find joy and contentment as they move through life
Conclusion:
A thriving cow is a happy cow.
A thriving human may or may not be happy but they might be successful and have everything they need.
