N is for "Necessity and Contingency": Of Refinement in the Arts by David Hume

 7-52

Other N Idea: Nature

Summary: Happiness is good for people and society, and happens when you balance doing things you are interested in with rest.

Bonus: Someone made this, and that made them happy, and then they shared it with society, and that made society better.

Commentary: Hume starts by discussing luxury, whether it's good or bad, etc. He says: 

But if a man reserve time sufficient for all laudable pursuits, and money sufficient for all generous purposes, he is free from every shadow of blame or reproach.

All pursuits and purposes is quite a bit. I assume he means more, "all he cares to engage in."

According to Hume: Happiness=action+pleasure+repose (sometimes indolence, but I think repose fits the context better). All are valuable, but all must be balanced. I don't know that I've ever read such a direct definition for happiness, but that seems pretty reasonable. You need both rest and to do things, and you should do them in a way that are pleasing. (Don't be one of those people who puts a ton of effort into a "hobby" that you really hate, or you won't be happy.)

He discusses how improvements in one arts tend to go with improvements in others. For example, a society with that has good manufacture will also have good science or ethics. He attributes this to a general spirit of development. I think this is something we saw during the pandemic. It didn't matter if you became a sourdough person or an interior decorator, or whatever, the people who did something did better (mentally) than the people who sat around mindlessly (as opposed to actively) streaming or playing video games or whatever.

Development in various arts also leads to socialness, since you need someone to talk about your science/crochet/gerbil breeding with. Makes sense.  Improvement in the arts also tends to lead to a more liberal society, a freer government, etc., probably for the same reason.  It also keeps the economy going.

In short, development in the arts (both "liberal" and "vulgar") helps to develop morals, society, general intelligence, and everything good about humanity. Even "vices" linked in some ways to arts are superior to those linked to mindless laziness: eg it's better to have an affair than to be a drunk. I've never really thought about it like that, but I think I'd agree. At least you're doing something/interacting when you have an affair. (Now, if you can become a drunken philosopher or kung fu master or something that's probably preferable to being a Lothario.)

Even in the 1700s, everyone looks down on Poland: 

Poland seems the most defective in the arts of war as well as peace, mechanical as well as liberal; yet it is there that venality and corruption do most prevail. 

 Rating: 4/5 This one got a bit receptive in a few places (reusing similar examples) but the core message is interesting and makes sense. At under 10 pages, it's still a solid read even with the rambling. It presents a slightly different view than the earlier "On Contentment", but I think they generally agree that doing anything "productive" is overall good. This one focuses more on why society benefits from and should encourage happiness, while "OC" was more individual. Well worth considering. 

I am thankful for having all my necessities? Kind of an awkward one.