In his new book, John J. May has drawn on countless sources, from John Locke and Thomas Paine to Marcus Aurelius and Aristotle, in order to validate the viewpoint that it’s better for humans to be happy rather than for them to be right. As he says himself, when he puts this question to most people, their answer is that they value happiness above being right.
But are there not feelings of vindication, that stem from being right, that would also bring us a sense of satisfaction? May’s main point would not appear to be that in order to be happy we must be wrong; rather, he suggests that if we’re willing to abandon dogma-inspired principles and long-cherished opinions, we’re likely to live more fulfilling lives.
This timely book has been published in an era of insane culture wars between the right and the left – taking place mainly in the online space – related to numerous topics that include climate science, gender identity, and what some consider to be an immigration crisis in the Rich North. Compounding these social media battles are genuine ongoing conflicts in Eastern Europe and the Middle East; these too feed into the same culture wars. So, is the wisdom of this book, Would you rather be right or Would you rather be happy?, applicable to today’s keyboard warriors and biased, opinionated mainstream media outlets?
In the book, Mr. May tackles issues related to climate science and evolutionary theory, implying that they are indeed relevant. His epistemological approach – valuing fact-based reasoning over simple opinion – warrants consideration. Reinforcing these arguments are quotes from many thinkers spanning the millennia of human history, while the book is also peppered with interludes of insightful and relevant poetry from the pen of the author himself.
You can get John J. May’s Would you rather be right or Would you rather be happy? on the publisher’s website and at Amazon today.
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