Psychiatrists Ian Hickie and Tanveer Ahmed debate
whether the recent spike in depression cases signal the end of an
old problem or the beginnings of a new one. (An ABC
Production)
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The pursuit of happiness is one of the unalienable rights
enshrined in the U.S. Declaration of Independence. But is our
relentless striving to feel good no matter what actually making us
miserable? Would we be better to accept that life comes with good
times and bad, and make peace with that?
This IQ2 debate, held in Sydney in March 2010, pits those who
believe that happiness is a worthwhile goal that can be found in
pleasures material and social, against those who hold that people
should abandon unrealistic goals and seek quiet comfort within. -
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Professor Ian Hickie is a professor of psychiatry and the
Executive Director of the Brain and Mind Research Institute, based
at the University of Sydney. Hickie was the inaugural CEO of
Beyondblue: the national depression initiative, which aims to
address issues associated with depression.
Tanveer Ahmed is a psychiatry registrar and writer. He is a former
television journalist who is a regular contributor to the major
circulars, primarily The Sydney Morning Herald.
While Ahmed has varied interests (he is an appointee to the
Advertising Standards Board, has been a national representative for
the Australian Medical Association, has been chosen as one of 100
future leaders of Australia, and has even appeared as a co-host on
a prime time game show), he is most well-known for his writings on
Islamic affairs and multiculturalism.
http://fora.tv/2010/03/09/Is_the_Pursuit_of_Happiness_Making_Us_Miserable