The boasts of atheists (Atheist self-deception)

I agree with you that there is a desire among some atheists to prove happiness, fulfillment, etc. I'm sure I'm guilty of this myself. Yet, how can you possibly know that these people you speak of are exaggerating? So what?

Did anyone actually claim a constant robust enthusiasm of life? What I've seen is a, "I'm happier about life more often than not," kind-of boast. Here you are confusing because this means either human saints are more than human or that exemplary moral character is not more than human since human saints can exhibit such behavior, rare as it may be.

Maybe you're too high up on your own moral pedestal?

Agreed. I dunno. Probably not. This seems to be a case where you're disgusted by what you perceive to be bad manners. That you felt the need to tell the whole forum about it and that you were so perscriptive in your language ("If one is an atheist one should never speak this way. One should say...") annoys my sense of good taste, and thus I feel wrankled and participate. It doesn't help that you called out the group with which I identify in your perscription.Anyway, in asking if you were up on your own moral pedestal, I was referring to your comment about never meeting anyone with exemplary morals. I thought it was funny; it shows that you're certainly not below casting aspertions at other people's morals (OPM). The question is if you feel yourself on equal footing as them or above them. From what you said above and in the past, I'd wager equal footing. but it's off topic and not important. Carry on. Edited by docpotato, : for fun.

I don't know how you can possibly claim this with any degree of certainty. You aren't allowing for the possibility that you are the one who's got the skewed vision about yourself and life.

Is it also possible that the people making these statements aren't exaggerating?(though I do agree with you that stating that one has an exemplary moral character is useless at best since it is unverifable on an internet forum [and by whose morals is one exemplary? and probably everywhere else])

No no. It's, "The horror. The horror."

I'm just glad that, through all this, I've been able to maintain my exemplary moral character.And my overall happiness about the meaningless nature of human existence.

I believe the point is:One doesn't know they are suffering.One assumes they are suffering.One then feels something based on one's (possibly faulty) assumption.I think, then, that this feeling has absolutely zero to do with the reality of who these people actually are and everything to do with the baggage the person having the feeling carries with them.I do think that it is sensible at times to make such assumptions. It makes life easier to sort through. But I also believe that it is folly to cling to them.