The Nature of Happiness

I feel like in a lot of ways "happiness" is a lot less than it is cracked up to be and yet it is an important concept to understand being so universal and unanimously desirable.

I think many people believe it to have a type of self actualized type of nature. Like it is a state of being in the future that is attainable once the current problems x, y, and z are all in order. Some think it is a mindset that can be acquired now if one so chooses. Some think it's in a job, a relationship, a spiritual belief, a particular life style , ect.

And although people may not admit to thinking such, being that it looks a lot more naive now written out on paper, these are some popular views.

The truth is, "happiness" is a lot more ambiguous than that and multifaceted. To say that it is any of the above is wrong because, put simply, it's ALL of the above.

The reason I think so is because happiness is a lot more fleeting and relative than people might first believe being that it is based on so many sources.

I can be happy about the present because I am pleased with my present circumstance.
I can be happy about the near future in anticipation of a joyful event.
I can be happy about the far future because I have great optimism for what could unfold.
I can be happy about the not to distant and distant past when I reflect on good times.

However, the thing that concerns me is when we apply happiness to the jobs, relationships, ect. it becomes relative. Yes, it's partially your mindset and there are obviously times when one can expect to be unhappy, but can one be happy with the short end of the stick?

Is there only so much happiness in the world?

How happy can we be knowing that someone else has more?

Or even, how happy can we be when somebody else has the only one?

There's only one CEO of that company. There's only one guy taking that girl home. So on and so on.

I'm curious to know what the rest of you think.

I think happiness is a duality with relativity on one side and state of mind on the other and the more you lean on one, the less you rely on the other.

Sorry for my rambling. What are your thoughts?

Posted by tiziani
I think it needn't be ambiguous. On a realistic level, in the moment, you are either happy or you are not. That's why a lot of people say it's a choice. You can choose to be happy about your circumstances or you can choose to overcomplicate them.

I'm not convinced there is such a thing as happiness based on past or future. It's a momentary thing.

I see what you are saying and I try not to overcomplicate matters too much but I strongly believe that people get duped when they live by too much of an "ignorance is bliss" mentality and just take what is handed to them too willfully. You can "go with the flow" but there are people over your head making decisions that affect your life. I just don't like to be bent over and fucked in the ass, and if nothing else, I would at least like to know it was going on. The individual holds a lot more power than they believe and I think many people forfeit that power when they just decide to take every single thing as it comes. Some people make decisions now that DO make for happier futures. That's all I'm saying.

Posted by LibranNick1986
I think I sicken people with my optimism. No matter how bad a situation is, I always try to see the positive side.

Happiness for me is being comfortable in your own skin and sharing your life experiences with others. Without that sense of community and companionship, I'd most likely be a lot less happier.

I think you're a lot more eloquent than I am right now. I'm tired and my brain isn't comprehending the meaning of life and all that it entails. Where did you get such wisdom at twenty years old? I'll be 27 in September and I just now feel as though I'm maturing and coming into my own, so to speak.

Your optimism is great.

And I think it's from my Capricorn moon. You sacrifice the embracing of emotions to think about the world more. It's a blessing and a curse, as is everything.

Posted by JenLove
The reality of it is simple, happiness is just an emotion like every other emotion and yes it is fleeting. You can feel it whenever, in between moments, sometimes only for a few seconds and sometimes not for a long while. Happiness comes in many different forms. I don't see it as a "destination" like some people describe it because that's not what it is. It is impossible to reach a state of mind where you are just always happy, it is possible to change your circumstances and eventually be at peace but, not to just always feel happy.

It's like when people talk about being in love, they're like "oh I want to be in love forever" or "I don't understand how he/she fell out of love with me". Being in love (just like being happy ) is just an emotion, it's literally and scientifically just a chemical reaction in the brain and it's that simple. People just want to feel things instead of actually apply logic to their emotions and that's where you get these mixed up ideas.

I agree with this especially. I think happiness is a fleeting emotion like you say but peace is a choice and can be maintained much more effectively. Also I think it is underrated. People don't appreciate peacefulness as they should.

This my sound kind of strange but sometimes I go on youtube and just watch massage tutorials because seeing someone get a massage and hearing the calm, gentle voice of the masseuse gives me great peace and in turn makes me feel happy.

Oh gosh, now you got me about to go on my soap box again on how the world lacks affection outside the rigid confines of romantic relationships and would be better if people gave/recieved more massages. hah :p

Happiness is a choice.

Posted by xygeneration
Interesting though how happiness is being sold these days. YOLO

lol. yes.

Posted by geminicandle
I think it hurts my eyes and heart to read all this ...

why "heart"?

Posted by TheMoodyVulcan
People who frequently find themselves "unhappy" should consider getting more exercise or meditation.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/exercise-happiness.htm<BR>
I have to wonder how much of what we perceive as unhappiness is actually boredom also.

I, personally, don't have so much a problem with boredom but I should definitely exercise and meditate more often... okay, just period. haha :p

I hope I never see a day where I stop being flummoxed about how people can go out of their way to comment on a thread they had no real intention of contributing to.

This is probably to early for me, no breakfast and mind has passed that stage of living out loud. I just believe that happiness is pockets of energy floating among us and can pass from one person to another because of certain circumstances we find ourselves in daily , winning the lottery, gambling, spending time with family etc. But just like a day to night scenario it goes and comes back when something holds a heart a little tighter to our chest than usual. I do wish though that there was more of it floating around, it seems to be destroyed through the media.

Interesting read 🙂

good thread. Interesting, since the moon is in cap and your moon is in cap too. The ponderings of what happiness really means to an individual, or how it affects them and others.

Is there only so much happiness in the world?

How happy can we be knowing that someone else has more?

Or even, how happy can we be when somebody else has the only one?

happiness doesn't really have a tag. It is felt by just being with people you love, the quality time, even just sitting together in complete silence. Or you reading a book or internet reads online, and he/she reading, sitting with you, ect. that kind of thing. Happiness comes in many forms, and it's because we understand and we experience sorrow and sadness and people who have come and go in our lives, that feeling is so painful - death especially. You can feel them always be near you, but they'll never be there physically.

The extremities of "OPTIMISM" is more of a euphoria, or addicted to a fantasy high. It could be just anything that creates that. seeing someone you love can do that constantly. They can give you feelings of pain and hate, but that is also VERY fleeting, and then it is replaced dominantly by love. You can't always feel happiness on a constant state. Then it wouldn't really be happiness in my eyes. Maybe the reason why the bible, the teachings of spiritual love and Jesus dying on the cross analogy, though some can be god-less, and not believe, still understand the concept of sacrifice and sorrow and spiritual love. Suffering and pain are all part of the "happiness" if you really think about it. You can't reach there without it.