What is this happiness thing really?

[EHKOS]

No. I don't want want to walk the path of billions of humans before me. I never signed up for this and I wish I could just go to sleep. I never agreed to put up with the daily bullshit, I don't even know if I could hold down a job. Car trouble, broken romances, it's all predictable, and I have no talents to set me apart to make me think I could rise higher than that of my fellow blue-collar humans. Alcohol and sex keep most people happy, I don't want either one. As a man, seeing how focused and distracted we get when sex enters the picture, the stupid shit we've done in the name of it, I wish there was a neurosurgeon that could cut out the part of the brain that desires sex.

But I have video games, and I've lived a hundred lives of interest, so I have that goin' for me, which is nice. And music helps. Whenever I hear a good instrumental in a rap song I copy the rappers style, his flow, and create a remix that many times rivals the original, and that's fun half the time.

 

[Stg]

I'm pretty happy. I have a great paying job (oil field), just bought a house, I finally found someone I want to spend my life with who, like me, doesn't believe in the nonsense called marriage, I have my selected two friends who I hang out with on occasion (I prefer to be alone but sometimes visiting with friends is fun), and I'm finally amassing my collection of video games, consoles, and unique minerals/gemstones.

Things are pretty awesome right now, despite my ups and downs in the past and my four-year struggle with lowest of the low depression.

 

[f1r2a3n4k5]

Yes. I am.

I would love to leave it at that, but I think I would get "low-contented."

The formula for happiness is about 50% genetic, 10% current conditions, and 40% behavioral.

Well, my current conditions suck, so I must either have good genes or a great outlook on life.

 

[Ragsnstitches]

Am I happy? Not really. More like content. Happy is a little further down the spectrum then where I am at this moment in time.

Why do I say this? Well... I feel happiness (and by extension sadness) isn't something that persists, but something we feel in conjunction with some event or action. When nothing is happening or I'm not doing something I default to content where nothing is detracting from my life, but at the same time nothing is enriching it either. This is distinct from Depression mind you, which regardless of my current mood still acts on me in a negative way.

On Average I fluctuate. My life, and I believe many people would share this view, is an adventure, but there are landmines scattered around that just blow up in my face from time to time. The last few weeks as been generally up, but a month or 2 ago I stepped on a big one.

Writing this comment is making me contemplative, counting up my lot in life, where I am at this time, and my current trajectory. Now I'm feeling a little sad. But don't worry, it will pass... I was just about to watch some Game Grumps which should lift my spirits.

 

[BadNewDingus]

I guess I am happy.

Although, I would be better without the anxiety. Well, I think I have anxiety since whenever I go out I feel like I have to crap myself and get shortness of breath, but that goes away after a few minutes outside.

 

[Creator002]

Pretty much. Get what I want and need for the most part. I'd be happier with my own place, but for the time being, I'm fine.

 

[karlstech]

P.S: Thinking of writing an article soon enough on happiness, do think it would be something people would read?

Depends. Where are you writing it? From what perspective?

Will write it on my website and it will cover what happiness is, what people think about it and how you can be happy, based off people's opinions and interviews conducted with psychiatrists.

 

[SadisticFire]

I wouldn't say I'm depressed, but I'm not really happy. I've been spending a lot of time sitting at my desk just staring at my screen for hours of day waitin' for RP, or some game that I want to play. It hasn't really, and it's driving me up the wall in boredom to the point of frustration. But I guess it isn't that bad.

 

[maxben]

I'm going to be THAT guy but happiness is a word we use as a category for a wide variety of emotions, its like a range from content to euphoric. In this it is like other feelings, sadness can be a range with depression at its far end and hunger can be a range with starving at its far end.

I am certainly content during many parts of my day as I love to read, and take smoke breaks, and drink coffee, and talk to co-workers. I am certainly not generally content, but I wonder how many people genuinely are. Euphoria is a great emotion, but its rare because you have to do something to attain it, no one can be euphoric about their regular schedule unless you're that LEGO Movie guy. Being generally euphoric sounds awful, its probably what people in a manic episode feel. I haven't been euphoric since I broke up with my gf a year ago and swore off drugs (at about the same time, seems the two were connected).

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

I am a genuinely happy person. People often say I am the happiest person they know. Even when things are tough I usually keep in good spirits and that helps me through. I think happiness comes from within, how you take things in life and your overall outlook. I rarely get angry or sad without a very good reason. I am one of those that thinks the only time someone should yell is if the building is on fire. I often distance myself from those who are pessimistic and do not have any desire to be around people who yell, insult or whine about nothing all the time because I feel life is too short to waste it with unnecessary drama. I also prefer to not be around people who obsess too much about themselves. I see it as wasting what little time we have here wallowing in self pitty, self consciousness, and self obsession instead of just enjoying the life we have.

Life is amazing, there is so much beauty and enjoyment in the world that it seems we are not given enough time to really appreciate it all in a lifetime. It is like when you stand at the waters edge when a storm rolls in and you feel it blowing on your face and you feel really alive, but it is brief, then it is over and you wish it would rewind and roll back in again. I feel that way about life, every moment is important and should be appreciated, enjoyed to the fullest, because before you know it it will be gone forever.

I laugh often every day, I smile almost all of the time. I think everyone should laugh as much as they can, it releases endorphins!

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relief/art-20044456
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/14/science/14laughter.html?_r=0

 

[CrystalViolet]

Will write it on my website and it will cover what happiness is, what people think about it and how you can be happy, based off people's opinions and interviews conducted with psychiatrists.

Then no offence but you won't really have anything new to offer. There are countless pop psych books out there about happiness, mostly bullshit, so you would really need to find something drastic to offer a fresh perspective.

Edit: I should probably say that I still encourage you to write. I encourage anyone to write. I'm just saying that "happiness" is a topic for which you would need to put in a huge amount of effort so as to find something new or interesting to say about it.

 

[SnakeTrousers]

No, not really. I feel numb most of the time, and panicked otherwise.

 

[teqrevisited]

I'm happier now than I have been for a long time. I've got a good, permanent job, I can afford to buy anything I want and on top of that I just got told I have over a fortnight of paid holiday that I didn't know about. I got my pc sorted out with some great current hardware that'll last me for a long time and my mate who's stationed in Oman is getting back early. Much drinking to ensue.

I think most of it comes from not having to explain to everyone how many jobs I've applied for and wishing that I could distance myself from the unemployed and unmotivated. I've been at my current job for just over 3 months now and it's going great. Not having to try to convince people that I do want to work. Not waiting around day after day for either no reply or "Sorry, better luck next time."

 

[karlstech]

Will write it on my website and it will cover what happiness is, what people think about it and how you can be happy, based off people's opinions and interviews conducted with psychiatrists.

Then no offence but you won't really have anything new to offer. There are countless pop psych books out there about happiness, mostly bullshit, so you would really need to find something drastic to offer a fresh perspective.

Edit: I should probably say that I still encourage you to write. I encourage anyone to write. I'm just saying that "happiness" is a topic for which you would need to put in a huge amount of effort so as to find something new or interesting to say about it.

No offense taken, thank you instead for your honesty! I'm trying to find some new ground so I doing some research around the web and in the offline world. There has to be some new land that someone hasn't discovered yet, or at least not looked too much upon!

 

[CrystalViolet]

No offense taken, thank you instead for your honesty! I'm trying to find some new ground so I doing some research around the web and in the offline world. There has to be some new land that someone hasn't discovered yet, or at least not looked too much upon!

Cool. Let me know if you need any help.

 

[Musette]

Yes, I'm overall a happy person. I have something that I am incredibly passionate about and the means to pursue my passions. Yeah, I know that dedicating my life to music is probably crazy, but I'd rather take the gamble than delegate the love if my life to a hobby. Still, even if I can't make a living doing anything tangentially related to music, I know that I will keep it an active part of my life. (Not to mention that I have an awesome family and true friends in my life.)

 

[FPLOON]

Spoiler

Anyway, I'm always happy... even if it's actually a facade... I mean, sure if I answered this question before I went to bed last night, I would have said "most definitely and then some" or if I answered this question right when someone I cared for died, then I would have said "no fucking way", just to name some examples... but overall, I'm just always happy even when there are times where I shouldn't be happy in context...

 

[ghalleon0915]

As a few people have mentioned already I think I am more content than happy. I think happiness is more a transitory state than a permanent one. As always, perception doth colour all. I do think I am able to be happy more now than in the past, where it seemed I would go out of my way to be miserable. Perhaps it is because I am older and able to bring up a lot of past experience as a point of reference, so I am able to keep things in perspective ( for the most part). There is something to be said for enjoying the small moments in life. Usually, though, one needs to go through something calamitous to gain that particular insight.

That said....happiness is having a creme brulee. Right. this. very. moment. Or a Red velvet cake.

 

[Spudgun Man]

Well the happy train never ends on these threads