Do you really believe in happiness or not?

Question

I mean...everyone tells people who are sad and down, "Don't worry, you will...find true love/feel better soon/be happy someday, yada yada yada..." yet we all know plenty of people all over the world live sad lonely lives and probably die that way. Do you really believe in happiness for most people or do you just say those things to cheer people up? (Personally, I say those things too, and generally believe them...tonight the PMS is talking, lol). Just wondered what others' thoughts were.

I really hope you all understood I was just asking this out of philosophical curiousity, mostly, and not out of a need for personal help...generally I am a terribly laidback person, too much so, probably; I don't let things get me down, even when they should. But I DON'T always think that "happiness is a choice"-I think people confuse cheerfulness with happiness. I do think that you can be cheerful, even if you are deeply sad inside.

Answer 1

I believe in happiness.

Being happy is easy: all you have to do is be happy.

Really.

It's that simple.
And I'm currently considered to have clinical depression. (And a tad of PMS this week too, stupid moon!) Yet I'm happy! Go figure.

When peope say "But I can't be happy because of X", then they're choosing to not be happy, aren't they? Plain and simple, they're choosing to not be happy because of X. So what? X is still going to be there even if you are happy. Surely it's going to be easier to deal with X if you're happy in spite of it? They're just focussing on the negative things, rather than just getting on with being happy. People get into the habit of being unhappy and they say things like 'When Y happens, then I'll be happy." And Y happens, but then they realise it wasn't Y they were waiting for, it was Z, and they say "Oh, when Z happens, THEN I'll be happy." No. Just be happy. Y and Z will still happen, and then they'll just add to your happiness.

I think people should stop waiting around for happiness and start making it.

My grandmother always said "Count your blessings"... and that really works! No one ever told me to 'count my badnesses', but I did anyway. That got me nowhere. Counting those blessings, as small as they may be, they really make a difference. Thanks Nan.

Answer 2

Nobody *feels* happy all the time unless they are on drugs or something! But there are a few general rules to follow:

1st- Happiness is a choice, and you have to constantly make the choice over and over again. Be nice to someone you know without expecting anything back, strike up a conversation with your neighbor, be the person that you want to be. Every time you are confronted with a situation that causes you to be unhappy, alleviate it positively, and do some work with yourself to learn how to be more positive.

2- Lonliness/Unhappiness is also a choice. People often feel *lonely* because of choices that they've made. Example- love of your life cheats on you and totally devastates you. You say to yourself "I'll never allow myself to be in love again!". This is a choice, made from a place of weakness (weak, because you choose to try to hide from that feeling instead of confronting it and being unafraid of it.) You over time turn off your ability to receive and give and feel love, and you spend the rest of your life in that horrible state.

When you are humble, loving and deny yourself of wollowing in fear, it is utterly impossible to live an unhappy life!

Answer 3

I hate to say this, but I believe it's true..... Happiness comes from within. When you depend on others to make you happy you are playin a dangerous game. It's all about learning to be content in your own skin.

Answer 4

i don't believe in happiness as long as i'm on earth, but i guess if you have it all you can be happy. but my life is not about happiness, its probably going to be failure... yea i'm very pessimistic...