What's more important; to be good or to be happy?

Question

Can you be both all the time?

Answer 1

Hmmmmm....depends on what you mean by being "good." If you mean "doing the right thing," then, yes, I suppose it is more important to be good.

Sometimes you have to sacrifice your happiness for the happiness of those around you. You want something so badly. And in your heart you know this one thing would be what could change your life and put everything just right. You'd find happiness. But you look at how it would effect others around you. You look to see if anyone else would be hurt in the process. Not only that, you look to see if you would be taking from someone that finds happiness in this object as much as you do.

So you decide to "do the right thing" and "be good" at the risk of sacrificing your happiness.

Can you be both? If you think of others and are "good" and make the right decisions, it is amazing to see how this brings a smile to others and joy to their hearts. In return, they begin to reach out to you more. And lo and behold.....what happens? You are happy. Sure you can be both. Being good can definitely make you happy.....but all the time? I don't think you can always be "up." Something would definitely be wrong if you were. You have to have the low moments in order to appreciate the good.


(now give me candy) *wink*

Answer 2

Well I could say that some people are happy cuz they are good to one person or good to more people. But I think the most important think is to be happy. I mean you can also be good to others and be miserable cuz of that. Thats not good. So BE HAPPY

Answer 3

You may not be happy... the circumstances beyond your control may not permit this. Of course it's a good objective to strive for.

But to be good, by which I take it to mean, to do good and be a decent and honest person, to the best of your ability. You owe this to yourself and the world around you.

I suspect if you are 'good' in this sense, you will feel something even more important than happiness. You will find inner peace.

Answer 4

I have control over one, GOODNESS, and no control of the other. My Happiness is dependant to some extent on the actions of others.

No, I cannot be happy all the time, but I can be good, through choice and course of my actions.

Answer 5

You can be both. You don't have to be bad to be happy. Happiness comes from within and if you are very lucky, you can be happy sitting in a dentist chair waiting for the novacaine to take effect.

Answer 6

No you can't be both ALL the time...just sometimes...without the sad, we would not know the happy. And without the bad, we would not know the good.

Answer 7

It would take a lot of effort on your part to maintain both that's for sure, lol. Although I would opt to be happier, because only when you're in high spirits do you feel better about yourself therefore be good, though not necessarily in that order, haha.

Answer 8

This all depends on how one affects the other within your mind.
If your happy you may be good, or you may be evil[pleasure from dicourt] If you are good you may or may not necessarily be happy, you could spread peace and harmony through despair and grief. It all depends on your view on both of thes underlying factors.

Answer 9

It's more important to be good--however it is that you yourself define it. In the long run, if you do things you think are bad, you won't be happy.

Answer 10

No you cannot always be both. But if you are good, then you have no regrets and no bad conscience.

So being good makes you happier in the long run.