The Pursuit of Happiness?

Question

We all know the line in the Constitution, but is life really meant to be happy. Do you think we are here to search for happiness? It seems like the main goal of humans; if we aren't happy in a relationship, with our job, or whatever it may be, we leave and start over in search of something else that can make us feel more happy. If it is our main goal of life, how do we know when to throw in the towel and give up? Or if that isn't the case at all, are we to stick with it and try our best hoping that things get better? And if they don't we run the risk of waisting our lives in an unhappy situation forever? Life definitely seems to be full of injustice, unfairness, cruelty, and sorrow. Is it really meant to be happy, or are we just supposed to endure til the end no matter what our situation and hope for a better afterlife? Or are we just supposed to find happiness within ourselves and not pay attention to our material mishaps; and if so, how?

Answer 1

The one word you overlooked is the word pursuit. Happiness may or may not be found but we are garanteed the right to pursue it.

Answer 2

The pursuit of Happiness is the trip, isn't it? Bliss comes to those who abandon the search and arrive at the goal through introspection doesn't it?

And, we often think that material things are what happy people have and those who don't seek to succeed in material ways are lesser beings. Conspicuous consumption makes some folks happy. However, being Content may be the most important goal.

Into every life some rain must fall. And, where would we be without a little rain. We live in a relative world. That means that our bliss can be measured against the times that are not blissful.

To be content, one should probably do some good work and sing a little song and do a little dance and have a little pizza. Beethoven said that music was as close to the Supreme Being as one can get. So.. is there a song in you that sings you? Is there something that you did today that made someone else's day?

If we get into a situation where all we do to make it a good one fails, how long do we stick it out? Some poor folks feel duty bound to stay in unhappy relationships for religious reasons. If being miserable is bliss for them, then they are welcome to it. Being brave enough to know when you should stop sticking pins in your neck and back away is tough.

I think the answer is to pursue a state of contentment and weather the happiness and the sadness as indications that we are temporal beings and it's all part of the trip.

Answer 3

We definitely were meant to be happy. We were created by a happy God. However, happiness is not for sale; it is free. Riches have deceptive power that makes us beleive that they can make us happy. One of the most surprising findings regarding human behavior is that the accumulation of money and material things does not necessarily provide a corresponding increase in satisfaction and happiness. Once a person reaches a certain level of affluence, their sense of well-being is independent of how many material goods are available to them.Thus, the unbridled pursuit of material goods and money leaves many wondering, 'We seem to enjoy each of the new things we buy; yet, why is it, when all is said and done, that these pleasures do not add up to any greater sense of satisfaction?'In his book Happy People, author Jonathan Freedman notes: "Once some minimal income is attained, the amount of money you have matters little in terms of bringing happiness. Above the poverty level, the relationship between income and happiness is remarkably small." True happiness is not found in a store, a bottle, a pill, a syringe, or a bank account.

We humans are gregarious by nature, so we cannot be truly happy if we isolate ourselves or if we are constantly in conflict with those around us. We can be happy only if we feel loved and if we love others.

Answer 4

We are not here to search for happiness, we are here to be happy, find happiness in anything that we do, and share it with others. Well of course we should leave a relationship/job/situation if we don't like it and it's not making us happy. There are exceptions; if it is making someone else happy then stick with it for their sake. If you know in the end it will make you happy or will lead to something that will make you happy, then stick with it. Or maybe there just isn't any other job for instance that will make you more happy, and the one you're in right now is making you the least not happy so stay with that one. It's all about weighing the choices. You should never give up on happiness because it is always there even in small amounts!!! Most of the time, things will get better, but usually it requires some effort from you. You can't just expect for your job to suddenly get more interesting, your pay to go up, and your enemies to quit, you have to work to make things happen for you (I don't mean blaming something on your co-workers so they get fired but do good work so maybe you'll deserve a raise). If you live your entire life in an unhappy situation you are not necessarily wasting your life. If you start out in a bad place and don't do anything to get out of it, or start somewhere good and just let things bad happen, then you are wasting your life. But if you work toward happiness, even if you never reach it at least you know you tried and didn't just do nothing. Of course life is meant to be happy, but not without work. If you concentrate on all the bad things, you will probably be miserable, but you have to put all that behind you and think about the good things and say to yourself that you are going to fix those bad things so the world will be happier for you and others. You have to work at achieving happiness because it makes you feel all the more happier once you get there. For example, you will feel a lot happier if you spend part of your life working hard and making money than if you are just born rich and never have to work at all. We are supposed to find happiness anywhere we can, whether it's inside of ourselves, in nature, in making others happy, wherever.

Live life the way you want to live it and you will be happy.

Answer 5

We are suppose to be happy. Happiness is an attitude adjustment. Happiness is wisdom from within. Happiness can be achieved when you realize your inner Buddha nature. All human being have a latent Buddha Nature, an inner power that when tapped, can change any circumstance into benefit.
Most people look for happiness externally-in the environment. The key is to achieve inner peace and when you achieve this, your external world transforms from delusion into wisdom and happiness. I am aware of my Buddha Nature and have led a happy life for the past 6 years. I became a Nichiren Buddhist and I chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. You should try it. Everyone can become happy and cast off their fears through action and the power of the Mystic Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

Answer 6

I read an article in the New York Times Sunday magazine about this very topic. It was very interesting. The general idea was that when that was written, the pursuit of happiness was not the selfish drive that it is now, rather, it was focused on others. If you spend your energy seeking to find your own happiness, you'll never find it. If you are looking out for the happiness of others, you'll find joy.

Answer 7

Yes, the point of life is to be happy. It's the only thing we can do with all of this time. There is no other purpose for the universe doesn't need us. So we make our own worth in our own progression as a society. That's why some people get so wrapped in that preoccupation that they forget to be happy, isn't it ironic?

Answer 8

Humans want to be happy. We live only because we are already living, and we try to please ourselves as much as we can. But true bliss can only be found in peace of mind- however you find yours is up to you. The biggest mistake we make in our pursuit of happiness is our reliance on material possessions; our dependence on all that is fleeting. Instead of finding peace, we find ourselves in debt. Why bother with a momentary buzz if it all goes away in the end?

Answer 9

Everybody wants to be happy. But happiness can never be attained if one will never experience how to be sad because it's only then that you will fully understand what happiness is. Life...love...food...drinks...etc...need to be spiced up in order to attain the best if not the ultimate. So mishaps...misfortunes...and whatever...only enhance the feeling of elation in pursuing happiness. Cry...laugh...be Happy!

Answer 10

I love studying this. It has all become clear now after reading "The Power Of Now" by Eckhart Tolle. It is inexpensive and answers lots of these things. Definitely slows down the "pusuit" Your last line said it. How is in the book....