2007-03-24 08:49:16 · 23 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
Happiness is not a given result but a relative feeling which one can have in one’s life in the course of pursuing it.
So, whether one can feel happy or not totally depends on one’s mind.
2007-03-26 11:30:02 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
If you go back to the Garek school Philosophy I think it was the Cynics , the basics are all one needs Olives bread and good friends . AS there was little Else in Greece this downsizing certainly proved that materialism was not an answer to Happiness although we OD on materialism today . of course their were miserable people in the group , but some people are only happpybieng miserable they are no average mean of the Hedonic scale
2007-03-26 12:54:20 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
For a start, happiness will not come to you from outside yourself. If you always think that a change in your circumstances ie winning the Lottery will make you happy, then you will always be disappionted. Yes, Lottery winners are very happy for a while, but research has found that several months later, they will return to whatever level of happiness they started with before the Lottery win.
If you can only live happily after all your problems are solved, you are never going to live happily, because when today's problems are gone and forgotten, others will take their place. So either living happily is just impossible, or you have to do it in spite of your problems.
Happiness is a skill, and like any other skill, you can devleop it. As we go through life, we pick up patterns and habits of thought, and all too often these can be bad habits and patterns, so we have to break them and become aware of not just what we are thinking, but what effect it is having on our inner person. You will never be happy if you say things to yourself like, 'I'm useless', 'Everything I do goes wrong', or 'I'm going to fail'.
If you hold rigid, punishing assumptions that are impossible to live up to, you are not nuturing a sense of self worth. These assumptions are the should and must statements that keep you feeling trapped like, 'I must please everyone all of the time or I don't deserve to be loved, or 'If I don't get that job, it means I'm a failure.' By confronting the way you think, you can change your mood, your outlook and your future.
Develop an ability to focus your thoughts on the present. You can achieve this focus with sport, dance, martial arts etc., anything that demands your full attention and stops your mind from wandering. Mindfullness is a key inner skill because as it gets stronger, it lets you focus on your own inner life and catch your habits in the act. Once you see how you are ruled by them, the change you are seeking often happens of its own accord.
Develop letting-go techniques. In our society, we are encouraged to want more, and get trapped into thinking that more will make us happier. But wanting is a treadmill, as long as you have unsatisfied desires, you won't be at peace, so let go of them. If the need for something is making you unhappy, let go of that need. If you think you want revenge for something, forgive. It's so liberating.
Finally, learn to enjoy. Why focus on the 10 per cent you don't have, appreciate the 90 per cent you do have and be grateful for it. Bad stuff happens, and if you dwell on how bad it is, you will only make it worse. For example, if you are stuck in traffic, breathe in deeply and slowly and enjoy the sensation of being alive. Look around you and try to find something that makes you laugh or touches you, or is just beautiful. If you do your best to change the way you see the world you will reveal to yourself what a truely wonderful and beautiful place it is.
2007-03-24 17:20:20 · answer #3 · answered by Heralda 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
All conditions favor happiness because happiness is not a product of outside circumstances, but rather, happiness is an internal state of mind.
2007-03-24 16:02:40 · answer #4 · answered by Doctor J 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
A peaceful mind will bring happiness. Fame and power does not make George Bush always happy. Food does not make you and me always happy at mealtime. Nothing external can be a constant source of happiness.
2007-03-25 06:59:21 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think it depends on what makes one happy. I don't think anyone knows what will truly make them happy. If they did the person would never feel any misery or discontentment, which I believe everyone has moments of (if not more). But I think health plays a role. Nutrition, exercise, sleep.....
2007-03-24 16:53:11 · answer #6 · answered by cementshroom13 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An able, stable mind because happiness is a state of mind.
2007-03-24 16:00:50 · answer #7 · answered by Sophist 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
"happiness is an inside job. It's not about having stuff and getting stuff. It's about finding a place of peace within yourself."
2007-03-24 15:58:00 · answer #8 · answered by Melissa 1 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Any time we are not judging we are happy.
As soon as we start to judge we find something to be unhappy about.
It's that simple.
Love and blessings Don
2007-03-24 17:26:44 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The key to happiness is; being thankful for what you have, not what you don't.
2007-03-24 15:59:58 · answer #10 · answered by sapphire_velvet 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋