What do you think about happiness?

Question

Do you believe we decide for ourselves whether or not to be happy?

Or are some people just incapable of happiness, no matter the state of their life?

Basically, is happiness a choice?

Mati - I'm not talking about a constant state. I don't believe ANYONE is always happy OR always sad.

Are you a happy person? If you are, is that because you're making a choice to be happy, or do you believe it just happens?

Answer 1

I can't imagine being constantly in a state of happiness. What would motivate change, growth?

Answer 2

To some extent, a great deal of our lives is entirely out of our control. Many of the most integral parts of our lives are the results of a great number of improbable things. The reason that so many improbable things control our lives is that there is a near-infinite number of possible improbable things that can happen (imagine, each event has a .0001% probability, but there are 100,000 different improbable but possible events like this, then there is a good chance that ONE of these 100,000 possibilities will actually occur). As a result, our environment ends up shaping a great deal of what we interpret as success.

Most people tend to think of themselves as overworked and underappreciated, even if there is a great deal of evidence to the contrary. These days, we have so much to be grateful for, yet people are still intent on stressing out over mundane details (i.e. getting cut off on the freeway). This is probably because we always compare ourselves to that which we perceive on mediums that select the greatest from which to show us (i.e. MTV Cribs).

I suppose my point is, no one alive is happy. And most people who have great lives probably don't really deserve them. But, no one made the choice of unhappiness; we just naturally experience dissatisfaction. If we were really happy, we would cease to be productive. My hopeful belief is that when you die, you hallucinate infinite satisfaction.

Answer 3

Yes, it is a choice, but, who is happy in this material world?and Who is without anxiety?
One should understand that in the material world, however one may try to make adjustments, he cannot be happy. To cite an example, if you take a fish out of water, you can give it a very comfortable velvet bedstead, but still the fish cannot be happy; it will die. Because the fish is an animal of the water, it cannot be happy without water. Similarly, we are all spirit soul; unless we are in spiritual life or in the spiritual world, we cannot be happy. That is our position.

Answer 4

I think happiness is a choice that deserves attention, nuturing and concern of oneself for it to be present and continue in ones life. What ever gives you the most strength to think positively and supportively, may you all have abundance of.

Happiness is infectious and if you are truly happy, your eyes smile speech and actions will show others you are.

Answer 5

Yes, yes, and yes. Prerequisite is emotional stability and mental health. No other prerequisites except maybe being more on the mellow side than unstable side of maturity and emotional health. Provided you are competent to make this choice (you have assets of autonomy, a level-headed thinking, sound emotions), you indeed make the choice to be happy.

Considering other aspects and possibilities, others have a harder time getting to the choice level because they are beset by trauma or hormonal imbalance or mental disorders. It is a choice to get help, though.

Answer 6

It is a state of mind.

And yes, there ARE some people who seem totally incapable of happiness; they just seem to prefer constant complaining and crying in their beer, as opposed to taking control of their lives and CHANGING things.

Answer 7

Happiness is just a state of mind. I think that its simply a natural disposition for people to be generally happier then others or not.

Humans measure success and contentment realitive to what they themselves have experienced. And you judge yourself based off what you view other people to be. Discontent and unhappiness are evolutionary traits that drive people to achieve goals.

Think of the proverb, "Where ignorance is bliss, tis folly to be wise."

The most successful human organisms have a careful balance of content/malcontent or happy/unhappy. Evolution will show us who will prosper.

Answer 8

tough question- i think there are things that happen (or dont happen whatever the case may be) that can affect our happines.. but yes i do believe happiness is in your head. We make the decisions about our own lifes.. who to be with.. who to associate with.. where to work.. where to go.. how we act... i believe you are responsible for your own happiness.

Answer 9

Big happiness for you.
Happiness is liking what we get.
Likes feeling so as long as we’re feeling something we’re happy.
Likes sad stories too.
Give us success any day over happiness.

Answer 10

i think happiness is a choice. you can either chose to be unhappy or happy. for me, i chose to be HAPPY!!!