Are you happy or a happy person? What do you think is the key to happiness?

Originally posted by LeTan
No, not happy. I thought I was, working for a pharmacy as a tech, made lots of money. I quit that job recently because I might have been well financially but I was broke in karma.

I've noticed recently that a lot of my friends focus on money and material things, and it only brings them unhappiness. The harder they work, the more unhappy they become.

I find living as simply as you can tends to bring more happiness. Don't but material possessions unless you can stand to see it destroyed before you. Otherwise, it will eventually bring unhappiness.

reply to post by -0mega-


Oh boy... listen man, take it from experience... that girl is not worth your trouble.

As for the rest of your post, I feel you.

Although it seems I'm a few years ahead of your time. Just a small few.

Hopefully you can channel your frustration of equating love with happiness into some form of creative avenue. I have writing music. It has opened my mind so much since my days of longing for that certain someone that most times I don't even care about being alone... Hell most times I prefer it. Gives me more time to be with the one true love which can never leave me, my music.

Women won't make you happy. I've had a few and to tell you the truth I've felt worse while in a relationship than out (other than the mmm sex part), The hardest thing to find is a sane woman who wants a true guy as opposed to some stupid #ing fantasy which they've concocted in their derranged skulls. I'll tell you one big #ing thing. I'm not happy at all if I'm pretending to be someone I'm not, and with girls it's hard to be yourself especially if you ain't no Brad Pitt. I ain't no Brad Pitt, and people can either like me for me or they can all # off and I'll live alone and be somewhat content.

True happiness is a lie. You can never be happy nor can you be fully satisfied with what good things you have forever. So why pretend or force happiness? Why not be pissed off and homicidal? Why not embrace the darkness, the fear, the loneliness, the hate, the misery... just as much as you seek the sunlight? Are we not being demasculated if we cannot indulge our less desired thoughts? Why can't we be tortured and not be asked "what's wrong?" What's wrong!?!?! Anyone who asks what's wrong has NO clue.

Happiness is overrated. No great song ever came from it. If we're happy for too long, we become addicted to happiness and apathetic towards any other way of being we may come into contact with. America, for example... the number one happiness whore in the world.

I'm an easygoing and mostly pleasant person to be around, too. I just recognize that happiness doesn't equate with peace or justice or harmony.
You can be happy as a clam while raping women and killing Jews.

A more relevant question might me "Is happiness ever true?"

Fantastic question OP, And same amazing answers..... Now am i happy? I am happy to be alive to experience the world around me, I am unhappy at the injustice and war in the world.
It is not wrong to feel happy when all the world is falling apart around you, We must all learn to live and love even as the world falls apart or how can we survive as a species?.....


Peace

Shen Long

I would gather that BTS people are in general happier then ATS... for they only "deny boredom". To face the ugly truth, to unmask lies is a heavy burden versus staying on the surface and buying the lies. In my opinion one is a higher calling then the other, but it comes at a cost. Though i think there is something to be said for not facing reality, it will bite you in the rear.

or in other words, as NuclearPaul's signature insightfully claims...

"Burying your head in the sand only makes it easier for others to @#*% you"
~ Anonymous

[edit on 25-1-2009 by The All Seeing I]

Honesty, In totality

I am happy! I have been happy for a long time.

I think the "secret" to my happiness is that it is not dependent on external circumstances. It is generated by me. It's a decision I make. It's a choice. Once a person chooses happiness for some time, that becomes the norm. I have days that I "get depressed", but they are rare. Overall, I'm a very happy person.

I'm a happy person in general, i feel good most of the time and am able to spread it to other people. It was not always the case but i worked it out over time. One of the keys is that you do not focus on the bad stuff globally, deal with the bad stuff happening locally either by changing the situation or your perspective on it. It's all between the ears and when you are pessimistic all the time you attract other pessimistic people so stop being unhappy to create happiness. Fake it untill you make it, works for me

[edit on 25-1-2009 by Harman]

Key to happiness, accepting yourself.

I still can't, but working on it .

Personally i don't think there is any "one" key to happiness. I think it boils down to the individual's idea of what happiness is. It's just a state of mind that comes with a certain set of personal achievements.

I consider myself to be a very happy person in general because i've reached most of the goals that i have set for myself in my personnal and professional life. Although i have not realized all of those goals, i look for optimism in everythign that i do, and that simply enforces the idea of being happy in general.

Not being happy, is just un-healthy IMO.

Ask anyone here (at ATS) and anyone in real life who knows me and they will say that I am a 'happy person'. I am. I am genuinely a very happy person. I smile a lot. I laugh a lot. I try and make others smile and laugh too!

However, there are things in life (even currently) that dont make me happy. But it does not change my overall personality of being a 'happy person'.

I think one of the important keys to happiness is to try and find humour in everything. Not an easy task, I admit - but it will put a smile on your face if you can accomplish it Also a good dose of love from friends and family helps too I also find that helping others will lead one to be a happy person. Go volunteer at a shelter or food bank, for example. Giving of oneself (within moderation) can lead to happiness

reply to post by greeneyedleo


I completely agree with you. Finding humor in everyday "dissapointments" is a very constructive way to not let things get on top of you.

I believe the person can achieve the following four criteria will be happy all the time:

1) Unconditional love
2) Truth
3) Forgiveness
4) humility

I am not happy right now, I just AM, later I might laugh or cry depending on the circumstances, or just sit here like a bump on a log;

Seems some people dwell on feelings,

Have a beer, pop a pill, anything to avoid a NEGATIVE EMOOOOOOTION, LOL

Sometimes I like to cry,especially to make my husband feel guilty for forgetting my birthday,

I really miss menopause, what a gambit of emotions, weeeeehaaaaaaa, the wild mood swings, weeeeeee, watching my family look on in amazement .

Writing this made me happy, thanks

[edit on 033131p://bSunday2009 by Stormdancer777]

For me Relaxation (relaxing back into my natural state, without any tension, without any need, craving or aversion) is the key to being "in a good state". Is that happiness? Maybe.

Having a sense of humor and not having a distorted sense of self importance helps a lot. The thing I have found, being a notably easy going person, is that acting content and self confident draws anger in others who are not. I'm willing to bet you some people you think are unhappy are just preserving the balance of power so to speak. I used to work in a department with about 100 people, most of whom who were manic depressive, depressive, substance abusers and worse. The only way to survive that environment was not to show positive emotions or speak positively about other people because that was triggered a lot of these people's emotional problems. I couldn't tell you how many times I was verbally or physically threatened by people for ....laughing at a joke. Or smiling at them in hall. I wish I was joking!
The odd thing is I have had the opposite experience in public. Being peppy makes people want to talk to you.

i find that smoking alot of pot and always being open to thngs has made my life better!

I would say i'm not particually happy right now.. and much alike the other users who have posted i'm generally a happy person laugh joking around always trying to think posative, and though i understand it is impossible to be happy all the time, you'd think you'd have a kinda bench mark on between being happy and sad and that depending on what type of person you are..

but do i have issues!

For me right now, there's a couple of things getting me down.. all the people i regard as friends have ether moved away or gone to university so i've got no one to hang out with and do cool stuff with and its been like that for a couple of years., the other thing is, is that i'm in my late twenties and i still live at home with my parents i want to get my own flat or something though i have too many belongings even though i've tried to sell some i don't really know what to do, this has led to a great deal of being unmotivation! to do anything.

i know when i'm happy and things are going well i'm untouchable, nothing really fases me.. suggestions and replies most welcome.

reply to post by Anonymous ATS


So very true

reply to post by Jazzyguy


I think clour and light have alot to do with it. If its sunny I'm automatically Happy, when its grey i feel depressed (SAD) syndrome?

I realised that colours affect me to but agin it has to do with dark and light.
The house i moved into had Teracotta walls but the room had little natural light so appeared dim and dark. We painted the walls Cream with a pale green border in the middle. The room now now feels light and airy and very calming. I feel 100% happier becauase of this one little change. Weird eh?


[edit on 25-1-2009 by MCoG1980]

As BH said above, happiness is a choice, nothing else.

Your life is a reflection of your perspective on it. If you go around seeing things as being terrible, they inherently will be.

I'm happy and I have been for a long time. I wasn't always this way, in fact I've been diagnosed with depression, ADHD and a few other things they had me on meds for. The meds just made things worse. I gave them up.

Perhaps I'm just a very lucky person because I realized that I could moan about how terrible things are or I could decide to enjoy the beautiful gift that is my life and the wondrous world I was born into.

I chose to be happy. You can too.

Happiness is just a choice, nothing more.