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Post by Deleted on Nov 19, 2004 17:48:21 GMT -5
I've been pondering this idea for a while now...What is happiness? Is it like "Yay! I got an A on my test!" or is that merely just a mild joy? Is it something on the inside or the out? What's the difference between happiness and joy? Is it selfish to try to make yourself happy?
My views: I came up with a theory about pure happiness. Until you are content with you and all aspects of your life, and have not one regret, you can never be purely, truely happy. Many people never reach this because they can't oversee the bad and focus only on the good. And just because someone looks happy on the outside, it doesn't mean they're really happy and they may be bitter, self loathing people who fake an emotion because they want to please others and make THEM happy.
Views/Arguements?
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Post by wolfofthewoods on Nov 19, 2004 18:01:28 GMT -5
Well, I honestly have a completely different view. Happiness doesn't have to be the only thing in your life; everyone has at least ONE thing niggling at them that's not happy, whether it be homework or the weather or a stain on their shirt. But that doesn't mean that you're faking your emotions when you smile or laugh or goof around.
I am absolutely, utterly joyous when I'm around certain people. They can make me feel even more happier by the way they act.. And, in one second, they can ruin it and have me feeling crushed and uncertain. I don't really think emotions can be measured; they're pure for the people as they feel them in that moment, no?
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Post by Orginalcliche on Nov 19, 2004 23:17:37 GMT -5
Pure happiness is as illusion as well as pure sadness, well at least for me however. I know that even at my highest joy I always feel slightly sad, knowing that I could have done better, and even in my moments of darkest dispair knowing that if I try I will have to eventually make some progress even if it is the littlest way. Most importantly though emotions vary from person to person.
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Post by TheEaterofWorlds on Nov 20, 2004 4:14:28 GMT -5
My views: I came up with a theory about pure happiness. Until you are content with you and all aspects of your life, and have not one regret, you can never be purely, truely happy. Many people never reach this because they can't oversee the bad and focus only on the good. And just because someone looks happy on the outside, it doesn't mean they're really happy and they may be bitter, self loathing people who fake an emotion because they want to please others and make THEM happy. Views/Arguements? I think someone can have regrets and still be happy. Happiness does not depend on what has happened to you as much as it depends on your state of mind. If you harbor your regrets and beat yourself up over them, I think it would be very hard to be happy. If you acknowledge and learn from them I think that you can find happiness. Curled up in front of a heater under a big thick blanket. It's snowing outside and there's some music on and I'm reading a terrific book. In that moment I'm happy, truly happy, and I don't think that if I'm sad the next moment that the time I was happy is made any less sincere or meaningful. No one can be happy all the time, and it's very difficult to remain sad all the time too. We're human, and to expect to purge ourselves of one emotion or the other is not reasonable. It's not like you can only be "really* happy if there is no sadness in your life. It's like how my grandmother told me I wasn't a real blonde because I have green eyes. If your hair's blonde, you're blonde no matter what colour your eyes are. If you're happy you're happy, even if there is sadness in you sometimes. Emotions are not definate things. Don't get yourself too hung up on "Am I *really* happy?" or you're not even going to let yourself enjoy the good times. I know that when I look back at my life so far I see happy parts and sad parts. I can't look at them and say 'I'm a happy person' or 'I'm a sad person'. I can only say that I am happy or sad in this moment. You also can't tell me that someone else only seems happy and is faking it. Only that person knows how they really feel. Even if they fake it sometimes, it doesn't mean their happiness is somehow less than anyone elses. We have good days and we have bad days, and you have to learn to live with it, because that's what being human's all about. We have to scrape through it somehow. Emotions are not the rock we're standing on, they're the waves that come over us one after the other. There will never be a constant, and I do think I like it that way. I often feel content, I sometimes feel happy. When things are going well I try to enjoy it while it lasts. Don't squander away happy moments by trying to justify them. |
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Post by Komori on Nov 22, 2004 1:16:32 GMT -5
Heehee, my parents say I was born a happy baby, because when I'm around my family, I'm always grinning or goofing off. And I consider myself a happy person, most of the time, because it's hard for me to stay sad for very long. And I'm working on trying to be happier. In fact, it's the love of God that makes me the happiest, and being alone with Him, especially in the squares of Savannah (those trees are so gorgeous, it's hard to not be overwhelmed with happiness). And I don't think there's a difference between joy and happiness, except maybe that joy is a little stronger than happiness. Kinda' like 'shades' of an emotion. Like the difference between being angry or upset. It's not selfish to want to make yourself happy. Just as long as it isn't at the expense of others.  |
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Post by RJ on Nov 22, 2004 1:19:13 GMT -5
Happiness is a warm fuzzy feeling to me. Makes my brain feel funny 0_o
Did you know that you're happier on a sunny day because the sun makes you create some sort of chemical that makes you happy? Weird.
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Post by Orginalcliche on Nov 22, 2004 18:42:51 GMT -5
Happiness is a warm fuzzy feeling to me. Makes my brain feel funny 0_o Did you know that you're happier on a sunny day because the sun makes you create some sort of chemical that makes you happy? Weird. Wow, my chemicals must be more screwed up then I thought. I get really really happy when it rains. |
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Post by Jessica Coconut on Nov 23, 2004 22:00:50 GMT -5
Happiness... ahh... I think it's all perception.
To one person, it may make their day to get an A on a test. To another it's just "oh good, I got an A". But it doesn't make them happy.
Because with the first person, an A on a test means a lot, and it's a temporary source of happiness. It matters, so they percieve it as something that makes them happy.
I'm happy when I get an A in PE. An A in PE means a lot, because it's a difficult subject for me. But to get an A in Planning ten (canadians will know what I'm talking about), which is incredibly easy, and stupid, and a subject whose very concept I despise, just wont make me mad. It doesn't have much of an effect on me, until I take into account that 98 in planning (yes, 98%) really helps my honour roll chances.
At first, I don't percieve it as a big deal, and I remain quite neutral. I'm happy I'm going to graduate (you pass it or you don't graduate - simple), but until I factor in that it may be my chance to make honour roll (I'm sad to say my other grades are slipping), I'm not really happy.
Happiness is based completely on perception.
And now, to paraphrase Albus Dumbledore...
"The man who is completely happy the way he is, will look in the mirror, and see himself, exactly the way he is."
Sometimes, what makes you happy, is just something that wont have a negative effect on someone else. Another person wont be made upset at it, is all.
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Post by theunorthodox on Nov 24, 2004 11:51:25 GMT -5
Did you know that you're happier on a sunny day because the sun makes you create some sort of chemical that makes you happy? Weird. Sun helps produce a chemical called Serotonin and also Adrenaline, which gives a happy energetic feeling. Sun also produces vitamin D and a number of other healthy vitamins which keeps the body feeling good. It also blocks the production of the chemical Melatonin, which causes depression and sleepiness. (Reason why we sleep at night and wake in the day...or at least why we're supposed to) Apparently, it's not always the case though. I like the rain too. ^^ Well that's my biological two sense on the bit. Now for my philosophy: TEOW kinda summed up what I was going to say. If true happiness is a sensation where there can be nothing sad in life ever, then it's an illusion. Someone will always be ticked off at something, even if it's minor. Possible scenario: "I'm getting married to the man I love! I couldn't possibly be upset about anything...except that the bridesmaid dresses are that weird shade of pink. But nothing can bring me down! Except that the salad is has Ranch dressing instead of French. I hate French!!!" Humans are naturally nitpickers and with our high-standard societies, we're starting to take basic happiness for granted. (EI- just having drinkable water nowadays is expected, but we want to pay $1.50 for Poland Springs bottled water!) One reason we'll never truly be happy. I'll settle with the fleeting sensations for now. ^^ Meep=Happiness.  |
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