Are you REALLY happy?

D

DagsJT

Guest
My deep thought of the day.

Are you REALLY happy? By that I mean not content, are you genuinely HAPPY with things? Out of 365 days a year, how many of those days are you happy, not content, actually happy?

What is happyness? What makes you happy? For example, skiing. You work and do general "day-to-day things" all year for those few days that you go on holiday to become "happy".

Are you happy at this moment? I'm thinking out of a whole year, most people are only REALLY happy about 30 days of the year, the rest of the time they're content with how things are.

Thoughts?
 
But you're not working? You don't have wages coming in to afford to do stuff that you could be doing, or buying things?

How do you define "happy", Tim?

Does money buy happyness?
 
I am happy, I play FM and Xbox every day and I know that if nothing else comes up I'll be back in work in October.
 
So you would agree that money can buy happyness?

If you won £110m, how long would that keep you happy for? How long until you've done everything that would make you "happy" and you get bored?

This is out discussion in our office at the moment. I'm of the impression that money does definately buy happyness and I'd always find things to do if I had £110m.
 
Hmm, I don't think I would get bored. There's too much in the world to do.
 
I don't think (disregarding young childhood) that I've ever been truly happy for an extended period of time (i.e. more than a day). Of course, money is massively important and I think anyone who says it isn't is naive; how can you be happy when you're out of work, you're applying for all kinds of jobs and getting nowhere, and you don't know where money for the next shopping bill is going to come from? But yeah, I think I have had "flashes" of true happiness, where you see something or experience something and for a brief moment you forget about everything. I think that's what life is all about.

I would say money buys you happiness to a certain extent; or rather I would say money is (in the modern world) the foundation of happiness, because otherwise you would have no roof over your head, no food to eat and no warmth. Once you've got that then you can have normality - friends over, girlfriends etc., and from there you can have the material things (TV, Xbox, PlayStation, whatever). The material things do make me happy, I have to admit (not TRUE happiness, of course, but they take up your free time which would otherwise be spent worrying about how much longer you're going to have enough money to survive - I would say they're like consciousness injections, i.e. they numb your mind to your problems, thankfully I don't need drink or drugs because Football Manager is close enough to crack).

I think though, once you've got enough money to survive - if you did win the lottery - then you still wouldn't be truly happy because your mind would just find something else to concern itself with (i.e. I should lose some weight, is this relationship everything I want, how much longer do I have left to live and so on).

I think it's entirely dependent on your personality. I know some people who are genuinely happy all the time, and when anyone airs the slightest greivance about their lives they just can't understand what their problem is. I think you have the "don't be so miserable, I'm happy all the time, why worry when life is so short, just enjoy it" people, and then the people like you and I Dags. I think there's more of us.
 
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of course money buys you happiness. that's the most obvious thing you could every write.

money allows you to do the things you want to do, thereby automatically making you happy.

it doesn't stop you from being lazy though, which can make you indirectly unhappy, because you have no zest for life, therby wasting it all away.

people need an incentive to get out of bed in the mornings, and there is only one incentive that does that (well, there are two that i can think of). the first is money - the second is sunshine...

i remember being in australia for 3 months, where the sun was blazing from the heavens every single day i was out there. it was the happiest i have every been because the sun induces happiness.

if the uk wasn't such a miserable place to live, it would be fantastic!
 
Money takes away the problems most people have, ie, the lack of it and debt and bills. It also gives you the ability to do the things you conceive would make you happy though this does not guarantee happiness, I would rather be rich and unhappy than poor and unhappy.

As for the Lazy argument, some of the laziest people I know are truly happy and some of the hard working, gym going always on the move are unhappy and so fill their lives to forget.
It's a tough question as to whether money = happiness.

As for me I'm happy to be unhappy according to my other half and family, It helps my creativity, happiness is overrated anyway... :PIRATE:
 
Nick Cave said:
Err it can Soul, many hours... I think you mean an orgasm...
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etbc.7165945_std.png
 
Has anyone wondered what the world woild be like if sex could last for an hour?
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*Sniggers* Not the forum to make a post like that.

Anyway back to the topic,

A more important question would be; Do you want to be happy the whole time? As surely that would make you "content". Content being your normal state. So people aren't happy all the time, it's just that they don't whinge as much ;)

I'm pretty "flat" in my emotions, hardly ever get angry or emotional, but at the same time Im always fairly cheerfull and making jokes (even when bad things happen). Doesn't mean Im happy,...or unhappy. Just my personalty

Pure happyness/joy is something that can only happen in instances and thats what makes it that. Money doesn't buy that but it makes it more likely that your "content" state is more cheerfull.
 
saying money=happiness is a load of shit. I know kids born with millions in there pockets, there parents tried to buy there affection and love and it didnt work, there now drugged out losers... with a million dollars. no direction in life, no purpose, no interests, basically numb. Money clearly does not buy you happiness. Happiness can only come from within and the ones around you. I know kids born with nothing in there pockets, parents were the same. They worked hard got an education, still aren't rich, but are truly happier then the rich kids I know. Happiness is based on far more many factors then simply money. There is a genetic aspect to hapiness as well. I know If I lost everything that I have, that my parents and friends would be there for me no matter what. That is worth more then any amount of money any of you could ever dream of..... it truly is
 
Spunk_of_MJ said:
of course money buys you happiness. that's the most obvious thing you could every write.

money allows you to do the things you want to do, thereby automatically making you happy.

it doesn't stop you from being lazy though, which can make you indirectly unhappy, because you have no zest for life, therby wasting it all away.

people need an incentive to get out of bed in the mornings, and there is only one incentive that does that (well, there are two that i can think of). the first is money - the second is sunshine...

i remember being in australia for 3 months, where the sun was blazing from the heavens every single day i was out there. it was the happiest i have every been because the sun induces happiness.

if the uk wasn't such a miserable place to live, it would be fantastic!
Click to expand...

its funny that you say that, when I was in LA for a week, the weather was the same every frigging day. And i hated it.. LOL need some variety in my life
 
Its a good question Dags...

I'd consider myself to be quite a miserable person, though everyone says I've got a great sense of humour and people just generally like me (apparantly).

But I've got very little self confidence and that has always held me back from making many friends, going out alot etc and internally that always nags away at me.

So I can put on a 'show' of happiness when around people, but really I'm pretty down most of the time.

I then get angry with myself as I'm in good health, have a really nice place to live, work for myself doing a job I love - and its going really well, so money coming in, good prospects etc - just brought a nice car and generally get what I want (within reason).... yet I still cannot be 'happy'...

Its a weird one for sure!
 
Chris Bauer said:
I know some people who are genuinely happy all the time, and when anyone airs the slightest greivance about their lives they just can't understand what their problem is
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I am one of those people :)). I very rarely worry about anything, or get depressed. I genuinely don't understand people who are like permanently depressed.
 
Happiness comes from having something you dont currently have. Its as simple as that.
The whole "money doesnt bring happiness" is BS cuz I'm sure it could bring a lot of happiness to a poor family or person.
 
RuneEdge said:
Happiness comes from having something you dont currently have. Its as simple as that.
The whole "money doesnt bring happiness" is BS cuz I'm sure it could bring a lot of happiness to a poor family or person.
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True, but 'money' is still a material thing. It does not truly bring inner happiness, it's just a catalyst to being happy alongside many other things. Giving money to a poor person or family sure will bring a lot of happiness, but that does not imply that they need it to be happy. My family are not particularly well off; we don't have the dream car/house/holidays. I grew up on a council estate and we often only had enough money to survive on week to week. That's not to say we went without though, my parents always ensured we had everything we needed at school. My family have always been happy in spite of this, and I've always been grateful. Sure money would have eased the burden somewhat, but I feel blessed that I have had such a humble upbringing, it's made me appreciate the things that I have, and everything that I've achieved so far.

My philosophy is that if you always want what you can't have you'll never truly be able to truly 'live' in the present. It'll always be "tomorrow will be different"; "once I've done this I'll be happier"; or "once I'm a millionaire, all my worries will go away". I'm a big believer in living in the 'now'. Be happy with what you have now and what you have achieved so far. What is there truly to be depressed about? The past? That's been and gone, it's out of your control. The future? Bills; lack of a relationship etc etc - how do you know what's going to happen in the future? Live in the present and be excited about the future. Take each day as it comes, you'll learn to be a lot happier with who you are as a person.

There are just my thoughts on the issue. Sure, I get a little down and frustrated from time to time, but all in all I would say I'm a happy guy; I've got a lot to be grateful for.

If you guys are really interested in these types of philosophical questions I recommend you read 'Eckhart Tolle - The Power of Now'/'A New Earth'. Very interesting reads.
 
I dropped out of Uni and don't get a second chance at the Uni I want, where I would actually give a crap. (Sounds spoilt of me but still).

I hate working pointless, monotonous shifts in a clothes shop where I'm not till trained so I can't do anything if my assigned job has been done the night before.

I keep getting told by the parents that I need to look for a proper job, but not knowing exactly what they mean by 'proper', not knowing where to start when trying to find one, and knowing full well that opportunities are very limited in the current economic climate makes things hard.

I don't have a girlfriend, don't like the way I look or act, hate the fact I'm gonna have a lisp for the rest of my life.

And yet for all that, when it turns summer and I know all of my friends will be back home, I'll be happy for the whole period, because I'll always have something to do, someone to talk to, always be having a laugh and always be thinking positive.

Aside from summer, the Christmas holiday is the only other period I have when I'm happy.
 
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