Are you......happy?

[OldWiseGuy]

With all the troubles here and around the world it would seem that people should be stressed, anxious, or unhappy. Without regard to the conditions of the country or the world, are you generally happy, and satisfied with your life?

 

[Ana the Ist]

Yup

Edit-After giving it a little thought, even with those "troubles" of the nation or world I'm pretty darn happy.

 

[7angels]

the bible says to cast your cares on him. also the bible tells not to worry about things we cannot change. so as i live my live accordingly i don't worry about much but just take everything day by day and moment by moment.

God bless

 

[GrowingSmaller]

What is happiness? Jumping through hoops and loving it, woof woof.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

What is happiness? Jumping through hoops and loving it, woof woof.

I take it that you're not too happy.

 

[Eudaimonist]

With all the troubles here and around the world it would seem that people should be stressed, anxious, or unhappy. Without regard to the conditions of the country or the world, are you generally happy and satisfied with your life?

I am not stressed, anxious, or unhappy regarding "the world". That is not any serious impediment to my happiness.

Any stresses I have are within my immediate circumstances. However, they are not serious enough for me to say that I'm unhappy. I suppose that I could be happier, but I don't count that as unhappy.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[durangodawood]

I'm happy enough that I like life. Could be happier, though.

 

[quatona]

With all the troubles here and around the world it would seem that people should be stressed, anxious, or unhappy. Without regard to the conditions of the country or the world, are you generally happy and satisfied with your life?

"Happy" is a very big word.
"Satisfied with my life"? Yes, definitely.

 

[Gottservant]

Happy, for me (is ____ ____ ____).

 

[Eudaimonist]

Happy, for me (is ____ ____ ____).

Let me start with a contrast.

To me, you are unhappy if you were to firmly wish that you had never been born, or that you had been born someone entirely different.

If instead you are comfortable with having been born, and having been born you, and this feeling flows from good self-knowledge and not evasion, then you have a baseline of happiness. Everything in addition to that, whatever feelings of success or fulfillment, is merely what gives extra degrees of happiness.

Optimal happiness would be the sense that you are "in the groove" in life -- that you are where you judge that you should be, and where you most deeply want to be, doing what you should do, which is simultaneously what you desire to do. For instance, if your dream is to be a painter, and you understand that your circumstances make this a worthwhile activity, then you are optimally happy when you are absorbed in the act of painting something you want to paint.

Happiness has an experiential aspect (a feeling of some sort), but I tend to see it as a process. It is an activity, something that you do, as with the painter. A feeling of happiness does not necessarily have to be felt while engaging in the activity (such as painting). It may be felt afterwards in reflection on your life.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[Gottservant]

I don't exactly, know who I am saying this for ____ but, there is a simple example I can give of never being happy (if ____ you think ____ ____ the answer I gave ____ ____ ____ was to hard): it is impossible, to legally medicate any concept (of drug or otherwise), for the sake of perfecting a law that creates an exception to most laws (or the ____ law ____) - which also destroys ____ ____ ____ ____ its own perfection.

In other words, if you can not be happy ____ do not be ____ ____ your own ____ ____ ____ doctor (selah).

 

[quatona]

I don't exactly, know who I am saying this for ____ but, there is a simple example I can give of never being happy (if ____ you think ____ ____ the answer I gave ____ ____ ____ was to hard): it is impossible, to legally medicate any concept (of drug or otherwise), for the sake of perfecting a law that creates an exception to most laws (or the ____ law ____) - which also destroys ____ ____ ____ ____ its own perfection.

In other words, if you can not be happy ____ do not be ____ ____ your own ____ ____ ____ doctor (selah).

Gottservant, there´s something wrong with your keyboard.

 

[GrowingSmaller]

I am not allowed to not be happy. Non compute. Unless I am a goth. Then its allowed. Even recommended.

I blame it on the utilitarians and therefore the English. As for the Goths, aren't they to blame for Camden Town?

I think the whole agenda needs reconceptualisation. Primarily because I am a broken man.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Let me start with a contrast.

To me, you are unhappy if you were to firmly wish that you had never been born, or that you had been born someone entirely different.

If instead you are comfortable with having been born, and having been born you, and this feeling flows from good self-knowledge and not evasion, then you have a baseline of happiness. Everything in addition to that, whatever feelings of success or fulfillment, is merely what gives extra degrees of happiness.

Optimal happiness would be the sense that you are "in the groove" in life -- that you are where you judge that you should be, and where you most deeply want to be, doing what you should do, which is simultaneously what you desire to do. For instance, if your dream is to be a painter, and you understand that your circumstances make this a worthwhile activity, then you are optimally happy when you are absorbed in the act of painting something you want to paint.

Happiness has an experiential aspect (a feeling of some sort), but I tend to see it as a process. It is an activity, something that you do, as with the painter. A feeling of happiness does not necessarily have to be felt while engaging in the activity (such as painting). It may be felt afterwards in reflection on your life.


eudaimonia,

Mark

I would say that you have described contentedness, fulfillment, or satisfaction rather than happiness. I probably shouldn't have asked if we were 'happy' as that describes a rather special area of emotion that is probably not a general feeling. One can be momentarily happy (cheerful, joyful) as a response to special circumstances or events but generally unhappy with their lives.

Therefore I withdraw the question and open the floor the subject of fulfillment, satisfaction, or contentedness.

 

[Eudaimonist]

I would say that you have described contentedness, fulfillment, or satisfaction rather than happiness.

I'm not sure what the distinction is.

One can be momentarily happy (cheerful, joyful) as a response to special circumstances or events but generally unhappy with their lives.

Agreed.

Happiness, as I see it, refers most aptly to a reflection on one's entire life, not just a reaction to some temporary issue. That is why I talk about approving of being born as yourself, or as doing what you believe you really ought to be doing with your life. Those touch on a broader perspective on one's life.

Momentary "happiness" is better termed cheerfulness, joyfulness, and similar words.

Therefore I withdraw the question and open the floor the subject of fulfillment, satisfaction, or contentedness.

My personal response is the same. The reason that stresses don't cause me to tell you that I'm unhappy is that in the big picture of my life they are not so important.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[OldWiseGuy]

I'm not sure what the distinction is.



Agreed.

Happiness, as I see it, refers most aptly to a reflection on one's entire life, not just a reaction to some temporary issue. That is why I talk about approving of being born as yourself, or as doing what you believe you really ought to be doing with your life. Those touch on a broader perspective on one's life.

Momentary "happiness" is better termed cheerfulness, joyfulness, and similar words.



My personal response is the same. The reason that stresses don't cause me to tell you that I'm unhappy is that in the big picture of my life they are not so important.


eudaimonia,

Mark

Sure, you can use happiness as synonym for those other terms, but the dictionary definition doesn't support it.

 

[Eudaimonist]

Sure, you can use happiness as synonym for those other terms, but the dictionary definition doesn't support it.

I generally don't care what dictionaries say. I find them extraordinarily unhelpful in discussions such as these.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[OldWiseGuy]

I generally don't care what dictionaries say. I find them extraordinarily unhelpful in discussions such as these.


eudaimonia,

Mark

That's fine, as long as we agree on the use of the terms.

 

[Ana the Ist]

Gottservant, there´s something wrong with your keyboard.

I thought we were playing the home version of wheel of fortune.

 

[StephanieSomer]

With all the troubles here and around the world it would seem that people should be stressed, anxious, or unhappy. Without regard to the conditions of the country or the world, are you generally happy, and satisfied with your life?

I am content. Happiness is temporary, contentment lasts.

Regarding the troubles of the world, if you worry about things over which you have no control, you're wasting your time. If you worry about things over which you do have control, you're wasting time and should be out there fixing what you have control over. There is no point in worry. It is self-defeating and a denial of faith in God's provision.