Meaning of true happiness

[BlueShadow V 2.0]

Hi guys. I being wondering about this for some time so I thought that this is a topic that deserves to be discussed. Happiness is something that every human being is always searching for. It is one of the main reason why we live, but if you ask someone what the meaning of true happiness is, they might not be able to give an specific answer of what happiness is or how to get it.

According to Dictionary.com, happiness is one of the following things:

1. the quality or state of being happy.

2. good fortune; pleasure; contentment; joy.


But I don't think this is a clear definition of what is happiness... so for you guys what is "Happiness" and how do you get it or achieve it???

Another question is... Are you happy right now? How do you know that you are truly happy?? Is it possible to be truly happy nowadays??

So post your thoughts about it

 

[OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire]

You can only pursue happiness, we never achieve it no matter what, we only obtain it for a while but then it vanishes, like like every other emotion..

 

[Kura]

Happiness only occurs when you have homeostasis: body's tendency to maintain a steady internal state (whether that be stress, needs, drives, excitement, etc.. we need a certain constant level and that level varies from person to person.)

Complete Maslow's Heirarchy to fulfill: (Biological Needs -> Safety Needs -> Love and Belonging -> Esteem -> Self Actualization) and then you will have happiness.
(Although Maslow argues that we cannot stay at any one of these sections for very long.. which probably explains why we can't ALWAYS be happy.)

Pretty simple when you think about it.

 

[Eliminator Jr.]

Happiness and ignorance occur simultaneously. Some people are able to put themselves in a near constant state of happiness, but those people are being ignorant to get there. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, in many cases I would value happiness above knowing things, but from what I see that's what it is.

 

[Kura]

Happiness and ignorance occur simultaneously. Some people are able to put themselves in a near constant state of happiness, but those people are being ignorant to get there. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, in many cases I would value happiness above knowing things, but from what I see that's what it is.

Not necessarily.. if someone likes the way they look, run a good business, have someone whom they love and who loves them, and basically has accomplished a lot of the things they've set out to do in life.. and they're happy being at this state.. does that really make them ignorant?

I guess you could argue "They're ignorant because they are missing out on MORE. More knowledge. More money from the business. Having a kid means MORE fulfillment in life."
But who are you to judge?

Some people are genuinely ignorant.. but I have to disagree with you on the fact that they have to be simultaneous.
Also.. what's the point in knowing certain things when you wont need to use them?

You could argue that the people living in North Korea are in a horrible state and are all unhappy.. yes.. they are ignorant that they don't know any better about the world.. but at the same time.. if they did.. what could they possibly do about it other than be shot or sent to concentration camps?

 

[Ayselipera]

It's such a hard term to define simply because what I might describe as happiness may not be someone else's definition. As for myself I'd say true happiness is when you are content. All negative feelings are put to the side and all positive feelings come to the front. I suppose a sense of lightness can also describe happiness. I know when I'm happy I feel "lighter" in a mental sense because I don't have any stress at that moment.

 

[PlatinumDude]

Happiness is complicated to define fully, but for me, true happiness is when you're contented with the things you've fulfilled in life.

 

[Eliminator Jr.]

Not necessarily.. if someone likes the way they look, run a good business, have someone whom they love and who loves them, and basically has accomplished a lot of the things they've set out to do in life.. and they're happy being at this state.. does that really make them ignorant?

But they're ignoring past problems in their life. People forgive and forget, or in other words ignore bad things that happen and focus on the good things. Focusing on the positives isn't a bad thing, that's not what I'm trying to say. I mean for example, two people in a relationship can see past each other's flaws, or at least tolerate them, which is good, but it's still ignoring problems.

I guess you could argue "They're ignorant because they are missing out on MORE. More knowledge. More money from the business. Having a kid means MORE fulfillment in life."

Life can always be better, but it doesn't mean you can't be content with what you have. It depends on the person, obviously. Like not every person is going to be happier with a kid or whatever, I'm not making judgement on that, but life can always be better. Ignoring aspirations or being content with what you have makes people happy. If you're not content with life you're not happy.

Some people are genuinely ignorant.. but I have to disagree with you on the fact that they have to be simultaneous.
Also.. what's the point in knowing certain things when you wont need to use them?

You could argue that the people living in North Korea are in a horrible state and are all unhappy.. yes.. they are ignorant that they don't know any better about the world.. but at the same time.. if they did.. what could they possibly do about it other than be shot or sent to concentration camps?

A happy person in North Korea might be happy because they are not aware that better living conditions exist in other countries, or just because they are aware of it but are ignoring the problem because they cannot do anything about it. From what I've heard it's like a Big Brother situation in North Korea, they're all blindly following "Dear Leader" Kim Jong-il and happy because they don't know any better. An unhappy person in North Korea would be just like us, maybe they had a bad day at work or their electricity cut out.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that being sheltered doesn't automatically make you happy, but that you cannot be happy without ignorance being there as well. You can be ignorant of certain things and unhappy at the same time, but ultimately all happiness boils down to being ignorant of something.

Sorry if I'm coming across as mean or rude or something, that's not my intention.

 

[twocows]

Happiness varies from person to person. I'd like to think I'm not a hedonist, though; happiness isn't my ultimate goal in life, altruism is. I gain some happiness through pursuit of that goal, but there are other things that would make me happier.

 

[Okami Chi]

To me, you know when you have achieved happiness in it's true form when you get that feeling inside you like that missing part of you got put there as if out of nowhere. It's hard to describe.

 

[Headfirst For Halos]

It is true that there is no clear definition of happiness; people just add in what is generally accepted, just like having children, a stable job, a good marriage, etc.

Anyone's definition can differ. Myself? Disregard everyone else in your life that expects you to do something you cannot/do not want to do. Do something that makes you "feel alive", not just because society or whoever the entity tells you what it is. That being said, I hate working for others [hence why I do not have a job].

 

[Captain Fabio]

For me, happiness isn't about smiling 24/7, it is just about being happy with my quality of life.

I am happy with my friends, my education, my job, my family and so on.

 

[Spinor]

You people are thinking too freakin hard >__>

Happiness is simply and only:

Spoiler:

The Absence of Negative Things.

That's it. Don't go into your religious, spirtiual, or scientific crap. If there's nothing wrong with your life, you're happy. Now shut up and continue living.

 

[Eliminator Jr.]

Happiness varies from person to person. I'd like to think I'm not a hedonist, though; happiness isn't my ultimate goal in life, altruism is. I gain some happiness through pursuit of that goal, but there are other things that would make me happier.

I wouldn't have a clue of the other things that make you happy, but if you're altruistic would that mean that if you weren't helping other people and self-indulged you would feel guilty about it (and therefore not happy)? Just throwing it out there.

 

[Stellar]

That's it. Don't go into your religious, spirtiual, or scientific crap. If there's nothing wrong with your life, you're happy. Now shut up and continue living.

That's being a bit general, don't you think? Your definition of what's wrong isn't necessarily shared with everyone else. Even those who are rich in every aspect of life will always find something to complain about. Going by your philosophy, this would mean no one is ever happy because there is always something wrong with their lives.

To me, happiness isn't meant to be simplified through scales and standards. It's impossible to gauge accurately for a number of reasons, the first being that it's nothing more than a feeling. I'm sure there's a point in trying, but it doesn't concern me. I'd rather just accept happiness as it comes and appreciate it for what it is.

 

[poopnoodle]

i think happiness itself is simple to define. your positive neuro-transmitters are active and your various needs are met. now what calls forth those neuro-transmitters, what needs ought to be fulfilled, how we individually maintain positive emotions-- those are some of the grounds that lead to happiness that each person has different solutions for. so i would switch the question to, "how do you reach happiness?"

 

[Kura]

But they're ignoring past problems in their life. People forgive and forget, or in other words ignore bad things that happen and focus on the good things. Focusing on the positives isn't a bad thing, that's not what I'm trying to say. I mean for example, two people in a relationship can see past each other's flaws, or at least tolerate them, which is good, but it's still ignoring problems.


Life can always be better, but it doesn't mean you can't be content with what you have. It depends on the person, obviously. Like not every person is going to be happier with a kid or whatever, I'm not making judgement on that, but life can always be better. Ignoring aspirations or being content with what you have makes people happy. If you're not content with life you're not happy.


A happy person in North Korea might be happy because they are not aware that better living conditions exist in other countries, or just because they are aware of it but are ignoring the problem because they cannot do anything about it. From what I've heard it's like a Big Brother situation in North Korea, they're all blindly following "Dear Leader" Kim Jong-il and happy because they don't know any better. An unhappy person in North Korea would be just like us, maybe they had a bad day at work or their electricity cut out.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that being sheltered doesn't automatically make you happy, but that you cannot be happy without ignorance being there as well. You can be ignorant of certain things and unhappy at the same time, but ultimately all happiness boils down to being ignorant of something.

Sorry if I'm coming across as mean or rude or something, that's not my intention.

They're not ignoring past problems. It was the past- they've moved on and it isn't a problem anymore. Why bring up a dead issue for the sake of unhappiness. Letting something go or letting something be is not ignorant- it's not like we can build a time machine.

I agree with you that ignorance plays a part, but I want to just make a point that it's not absolute.
You can be happy with having a certain understanding of everything and yourself- but you are not ignorant to other knowledge- you are intending to always learn more about it, but you haven't gotten to it yet. Just because you haven't obtained something doesn't make you unhappy. Just because I don't have supreme knowledge about calculus, for example, doesn't mean I'm not happy. I'm not ignorant towards calculus, I am just still on my journey of learning.
Just like your point about people in relationships. You are not ignoring flaws if you are acknowledging them and working towards them. If my future husband is a bad cook will that make me unhappy- hell no- is that ignorant because I should expect better- no not either- instead it opens up an opportunity to learn more about cooking together which can bring about happy experiences.

 

[Richard Lynch]

Happiness only occurs when you have homeostasis: body's tendency to maintain a steady internal state (whether that be stress, needs, drives, excitement, etc.. we need a certain constant level and that level varies from person to person.)

Complete Maslow's Heirarchy to fulfill: (Biological Needs -> Safety Needs -> Love and Belonging -> Esteem -> Self Actualization) and then you will have happiness.
(Although Maslow argues that we cannot stay at any one of these sections for very long.. which probably explains why we can't ALWAYS be happy.)

Pretty simple when you think about it.

I like this definition, and it's very true.

I, personally, have a very bleak outlook on life, and am generally considered a pessimist, yet I'm quite happy (in fact, I'm usually quite jovial). Happiness isn't necessarily a phase or something that must be triggered, but I think it's a frame of mind that anyone can achieve (granted there's not a biochemical reason).

I can give you about four minutes of instant happiness, if you'd like.
Simply watch this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrdEMERq8MA

 

[Kishijoten]

There are infinitive definitions for the word happiness. What one believes happiness may be right or wrong.
i think happiness is achievement. A feeling of joy. Happiness can be described in so many ways that its to just hard to select one definition for this hard to describe definition. That is my opinion.

 

[Ascaris]

true happiness in todays world can mean nothing more than contentment. ignorance really has nothing to do with it; if the quality of your life is up to your standards and you are glad with your position in life and the good things that you have then you are happy. there isnt a deeper meaning behind it. the state of contentment is a different issue as human emotion and rationale always eggs us on to reach higher and higher so in order to be truly happy the benchmark that a person has for the pinnacle of his life must be low enough that he can achieve it and high enough that he wont quest for more. its hard and uncommon for someone to be so inherently satisfied with what they are and what they've accomplished which is why constant and consistent happiness is very hard to find.