Are you happy now?
 

I'm just wondering, what is happiness according to you? When will you say "Oh I'm happy, I dont need anything else. This is enough."

Some people say if they have a lot of money they could buy happiness, which defines their happiness is only confined to material and consumerism. Honestly I couldnt define happiness, both immaterial and material. Yeah, maybe I'm egoistic, I feel like everything is just no enough, after achieving something, it only makes me want more.

I would like to know about your opinion, what is happiness? And are you happy now?

Money itself isn't happiness, neither is the ownership of material possessions. It's the usage of your material possessions that has the potential to bring short term happiness, IMO. Long term happiness is very hard to achieve since there is always something in a person's life trying to push them down. Anyone that I've ever known that has claimed to be completely happy was faking the funk.

Thusly, I would say I'm on the road to being content with my life, but true happiness may never come. Then again, if you let life push you down, that's your fault so my opinions contradict and thusly make me a hypocrite.

People who say that money can't buy happiness are ridiculously idealistic. Of course, anyone who defines happiness by their material possessions has a warped sense of what happiness is, but to think that money can't smooth the way for you is naive.

Just think of all the things that really make you happy. In my case, it's spending time with my family, relaxing in the mountains with a good book, sitting by an open window smelling the rain, etc. What money does is it buys you TIME to do these things. How much time can you realistically spend relaxing in a hammock by the creek when you're working your fingers to the bone to pay your bills? How are you going to get to the mountains? Where will you stay when you get there with no money?

Money can't buy happiness, but it sure can help.

Oh, and I'm relatively happy. I'd be happier if I had more money, though.

Exactly! I was completely idealistic for a few years, having the motto of "I'd rather be poor and happy than rich and miserable." it was a fairly good philosophy, but being poor makes it much more difficult to be happy. I would never want to be rich and miserable though. Ever.

Shopping brings about temporary happiness for me. I like to think some sort of progress would make me happy. Seeing results makes me happy. A sense of achievement through video games or whatever. The balance between spending so much on games and the time spent playing them for me. It's really hard to pinpoint what exactly makes me happy. I am somewhat in control of my life although I wish I could achieve more or do more.

I'm quite happy at this moment in time. I remember a few years back is was rather grim perhaps because I spent too long fuelled by negativity, now I would say I am realistic but not happy go lucky. It's more I can't find anything to really be sad about just now.

There are quite a few temporary solutions for me when it comes to happiness. Games, shopping, music, etc. I doubt that a permanent, end-all, be-all, is out there. People who think so are merely delusional.

Besides, how can you be human without a little sadness?

I have pretty much everything in my life that i need right now. so yes, im happy. :D

i have someone that loves me that im engaged to. i have a house, food, and a laptop. xD all i need.

Can anyone really ever say that? That they're completely satisfied with every aspect of their life? I don't think so. What's the point of living if you're not working toward something, whether for yourself or others? Things can always be better than they are. I imagine life without trying to better yourself or make things better for others would grow very stale.

I don't think anyone is ever happy with every aspect of their life - even if things are good now, there are always regrets, and there's always the future. So I think happiness is when the good parts of your life make the bad parts worth living through.

Money can't buy happiness, but it allows you to choose your form of misery.

"I'm MISERABLE!!!!" (said while rolling in a large pile of crisp 100's on a beach in Tahiti.)

thanks for the posts. I really glad to ask this question toward the forum.

But so far I still see happiness = money, probably because my family have financial problem. This condition actually triggers some tension on my family, all we're talking about is how to be rich rich rich and rich.

I know it's wrong to percept hapiness that way, but what can you do if you're virtually taken care by single parent? The money problem has made growing tension in my family. I dont even remember If I ever had one warm-happy family in my life.

Still waiting if anybody want to share their thought, because the meaning of happiness is different to each person.

Happiness according to me is essentially being contempt. Knowing that you don’t have to worry about much and generally just doing what you want when you have the time to do it.
For me I like to be by myself out in the middle of nowhere just relaxing and using my imagination for entertainment, or reading a book. I’m not big on money or most material possessions, my friends are good enough for me. And besides money is what screwed our world over, would you want to be happy about screwing your world?

Money doesn't bring happiness. In fact, if you ask me, the richest people I know are probably the saddest and most depressed people I know. The poor, if you ask me, are infinitely more appreciative of what they have and value things more since they know the value of what they buy.

But apart from the age-old money vs. happiness question, yea. I am pretty happy where I am. Then again, I am usually happy where I am in life. Maybe thats why I am never really too AMBITIOUS about getting the stupid shit done. I've always wanted a humble existence pretty badly. When faced with "success or happiness," I think I would always chose happiness. Only because success is a measure in society's eyes whereas happiness is purely personal.

Without getting too ANGST with this, I'd have to say that if there's anything that makes me discontent it's my past. To be content with the present I'd either have to erase my haunting memories or overcome them completely. I feel there's always time to strive for success otherwise; I just find it extremely difficult to do when bad thoughts are always keeping me down. And yeah I can block them out and ignore them for a time, but then as soon as some bad shit happens I just lose all my will power again. I want to be free for this sort of things so I can just enjoy the present. Right now it seems like every time I'm enjoying something in life, I think to something that's wrong that I still have to fix, something to worry about, something that bothers me. Because of that, I have a hard time enjoying anything. And it's not like I want it that way; it's just the way my brain works.

I'd be content with having a clean start, I guess. But the problem is that there will always be regrets and bad memories, so I feel that even if I were to somehow overcome my past then it would only be a temporary fix.

I've never really understood how people can consider themselves generally "happy". I've been neither happy nor depressed overall for the past few years - In fact, most of the time I'm in a totally neutral mood.

Like right now.

I haven't felt genuinely happy or unhappy for a LONG time.

For a long time my parents were doing decent financially, but had "money problems" that they would argue about. Then within the last 5 years my parents have created a business and it's doing quite well. There aren't any more fights over money issues, but that doesn't mean that they don't still fight with each other.

I know some pretty rich people who are genuinely happy so I think the whole rich=miserable stereotype is a myth. The poor may be more appreciative of small things because they deal in small financial circles, so small things are a bigger deal to them. That's not to say that they understand the value of what they buy moreso than a wealthy person. I think the richest people are more aware of the value of what they buy than anyone. Look at Warren Buffet, the 2nd richest guy in the world. He got where he is today because he understands the value of a dollar on a grand scale... probably more than anyone.

Double Post:
I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that you meant "content."

Yeah sorry about that I was tired at the time and My computers spell check is a piece of shit

I've always wanted to make a difference, be special, all that stuff; and when I realized I couldn't, I was unhappy, in fact, I began to analyze everything, and was very disatisfied, toss in a bad breakup and loosing my 2 closest friends(+ the girl); i went into a major depression, which became a prolonged minor depression. I was always happy till prior to, when my own analysis brought about the destruction of my dream.

I don't think its so much that money = happiness, but rather that the lack of money = unhappiness. By lack of money, I mean specifically the lack of money needed, not money wanted, many people I've met seem to have difficulty distinguishing between the two. My college is paid for, good grades, I make more money than I need, no debts, I don't put up with drama, good terms with family, good friends (those i've decided to keep), and have accomplished things this past year. All I'm missing is that girl to call my own, and I have one marked out, but shes hard to read.

I could be smarter, I could be stronger, I could be richer; but you know, my happiness was regained in realizing I don't need to be.

Each aspect we value plays a part in our balance of happiness and sorrow. Each aspect can provide content or discontent. With the build up of factors, large and small (varying person to person) they create a general level of happiness, or sorrow. Although, an aspect I value greatly is currently not present, due to everything else, I am, a large majority of the time, happy.

Or at least, this is how it works for me.

I misread that, and almsot replied completely inappropriately to it. i think there is some truth to this. Once we find our own happiness, we intend to share it... just as when we find our own frustrations we intend to vent it. Every pure emotion seems to great for most individuals to contain within themselves.

I don't know what's the meaning of happy.Always people say I'm happy I feel confused.Why others can feel happy?Why I'm always upset?

Thing is, you can recognize that you aren't perfect, allow that you can continue to improve, and accept that as one of the things that makes you happy. You can be happy with everything in your life. You let go of the bad feelings about the past and take joy in the way you are now. You don't cling to who you are now and accept that you will change. Take joy in that! Happiness is recognizing the divine nature of yourself and everything around you, and seeing the world with a sense of wonder.

Happiness to me really is a state of mind. Everything can be going great for you relatively speaking but if you don't see it as going good and only focus on the bad then you will not be happy despite having all the reasons to be happy.

For a long time I have had to wrestle with this problem and even though I haven't quite got my mind to think positively yet I don't get depressed as often. I think that getting more friends/ girlfriend and a good paying job with an apartment would make me happy but when it comes down to it, will it really? I don't know.

And yes money cannot buy happiness but everyone is right in that it helps a lot.

In a capitalistic society like the U.S., I think money is the key to happiness. Don't get me wrong, money isn't everything when it comes to feeling happy with yourself and life, but it is fundamental. How many people can honestly say that they'd be happier if they had to struggle to pay bill and barely have enough to pay the rent and for rent, as opposed to having a smooth live with money to buy things?

I think happiness is, other than monetary reasons, is accepting that you're not perfect and life isn't perfect, and when that's finally done. I think that when that is done, happiness is a lot closer to being had, if not from that thought alone. As someone who is barely paying my bills and used to have a perfection attitude towards myself, I think I'm happier in this situation at this age than I would be a year ago. More money would sure help.

EDIT:Unsightly Grammatical Errors.

I think it's a "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence" sorta deal. If you're rich, you could have everything (or close to it) material you want but you might doubt if your friends are your friends for real or because you have a lot of money, possibly the same with romance. When you're poor, yeah, you appreciate things more and you might have a more wholesome existance but it sure would be nice to not have to worry about money and providing for the future all the time. Personally, my ideal of happiness is having a job that I really enjoy, a healthy family who loves me unconditioanally and enough money to live comfortably without having an excess of it. Although I'm sure that if I were to achieve that, which is doubtful, I'd think of something else that I'd want in order to be happy.

i agree... i found out the hard way the grass isn't greener on the other side

I am not happy for I have not attained the state of living wherein the sensation of completeness and total placement of things have occured and I have positioned myself in my designated place in this puzzle we call life.

I think looking at it in a deppressed side can help define your happiness. The fact that one day I may die and lose all my friends and memories in an early age frightens me.
I still share my memories and have great friends, I am nither wealthy or poor but I still have what I need. I enjoy my life for what it is and thats how I find my happiness.
Although with all the crap thats happening around the world its hard to keep a cheerful smile +_+