Do you think anyone's actually happy?

[MiMif]

I know not everyone is suicidal. However I find it hard to believe anyone is happy. A big reason for this is how fast people go to saying their problems. If you tell them one thing your upset about they'll go off and start listing a hundred and tell you what your experiencing isn't that bad.

If that is the case then things just get worse ..is that supposed to encourage anyone to live??? I don't get what they expect to happen by saying that.

I just don't think anyone who is a truly happy person would be so quick to list everything wrong and painful going on in their life. I feel like everyone's faking their happiness. Their happy marriage happy with children....there is no way that's true.

Just a thought

 

[divinemistress36]

I think most people are Neutral. Not necessarily happy but not depressed

 

[hikikomorizombie]

i've never known a happy adult in my whole life :p my grandma told me, 'life is suffering, happiness isn't real. every day is about survival.' she was v right about that. but ik ppl that're happier more often than not exist, the lucky few.

 

[cheems]

Suffering, seems to me, is the default state. You eat a meal, or drink water, because you either feel hunger, or have a craving. You bathe because you feel disgusted or afraid of diseases. You play or watch something interesting to you because you're bored. You talk to other people (or pets) because you need a connection. You stretch because your body is tense.
Every good feeling seems to follow a bad feeling. And bad feelings are abundant, and come out of nowhere. Some say pleasure is really hard to get, and is often less pleasurable than we anticipate. "There's no free lunch", my dad used to say, but try not eating for two days. There's only free suffering in this world, and biology has built into our very core that life is somehow worth the trouble. Truly happy people, the ones that are happy off social networks and family and friend meetings, are, I think, just deluded and can't measure their suffering against their pleasures.

 

[onbekend]

The more my life goes on, the less I am convinced that anyone here is truly happy. There is nobody in this world that I have seen that actually enjoys their life.
In the very best case scenario we are all dissatisfied with our lives for a variety of different reasons. Happiness is a fabrication, and chasing after it is an endless uphill battle.

 

[Scythe]

The dipshits at the top swimming in their pools of money are happy, and the brainwashed minions with a decent social life, job, and work life balance, who accept life for what it is are also happy because they don't see a problem with working till they are rotten and old.

 

[cheems]

The dipshits at the top swimming in their pools of money are happy, and the brainwashed minions with a decent social life, job, and work life balance, who accept life for what it is are also happy because they don't see a problem with working till they are rotten and old.

I wonder if the people at the top are truly happy. Surely they suffer a lot less than the average person, but I doubt they are truly happy, as in, whether they have a life that is better than nonexistence. I would submit not.

 

[JustinTime]

Yes

 

[Scythe]

I wonder if the people at the top are truly happy. Surely they suffer a lot less than the average person, but I doubt they are truly happy, as in, whether they have a life that is better than nonexistence. I would submit not.

Sure, they have their own struggles, and there is a decent chunk of them are just unhappy. But I think for them, it's very easy to make life worth it despite the flaws with the amount of cash and influence they have. They can pretty much do anything they want, heck some of them can just break laws and get away with it.

 

[Sacky]

Depends on your definition of happyness i guess.

In my short life I've seen people who seem to truly enjoy being alive, doing what they like to do and just overall happy with their lives. But as i said, i think it depends on what you think being happy means. Some people are happy after reaching their goals, most kids are happy if they have fun, some people are happy when they have someone to talk to, etc. The list goes on and on, it always depends on who you ask. You could make an arguments about why all, some or none of those things are true happiness, and you'd be right every time.

So yes, in a nutshell, i believe that there are happy people in the world. Everyone's got their problems, but that doesn't mean everyone is unhappy. That's what i think.

 

[DreamEnd]

Yes

 

[cryone]

yes, i do. i had a "friend" before who told me they didn't believe in mental illness because they never felt anything more than an ounce of sadness. it was so bizarre.

 

[heliophobic]

I think little children are truly happy, but it's because they don't know any better. Ignorance is bliss. There's always exceptions to this though. I was a miserable little kid and started having a death wish when I was 7. But I also think Buddhist monks are happy, but maybe "at peace" is a better way of describing them? All I know is that faking being happy is something that depressed people should get an Oscar for. We're masters at the art.

yes, i do. i had a "friend" before who told me they didn't believe in mental illness because they never felt anything more than an ounce of sadness. it was so bizarre.

My dad is one of those people that "doesn't believe in mental illness". I 100% believe that your friend is full of shit. Sadness is a normal human emotion. Maybe they think grief "isn't cool" or something like that but I personally think putting up a tough front, denying the existence of mental illness and claiming to not get sad just makes you look like a jackass. That's just my two cents.

 

[MiMif]

The dipshits at the top swimming in their pools of money are happy, and the brainwashed minions with a decent social life, job, and work life balance, who accept life for what it is are also happy because they don't see a problem with working till they are rotten and old.

I doubt the people at the top are happy. Once you get everything you need I feel you'll be met with emptiness....ontop of that they also have the fact nobody really cares about them and many are only their for the money

yes, i do. i had a "friend" before who told me they didn't believe in mental illness because they never felt anything more than an ounce of sadness. it was so bizarre.

She I bet is one of the people I was talking about who once someone mentions one thing wrong with their life she'll name a dozen and say it's not that bad compared to her.

She's lying full heartedly. I actually in middle school had a friend who was very depressed and had a sick momz she shared with me that she cut herself anf I did my best to comfort her. I was kinda the therapy friend but I didn't mind and I'm still friends with her today and she has no idea I'm suicidal.
But one time she asked me if I ever felt sad and I said no I never have...I however told her that her feelings are understandable due to her situation.

Your friend is either full of herself and can't see anyone with problems bigger or equal to her own. Or she's like me who was raised to not share emotion and feeling

yes, i do. i had a "friend" before who told me they didn't believe in mental illness because they never felt anything more than an ounce of sadness. it was so bizarre.

She I bet is one of the people I was talking about who once someone mentions one thing wrong with their life she'll name a dozen and say it's not that bad compared to her.

She's lying full heartedly. I actually in middle school had a friend who was very depressed and had a sick momz she shared with me that she cut herself anf I did my best to comfort her. I was kinda the therapy friend but I didn't mind and I'm still friends with her today and she has no idea I'm suicidal.
But one time she asked me if I ever felt sad and I said no I never have...I however told her that her feelings are understandable due to her situation.

Your friend is either full of herself and can't see anyone with problems bigger or equal to her own. Or she's like me who was raised to not share emotion and feeling

yes, i do. i had a "friend" before who told me they didn't believe in mental illness because they never felt anything more than an ounce of sadness. it was so bizarre.

She I bet is one of the people I was talking about who once someone mentions one thing wrong with their life she'll name a dozen and say it's not that bad compared to her.

She's lying full heartedly. I actually in middle school had a friend who was very depressed and had a sick momz she shared with me that she cut herself anf I did my best to comfort her. I was kinda the therapy friend but I didn't mind and I'm still friends with her today and she has no idea I'm suicidal.
But one time she asked me if I ever felt sad and I said no I never have...I however told her that her feelings are understandable due to her situation.

Your friend is either full of herself and can't see anyone with problems bigger or equal to her own. Or she's like me who was raised to not share emotion and feeling

 

[divinemistress36]

I doubt the people at the top are happy. Once you get everything you need I feel you'll be met with emptiness....ontop of that they also have the fact nobody really cares about them and many are only their for the money

She I bet is one of the people I was talking about who once someone mentions one thing wrong with their life she'll name a dozen and say it's not that bad compared to her.

She's lying full heartedly. I actually in middle school had a friend who was very depressed and had a sick momz she shared with me that she cut herself anf I did my best to comfort her. I was kinda the therapy friend but I didn't mind and I'm still friends with her today and she has no idea I'm suicidal.
But one time she asked me if I ever felt sad and I said no I never have...I however told her that her feelings are understandable due to her situation.

Your friend is either full of herself and can't see anyone with problems bigger or equal to her own. Or she's like me who was raised to not share emotion and feeling

She I bet is one of the people I was talking about who once someone mentions one thing wrong with their life she'll name a dozen and say it's not that bad compared to her.

She's lying full heartedly. I actually in middle school had a friend who was very depressed and had a sick momz she shared with me that she cut herself anf I did my best to comfort her. I was kinda the therapy friend but I didn't mind and I'm still friends with her today and she has no idea I'm suicidal.
But one time she asked me if I ever felt sad and I said no I never have...I however told her that her feelings are understandable due to her situation.

Your friend is either full of herself and can't see anyone with problems bigger or equal to her own. Or she's like me who was raised to not share emotion and feeling

She I bet is one of the people I was talking about who once someone mentions one thing wrong with their life she'll name a dozen and say it's not that bad compared to her.

She's lying full heartedly. I actually in middle school had a friend who was very depressed and had a sick momz she shared with me that she cut herself anf I did my best to comfort her. I was kinda the therapy friend but I didn't mind and I'm still friends with her today and she has no idea I'm suicidal.
But one time she asked me if I ever felt sad and I said no I never have...I however told her that her feelings are understandable due to her situation.

Your friend is either full of herself and can't see anyone with problems bigger or equal to her own. Or she's like me who was raised to not share emotion and feeling

Ric

The dipshits at the top swimming in their pools of money are happy, and the brainwashed minions with a decent social life, job, and work life balance, who accept life for what it is are also happy because they don't see a problem with working till they are rotten and old.

Rich people ctb all the time they just have an easier life is all

 

[Forever Sleep]

I've known what I would describe as happy people. It wasn't that they didn't have problems either. They were just much better at focussing on and being grateful for the good things in their life. Which didn't just come to them either. They worked hard for them. As to why though:

Firstly, I'd say they valued their relationships and friends. They were my God parents actually. They found each other later in life but, they very much valued one another and made an effort to stay in touch with all their friends.

Secondly, they weren't badly off. They both worked hard for it but they both had managerial jobs. Don't hate them though! They were incredibly generous.

Thirdly, they were very good at enjoying life. They loved a meal somewhere. They loved the theatre and music and TV. They would appreciate anything you did for them.

It wasn't that they had an easy life either. Both had health problems. Both had certain feuds and deaths in their families. They just didn't dwell so much on those things.

I think happiness as a state of mind is an ambition in some sense. It takes effort to focus on the positive when there is so much negative around. I think, very few people have trouble free lives.

I just think we are in an era where we are almost encouraged to be dissatisfied. In a way, that's how advertisers get us to buy stuff. It's always- your life isn't complete. There's something missing/broken in you. You're not fulfilling your full potential. How can anyone be happy or even restful when they feel like that?

My God parents were also better at just living life rather than thinking about it. I think that's the other problem with us- we think too much! And inevitably, it is pessimistic, probably cynical thought patterns. Again- who can be happy with all that going on?

As to why we don't stop ourselves. I think we get stuck in these thought patterns and, it feels familiar and safe to a certain extent. Breaking these patterns and making our lives better takes enormous amounts of effort and courage with the threat of failure forever looming. We'd likey have to start facing the things that scare us the most- eg. social anxiety, exposure to criticism, lack of confidence.

So, in a way, isn't it just easier/ more lazy to blame it on things we 'can't' change? As in- this world is corrupt. There's no point in me even trying to be happy in such a world. Or even- I'm broken beyond repair. There's no point in me trying to take on my issues. I think so many of us have a defeatist attitude to some extent too. So again- we definitely won't succeed if we are so ready to accept defeat.

So basically, yes I think there are a handful of genuinely optimistic and occassionally happy people in this world. As to why... I'm not sure. I feel like some of it may be genetic and upbringing. A positive person is likely to give their child the same positive outlook on life and vice versa. A lot is sustaining it though and, I think that takes effort. The conscious effort to focus on positive things rather than negative ones. Maybe again, it's to do with our core personality as to which feels more natural but after that, I think we're creatures of habit and we simply get stuck in that way of looking at the world. I wonder if you can change who you are ultimately.

 

[rozeske]

They must be. Pretending to be happy and content all your life is too exhausting. The exhaust on it self would have killed them all by now.

 

[UKscotty]

Yes definitely, I have had times of great happiness and joy in life.

Depression truly is an evil illness as it makes us think all life is suffering and pointless.

 

[ijustwishtodie]

Yeah, a lot of people are happy. Not perpetually happy but happy enough to not understand a website like this or even mental health issues at the slightest

 

[hibikikyuxx]

Depression truly is an evil illness as it makes us think all life is suffering and pointless.

I mean, life being pointless is a fact because nothing we do in our lives matters on the grand scheme of things, and we're all going to die anyway. And sure, life isn't 100% suffering, but I don't think I would be happy even if Depression didn't exist, considering how much terrible shit is going on around the world every day.

 

[Shrike]

I'm sure there are. I don't think it's the majority, though (despite the strong toxic positivity pressure). It's going to be people who fall into a happy medium of fitting in socially, having a degree of control, and not having a mindset that runs amok with silly concerns of jealousy and the like. Unfortunately, from what I've seen, ignorance also helps. Not being the target of things (so no need to survive them), and not knowing much about things is a recipe for many a happy person. Ignorance and denial practically run the world for this reason.

A person just listing everything they don't like in their life at inappropriate times sounds like my mother. Even I don't do that. I think, oddly enough, the point of that isn't to express unhappiness, it's to express self-importance.

 

[barkbark]

I feel like everyone's faking their happiness. Their happy marriage happy with children....there is no way that's true.

Just a thought

i think that there are people who are overall more happy than neutral or sad, but i think most of them usually fall into a very privileged societal position. so, stuff like being born from wealthy parents, having a healthy upbringing and parents who actually went to therapy instead of taking their mental health out on their kids, not being in a disadvantaged / marginalized group, have access to mental health resources in case things get rough, having access to good colleges and a good education, etc. i think this is why we see very little to no nuance on ctb from a lot of political leaders and capitalists. usually those folks fall under at least a few of those categories.

otherwise i think most people are just neutral but if you get unlucky or really depressed, you might end up here.

 

[SexyIncél]

Some say happiness comes from effectively acting in alignment with your morals & intellect. (Like Aristotle.) Well, I've known some smart moral actors; they're pretty frustrated & fuming. But they achieve a certain happiness. And I guess people can be happy in present societies, if they haven't developed their moral & intellectual virtues

Some say it's the absence of suffering + a decent amount of pleasures. (Epicurus, utilitarians.) People link with others & are affected by their suffering. But I guess that means pathological cases like psychopaths can be happy, in present society

 

[mrelief82]

I know there are times in life that people are Happy. I was Happy mamy times before sometimes these were just moments sometimes periods, there were times of stuggle to but menagable . Life was normal how it should be and then someone destroyed it for me …. And it's not possible anymore ….:( that makes me sad but I feel that I slowly am accepting the fact I need to remove myself

 

[heavyeyes]

I know people who are happy, people who are unhappy, people who are fake happy, and people somewhere in the middle. It depends on the person and their life circumstances I think

 

[leavingthesoultrap]

I think that most people aren't truly happy but they are somewhat content riding quick dopamine highs.

 

[FuneralCry]

In this cruel, futile and hellish existence the whole idea of happiness is so incredibly delusional to me, I believe one must be insane to actually be "happy" especially as there is no limit as to how much one can suffer as long as they exist. Existence itself really is the true problem and certainly is completely undesirable in every way possible, I find it such a terrible, horrific tragedy how life even exists at all.

 

[uzuf86]

Happiness in my life is a mirage. I used to be truly happy when I was younger but now, if I am happy for a few minutes, the reality of my life pokes me in my heart like a steel rapier and makes me want to get on with my ctb plan

 

[MiMif]

I w

In this cruel, futile and hellish existence the whole idea of happiness is so incredibly delusional to me, I believe one must be insane to actually be "happy" especially as there is no limit as to how much one can suffer as long as they exist. Existence itself really is the true problem and certainly is completely undesirable in every way possible, I find it such a terrible, horrific tragedy how life even exists at all.

I wouldn't use the word insane..more like purposeful ignorance.you can't be happy unless your ignorant about the world and the entire meaningless of existence itself.

However no adult is ever fully ignorant and it's more of a purposeful ignorance to keep living.
As they say ignorance is bliss after all.

 

[Homo erectus]

Happiness is overrated. The world happiness index is probably the most ridiculous. On top are mostly poor countries. It's saying: it's good to be poor, because you are happy. In the same vibe as "you'll own nothing and you'll be happy." Not surprising.