Discussion "Most people are generally happy"

[MildlyBetter]

It took me a while to realize this, but most people are pretty happy, or at least not suicidal. This was genuinely so shocking for me, that even people in very bad situations or x bad thing happening don't really want to ctb. Do you guys agree with the statement?

 

[Darkover]

what does it matter if most people are happy if you live in world where someone is kidnapped raped and murdered nothing could ever justify letting something like this hellhole exist in the first place

2 out of every 8 people will attempt to end their life sometime during there lifetime
1 out of 6 of us will have a disability during our lifetime
1 out of 8 people go hungry everyday

 

[Linda]

Yes, it's true. It's a product of evolution. Those who didn't feel that way most of the time died and left fewer descendents.

 

[Kittzuni]

Depends on how you define "generally". Most people I came across were pretty miserable too. At least to some extent at some time in their life and you obviously have to get to know them first to find out.

Either that or I'm really good at attracting misery

 

[Murt]

Depends what you mean by happy. I'd say most are more level than us. But very often pretty meaningless existence.

 

[FuneralCry]

No, I don't think so. "Happiness" is a delusion in this reality, it's truly irrational to be happy in this cruel, harmful world. And anyway I think that many people continue existing as suicide isn't straightforward, this existence is all that they know or they are staying here for the sake of others, it doesn't mean that they are "happy", as you hear of people being stressed and complaining, I don't really believe that humans are ever really satisfied anyway, as life as a concept is focused on the fulfilment of needs, and if a need isn't met then this will just lead to more suffering.

And often trying to fulfil needs is tiresome, a struggle and a chore, even if there isn't any extreme suffering existing is still dissatisfying, and anyway the average life consists of being a wage slave just to decay from old age and end up in a nursing home, it's just pointless and meaningless suffering really.
And I think that if people were truly "happy", then why would people resort to coping mechanisms to relieve them of the emptiness of their existence. But anyway I personally don't understand the appeal of existing, I just find it tiring and unnecessary being awake and I always feel so much dread when I think about the future, as there is no limit as to how much one can suffer. Existing is just a burden in general.

 

[betternever2havbeen]

Yes it took me a while to realise this. I think they are just very secure in themselves, enjoy being who they are, enjoy life, get over bad things quickly. I'm not like that, I don't like being me, I don't like existence, I don't handle stress or bad things well. I don't get anything out of life. I just wanna be able to CTB in peace and leave all the happy people to this world.

 

[unnormal9]

It took me a while to realize this, but most people are pretty happy, or at least not suicidal. This was genuinely so shocking for me, that even people in very bad situations or x bad thing happening don't really want to ctb. Do you guys agree with the statement?

Is the planet flat?
That's because they were of veil of repression everyday. You can and will never know their true feelings from your pov.

 

[Pluto]

It could be argued that most people have a workable bundle of coping strategies which prevents suicidal ideation, rather than genuine happiness. Even then, a lot of common activities (smoking, heavy drinking, high-risk activities) have a suicidal undertone.

 

[henry22]

It took me a while to realize this, but most people are pretty happy, or at least not suicidal. This was genuinely so shocking for me, that even people in very bad situations or x bad thing happening don't really want to ctb. Do you guys agree with the statement?

Psychologist Geoffrey Miller has argued that "all the research on human well-being shows almost everyone across cultures is well above neutral on happiness."

Also, I believe the lifetime prevalence of depression is under 15%.

It's surprising to me because I am so entrenched in my experience but I believe it. Definitely makes me feel even more defective and meant for an exit.

 

[unnormal9]

It could be argued that most people have a workable bundle of coping strategies which prevents suicidal ideation, rather than genuine happiness. Even then, a lot of common activities (smoking, heavy drinking, high-risk activities) have a suicidal undertone.

You don't know that, and couldn't because its taboo to even talk about and thus easier for a lot to repress it.

Psychologist Geoffrey Miller has argued that "all the research on human well-being shows almost everyone across cultures is well above neutral on happiness."

Also, I believe the lifetime prevalence of depression is under 15%.

It's surprising to me because I am so entrenched in my experience but I believe it. Definitely makes me feel even more defective and meant for an exit.

Some random dude argued shit.

 

[SamTam33]

Because we equate suicide with being unhappy, we automatically assume being non-suicdal means you're happy. But I don't think that's the case.

There are a million degrees/levels between happiness and suicidal. If all those degrees could be represented on a scale, I'd bet that most people fall well below the peak position of "happy."

If you take any given country and add up all the poor people, all the people who are going through a divorce, all the people who've been sexually assaulted, all the people who've been physically abused, all the people who have diseases, all the people who hate the way they look, all the people making minimum wage, all the people suffering from anxiety, all the people who caught their spouses cheating, all the people who are in debt - you'll have half the population. At least.

Those people aren't happy. Those people are stressed out, traumatized and/or broken.

There's very little happiness in this life. Certainly not enough to spread out amongst the majority of any given population.

 

[Unknown21]

Yeah, i think you're right, i see most of people can be happy and not suicidal even in worst situations and circumstances.

 

[Forever Sleep]

I don't know really. Most of the people I know are struggling to some degree. Maybe not enough to make them suicidal but I don't think they would honestly answer that they were all together happy with their lives. I think people very often put on an act of having everything together because that's what's expected. In a professional setting- people don't generally want to let slip that their lives are hard. Same with social media- most people tend to big up how great everything is. I don't know- maybe it's just the pessimist in me talking!

All that said- I think there are vast differences between the way we think and see the world and how they do. I'm sure they must still have some negative thoughts. I guess they just challenge them more- or- manage to ignore them by distracting themselves.

 

[Vizzy]

Recovery or off topic sections!

 

[GreenTree]

Most people are happy. I used to be. Lucky bastards who are happy. Life can be wonderful.

 

[SilentSadness]

I think most people are not. When someone is unhappy, they can't tell anyone because of all the toxic positivity. Also, even if someone thinks they are "happy", more often than not that is just in relation to their expectations, for example a starving person may be happy they found some food. Escapism is massive and most people spend most of their time on the internet, if life was really that good then people wouldn't feel the need to escape online. Not to mention, there is a lot of shaming of sad people because it is widely regarded a mental illness to not be happy, and there are too many fixers around every corner. In general, I obviously despise life and I don't see why others wouldn't.