Poll: a curated list of key happiness factors...

[Rounded Agony]

In no particular order, except maybe the first one. I referenced a few different sources of at least moderate repute, combining the ones that were obviously the same but labelled differently, as well as merging factors I felt were of very similar nature, such as the first one. Though each level of relationship serves quite a different function in life, now that I think about it...whatever, I ain't changing it now. Obviously not a high science endeavour! Leave a comment to explain if necessary, as I will have to:

I feel I lack all five to some extent. I have some friends, a few "close" who I rarely/almost never see due to distance, but there is no network or support. Zero sense of meaning in life; live in a comparatively-not-horrible part of the world but it's isolating af and my flatmate situation often leaves me feeling more empty than living alone; I have some savings but little/no income so I worry about depletion, and seems every time I try to make a non-monetary change it either fails or works for a bit before getting derailed. Health is, at least compared to my former self, shit but could (and likely will) be worse.

Edit: forgot the sixth one which came up in a couple of the lists. Seemed like it could kinda just go with some of the others but also different enough it maybe warrants its own option.

 

[FuneralCry]

Happiness could never exist to me, no matter the circumstances and the life lived. Even if I could change things I would still not want to be alive. I just don't think that life interests me, I think that being alive is not worth it, theres no benefit to being here. The only peace, relief and comfort is in the thought of being dead.

 

[savoytruffle]

All of them to an extent but 2,4 and 5 hit the hardest

 

[LaVieEnRose]

Damn. You know how to punch in the gut (jk). All 6 lol.

 

[The Abyss]

First 5 I'd say.

 

[chronicallybroken]

Apart from health I think I COULD have all of them, but my poor health gets in the way. Like I have access to them but I can't maintain or enjoy them. I didn't say I was missing positive relationships because I feel I have some, but then again I have BPD so

 

[Hypocrite_]

I guess all of the factors are interconnected to some extent, but I only know that if I did not have 1 I would have CTB by now.

So I'd like to think you listed them in order of importance but health can definitely be higher.

In the end it's just darn hard to live a life worth living.

 

[Rounded Agony]

Happiness could never exist to me, no matter the circumstances and the life lived. Even if I could change things I would still not want to be alive. I just don't think that life interests me, I think that being alive is not worth it, theres no benefit to being here. The only peace, relief and comfort is in the thought of being dead.

Ouch. Sorry to hear the sad take. I've see your posts around the site, but your reply makes me wonder even more: do you have most or any of these things in your life? If not, have you ever? Not asking in a contrarian way, just as they've been shown to make human brains dump out all those happy chemicals that can trick us into believing existence isn't inherently wretched and all, and make us feel like sticking around is not only possible, but desirable.

Damn. You know how to punch in the gut (jk). All 6 lol.

My reaction follows your comical tone; when I was making this from the ones I was looking at, I was very much feeling that same thing Some of these or different phrasings of them are what I remember telling a therapist when I was seeing one that I'd noticed I was missing from my life. Pretty validating to find those things as being pretty necessary for enjoying existence...

I guess all of the factors are interconnected to some extent, but I only know that if I did not have 1 I would have CTB by now.

So I'd like to think you listed them in order of importance but health can definitely be higher.

In the end it's just darn hard to live a life worth living.

As I said in the main body there was no particular order; coincidentally, if there was, it was by frequency in which they came up in the lists I consulted, which happened to coincide with how long my rephrasing of them came out in words. Rather pleasing to my eye, haha.

 

[Lullaby]

Definitely all of the above, but I'm not sure which one is the most impactful.

Because of how bad my mental health has been, I've never been able to stick through with a job or school. As a result, I'm still stuck at home at 28, in the same toxic house I grew up in.

I can't have 4-1 until I can dig myself out of the hole, but at times it feels impossible, which really just leads me wanting to give up entirely.

 

[FuneralCry]

Ouch. Sorry to hear the sad take. I've see your posts around the site, but your reply makes me wonder even more: do you have most or any of these things in your life? If not, have you ever? Not asking in a contrarian way, just as they've been shown to make human brains dump out all those happy chemicals that can trick us into believing existence isn't inherently wretched and all, and make us feel like sticking around is not only possible, but desirable

I guess that there isn't much wrong with the environment that I live in and I have family members. But I don't have anything that could make me want to stay here, there is no point to me being alive. I don't have it as bad as some people, but I know that things will just get worse for me in the future and I am not meant for living, it's the way that I am.

 

[LaVieEnRose]

Ouch. Sorry to hear the sad take. I've see your posts around the site, but your reply makes me wonder even more: do you have most or any of these things in your life? If not, have you ever? Not asking in a contrarian way, just as they've been shown to make human brains dump out all those happy chemicals that can trick us into believing existence isn't inherently wretched and all, and make us feel like sticking around is not only possible, but desirable.


My reaction follows your comical tone; when I was making this from the ones I was looking at, I was very much feeling that same thing Some of these or different phrasings of them are what I remember telling a therapist when I was seeing one that I'd noticed I was missing from my life. Pretty validating to find those things as being pretty necessary for enjoying existence...


As I said in the main body there was no particular order; coincidentally, if there was, it was by frequency in which they came up in the lists I consulted, which happened to coincide with how long my rephrasing of them came out in words. Rather pleasing to my eye, haha.

Well to be fully accurate I do have people I care about and value in a recripocal way but my issues really do impair my ability to connect to and relate to them in an intolerable way.

For sure, having meaningful human connection of some nature and the sense that you are doing something worthwhile with your time in the world are definitely essential for good mental health. Not that they will necessarily guarantee happiness of course.

 

[outatime_85]

Choices 1 and 2 sit at the top for me.

I don't belong to any family or anyone (no mate, friends, purpose, etc.).

I live as a modern-day Rōnin, adrift with no place I can go forward or back to, meditating on whether my life is or is not worth living.

 

[Rounded Agony]

Thanks to all who've answered. Interesting to see the results so far; 80% reported lack of meaning or purpose as the most answered, and trailing in second at 71% is the social connection. Even further in third at 68 is money/influence...guess those articles you see aren't all bs

 

[Rounded Agony]

Shameless bump because I love data and if no one sees this, there won't be more votes

The top 3 remain but with new percentages: purpose still leads but is down to 79.1%, while human connection is up to 74.4% and money/influence rises to 72.1%!

 

[Rounded Agony]

Oho, the tables have turned...slightly. Meaning stays on top with 81.6% but money moves up to second with 75.5, bumping social needs down to third with 73.5!