Psychologists study this. If I asked your happiness from 0 (miserable) to 10 (bubbling over with chipperness), what would it be? And what do you think the average person’s happiness would be? World wide? 6.75, based on a meta survey of 1.1 million people in 45 nations. (See Myers American Psychologist 2000 p57). But they haven’t really thought too hard about what happiness is, so we shouldn’t pay too much attention to them.

The trouble is “Happiness” is a word that covers lots of different things. Contentment. Pleasure. Fulfillment. They’re all different. Being actively happy now is different from having a profound sub-soil of happiness. As is having a predisposition to deal with events positively.

But you know what, perhaps happiness isn’t that important. You wouldn’t want to be happy at the funeral of a friend. And how about this: if I put you in a machine and it would make you permanently happy and unaware that you were in a machine, would you go in? Sometimes other things are more important than happiness. Authenticity. Respect, Duty, Peace, Honour, Love, Justice, Hope, Achievement. Truth.

This is from Annie Hall.
“You look like a very happy couple. Are you?” Woody Allen
“Yeah”, the young woman replies.
“So, how do you account for it?”
“I am very shallow and empty, and I have no ideas and nothing interesting to say”, says the woman.
“And I am exactly the same way,” adds the man.

A husband telling the world that his wife rocks, that makes me smile.

Lovely, thought-provoking post, again.

But I will not let this EXTERNAL event affect my happiness.

snore… snore….

I think happiness is alot like that.

It’s funny you put resignation and happiness on the same line. I have always thought to myself that if I was living an easy life, I wasn’t doing things right. That when I died, I didn’t want to look back on my life and marvel that it was easy… I think it is for the same reason you put happiness and resignation on the same line.

I used to subconsciously define how happy I should be based on external things, circumstances, events. When I noticed that, and worked on changing it I became much happier. Now, happiness comes to me based on how much joy I CREATE on daily basis, and how connected I feel to my spirit moreso than things outside of me (Like jobs, school, money etc).

But- happiness is still fleeting and ephemeral for me too. (And I certainly do have alot to be happy for and grateful about) So clearly I don’t have the answers.

And Stunts:
Isn’t this the case of Americans, though? Now, don’t think I am condescending on ANY level, because your insight is fifty times more insightful than my myopic view…BUT…

I would garner that most of us ask these questions, because we are so often told that Happiness equates to money, financial power, things, church-life, etc. Happiness SURELY can’t be found in the home, can it? Surely not!
The truth is…happiness is more than it’s cracked up to be. We can’t go ’round, raging happiness all the time, because we would use up all of our dopamine. Instead, we do become content. And no, it’s not resignation. We can become TOO content and forget to exercise, or meet new friends, but there is nothing wrong with taking stock of your world, and realizing with its faults that we are…content! Just fine!

I guess I take it in small doses, like you. I have no money and very little self-esteem. BUT! I am getting married (contentedness AND happiness) and I’m drinking very fresh coffee (HAPPY!).

So, it goes. These little happinesses stretch a long way when one is ultimatley content.

Thanks for letting me take over your blog!

Anyways, I sympathize and I understand. Mind you, I don’t have children and your impact is probably very different. Lots of smiles Drei Happiness Faces!!