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Author
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Topic: "Are You Happy?"
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Xena
unregistered
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posted February 10, 2008 08:26 AM
 
People ask me from time to time: "Are you happy?" and I find myself increasingly wondering whether that's important. I feel like saying: "I don't know. Are YOU?"  IP: Logged |
praecipua
unregistered
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posted February 10, 2008 08:31 AM
do you mean here that you'are wondering what happiness is and if you're actually happy or are you wondering why other people seem interested in your happiness? ...to clarify...IP: Logged |
Xena
unregistered
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posted February 10, 2008 08:51 AM
I mean that I think happiness is a human social construct. I don't really care whether I am happy or not since I seem to be unhappy most of the time and I've more or less given up trying to be happy, but I figure that at least I don't need to upset myself about it, because that's just one more thing to get p!ssed off about. - Yeah, I do wonder why people seem interested in my happiness. I sort of wonder why they think it's their business, really!! It seems like an odd question, because it implies that in not being happy (if such is the case), you HAVE to have something wrong with you. It's an unrealistic ideal, is what I'm saying. Why not be perfectly content with not being happy? He, he... IP: Logged |
praecipua
unregistered
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posted February 10, 2008 09:24 AM
i agree that hapiness is not constant joy 24h/7days a week. a scorp friend of mine explained to me that being content is the true challenge and true happiness (content as being simultaneously happy and sad).may be people ask you that because their definition of hapiness could be different from yours. that's a chance to exchange views and see what is their conception of hapiness, if themselves are not able to see yours. at least you enrich yourself... i don't know if you found the link today but LTT posted a film from youtube that is exceptionnally clear about the subjectivity of our experiences... check it out http://www.linda-goodman.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/003214.html IP: Logged |
starrym
unregistered
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posted February 10, 2008 11:37 AM
im a Cap asc and a smile oft doesnt come naturally on my face. but i feel fine. not happy in some "jumping up and down" like a gemini way.. but i never feel like my facial expression reflects some kind of unhappiness.i often have a serious disposition. some of my acquaintances are always wearing a smile and always laughing but sometimes that just hurts the ears and they sound very fake through and through. its like their mask - maybe they actually do feel fine inside, but this noisy and over the line display doesn't make me want to be in their shoes at all. IP: Logged |
Hexxie
unregistered
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posted February 10, 2008 12:29 PM
I can really relate to the following quote: quote:
I keep remembering one of my Guru's teachings about happiness. She says that people universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will maybe descend upon you like fine weather if you're fortunate enough. But that's not how happiness works. Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it, you must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it. If you don't, you will leak away your innate contentment. It's easy enough to pray when you're in distress but continuing to pray even when your crisis has passed is like a sealing process, helping your soul hold tight to its good attainments.
~Elizabeth Gilbert
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`Who are you?' said the Caterpillar. This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, `I--I hardly know, sir, just at present-- at least I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.'
~Lewis Carroll
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BlueRoamer
Knowflake Posts: 95
From:
Registered: Apr 2009
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posted February 10, 2008 04:56 PM
I don't think I seek happiness.I just seek to avoid despair, sadness, despondency, and depression. How does that sound?
Someone once told me there's two types of people in the world. Those who seek to minimize pain, and those who seek to maximize joy. My guess would be that those who maximize joy probably do better, but then they can overdo it. Those that seek to minimize pain may miss out on crucial experiences.
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Lindaland
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