Are you happy?

[col]

Yes I am happy despite having a tough year having to face a lot of demons and my mum deciding to turn my back on me when I stuck up for my nana.

This last few days have brought home to me how precious life is and how lucky I really am

I can identify with this,my mother has done the same but because of different circumstances,iv done the same to my brother,and have reconciled with my sister,life can be a bit of a bugger sometimes,but our frame of mind dictates how we handle it,other than this i am extrememy happy at home with my own family.

 

[yello]

I think happiness is illusory, or rather it is a combination of chemicals in the brain.

All we are is, arguably, "chemicals in the brain". If happiness is an illusion then all that we perceive is equally an illusion. Ironically, I find it a hugely liberating thought.

But some depressions really are due to chemical balances; balances that can be adjusted by drugs. That's very real. So, for me at least, I find it quite cheap to equate chemical balance to illusion. Happiness is very real.

 

[cchapman]

I hope I was not misunderstood. May I use an example to illustrate. Take two men, both german refugees interned as enemy aliens by Britain in 1939 and shipped out to Australia
where the govt assigned them farmers to do fruit picking. One man was happy, rejoicing in the fresh air, a good night's sleep after a hard days work and looking forward to the Sunday afternoon's social. The other man hated the heat, the flies, the meanness of the work and he would fret and worry all night long. He took no joy in other peoples company. Given that their physical conditions were the same, what was different? Their innate natures? their experiences?
I think also that when I said "happiness is illusory" it was shorthand for "the pursuit of happiness will always be in vain"
I hope this makes it clearer.

 

[rich p]

II think also that when I said "happiness is illusory" it was shorthand for "the pursuit of happiness will always be in vain"
QUOTE]

Why?

 

[col]

II think also that when I said "happiness is illusory" it was shorthand for "the pursuit of happiness will always be in vain"
QUOTE]

Why?

Yes i find this a bit puzzling too,why would the persuit of happiness be in vain?

 

[dan_bo]

You're born, you get a bill, you die. But other than that niggle i'm generally a happy peason.

 

[peanut]

I am not happy at all, I have suffered with depression for around 10 years now and am really low at the moment

sorry to hear that mate . I to suffer depression probably for around the same length of time too.
I try hard to remain positive and keep cheerful but its tough this time of year.
Lots of bright light helps me a bit .... I can't stand gloom and darkness this time of the year.

I'm sure a lot of it is inherited. Two of my Mother's Brothers suffered badly and frankly both were weird /eccentric at best and complete nutters at worse.One was a staunch conchie and wore only grey clothing all his life ,the other was the last man off at Dunkirk and spent his time riding a stolen motorbike up and down the beach during shelling and strafing Later the Brighton Firechief he took all the dangerous and unpleasant stuff himself

Maybe we should start a depression thread and share some ideas and experiences .

ps I bought my burial plot 20 years ago is that significant do you think lol

 

[bikie]

sorry to hear that mate . I to suffer depression probably for around the same length of time too.
I try hard to remain positive and keep cheerful but its tough this time of year.
Lots of bright light helps me a bit .... I can't stand gloom and darkness this time of the year.

I'm sure a lot of it is inherited. Two of my Mother's Brothers suffered badly and frankly both were weird /eccentric at best and complete nutters at worse.One was a staunch conchie and wore only grey clothing all his life ,the other was the last man off at Dunkirk and spent his time riding a stolen motorbike up and down the beach during shelling and strafing Later the Brighton Firechief he took all the dangerous and unpleasant stuff himself

Maybe we should start a depression thread and share some ideas and experiences .

ps I bought my burial plot 20 years ago is that significant do you think lol

This time last year I was feeling best I had for a long time,then I left my job to start my own business, that was great timing........not
only thing that keeps me going is my children

 

[cchapman]

It is late, and I cannot stay up all night since I have to be on duty at 6am but one thing I have noticed is that happiness is a by-product of some other endeavour. Maybe Nelson Mandela found happiness with bringing democracy to South Africa, but the pursuit of happiness was not his intention. Maybe a mother found happiness at her child's graduation, but the pursuit of happiness was not her intention when she kept him/her on the straight and narrow. Maybe a cyclist thought that buying a bike would bring him the happiness he felt when he rode his first bike as a child, but he was dissappointed.

"There is nothing as sad as battle lost, as a battle won." Wellington

 

[Arch]

It's differnt layers for me I guess. Basically, I'm ok, and I know I'm luckier than many in the world. Then there's the middle layer, and currently that's not as happy as it was, and a bit uncertain. But on top, I'm visiting my sister and nephew, and it's lots of fun, and Oli gives me a lot to look forward to...

Day to day, I tend to be cheery enough, with underlying tendency to despondency...

 

[Mr Phoebus]

12 mg of Reboxetine taken daily keeps me artificially happy.

 

[sloe]

You're born, you get a bill, you die. But other than that niggle i'm generally a happy peason.

You're born, you live, you die, your relatives get invoiced for it.

Be happy !!!

 

[Baggy]

Overall I'm happy and have every reason to be, but I've got a maudlin and reflective streak which results in inexplicable gloom sometimes.

 

[Headgardener]

OK as you asked, I am happy most of the time, thinking of the woman I am fond of keeps me going and as I have just come off the phone to her I am on cloud nine and only actualy seeing her in person would make me any happier. Also being a Christian gives me a happy outlook on life, don't know whether any of the other Christians on this forum find this?

 

[Willow]

Last time I was asked this ...

if you mean do I go around all day deleriously smiling about my lot the answer is no. If you mean am I content with my life the answer is yes, if you mean would I change anything the answer is no, if you mean could I live without you the answer is no.

6 months later I was divorced and I think what he meant to happen was for me to ask if he was happy.

Now - I look after my children as best I can, I hate what has happened I miss what I loved but am I happy and content no, I function sometimes with a smile sometimes without.