Happy?

[Catherine]

Do you think that people are capable of finding happiness or are they always searching for something beyond what they have ???

:)

[Tormod]

I am not sure there is a good answer to this one. In my opinion the search for happiness can in itself provide happiness. I don't think many people are constantly conscious about this search - it's basically a part of life. Some people are happy with circumstances other people would find horrible, for example.

 

Some people may always feel that they are on the lookout for happiness, but if they are truly never happy then they are probably looking in the wrong places. :)

[Queso]

The search for happiness can bring you happiness

or

you can just be happy knowing you are alive

or if you aren't happy

figure out why

it may be a words that are obscuring your happiness~

"look at things the other way

'cause it may well be your final day."

I use herbal medicines to help catalyze happiness more abundantly.

peace and welcome

[Jet2]

If you could bring happiness to others, you found it.

[Queso]

If you could bring happiness to others, you found it.

 

word!

[Tarantism]

There is no search, you're already there. Just takes time to realize it...

[CraigD]

Do you think that people are capable of finding happiness or are they always searching for something beyond what they have ?

I think people are capable of finding happiness.

 

Critical to the question is one’s definition of “happiness”. Such definitions are very varied, and often very vague. In the context of supporting my “yes” answer to this thread’s question, I define happiness as a range of physiological states detectable directly and indirectly by various objective means, and perhaps most importantly characterized by the quantity of key neurochemicals in the brain, notably serotonin. When one’s physiological state falls within this range of states, one is happy, when it does not, one is not.

 

A state of happiness can be reached many ways, including behaving well and receiving praise for it, eating high-calorie foods, resting, and taking many licit and illicit drugs, notably drugs in the SSRI class (eg: Prozac), ingestible ones in the triptamine class (eg: DMT), and opiates (eg: morphine and heroine). Cognitive behavior appears to strongly effect happiness – for example, “delayed gratification” techniques, in which a person promises themselves a food or other physically pleasant reward after performing a stressful activity, appear to be more effective than such “rewards” alone.

 

This definition of happiness, which is bound strongly to objective, measurable quantities (at least in principle – direct measurement of neurochemistry is not easy, although indirect measurements correlating to it, such as heart rate and blood pressure, are), differs dramatically in at least one important aspect from other common (and typically more vague) ones. Because the neurochemical states it correlates to are of short duration (typically less than 1 hour), happiness as so defined is also of short duration. Most people, I believe, have a much longer-lasting (years long, or even eternal) state in mind when they speak of “finding happiness”.

 

I believe there’s strong evidence that long-duration happiness coinciding with these common, vague definitions, does not exist per se, but rather describes a circumstantial condition in which a person has frequent periods of short-duration, physiologically real, happiness, of which the person is aware, and episodes in which such states are infrequent (eg: personal tragedies and misfortunes) are rare. These circumstances can be reached in many ways, descriptions of which constitute the wide-ranging field of “moral philosophy”, and include programs of organized religion, self-help, and other approaches to numerous to begin listing.

 

The essential point of the importance of understanding the nature of happiness, and, as the bolding above emphasizes, recognizing when it occurs. Adopting a cognitive expectation of a “state of happiness” corresponding to a state that does not objectively occur (eg: “every moment filled with love and without fear or pain”) is a cognitive behaviour that itself causes stress, and increases the length between and shortens the duration of periods of physiological happiness. In its extreme, such thoughts may so inhibit this physiology that a person suffers physical illness and/or social shunning, themselves stressors, resulting in a “vicious cycle” of increased stress and decreased happiness.

[REASON]

Do you think that people are capable of finding happiness or are they always searching for something beyond what they have ???

:)

 

The way I see it, the direct answer to your question is: It depends on the individual.

 

Some people have a really big cup to fill when it comes to their expectation of what it is to be happy. Everyone's perception of happiness is likely to be unique. For some, happiness may be simply related to contentment. For others, it may require a full belly laugh. Probably for most, a sense of happiness is determined by the amount of time spent being unhappy. If you feel unhappy much of the time, you are more likely to find yourself searching for happiness. If you are not unhappy most of the time, you will probably consider yourself happy even if you are not experiencing a lot of joy, and the search will have less importance in your life. In this instance, happiness is geared around contentment and acceptance.

 

Some people always seem to be searching for something external to fill their lives, and can never seem to find contentment in anything. A new partner, a new job, a new place to live, new friends, a new car, or a new relationship with God will solve the emptiness that is so pervasive, and produce happiness. While these things may actually provide some temporary relief, you inevitably find yourself back in the doldrums in a relatively short amount of time.

 

I believe this reveals an internal void rather than a lack of external stimuli. Someone who is constantly searching for happiness is probably someone who's focus is on finding fault as opposed to finding acceptance and appreciation with themselves as well as their current circumstance. This doesn't mean settling for less, it just means being okay with who you are and where you are on your path to better yourself and your situation.

 

Ultimately, I believe a person's sense of happiness is directly related to how they choose to perceive themselves and the world around them. For whatever reason, it seems to be easier to focus on what's wrong than what's right. Thus, the search insues. But I feel that any search for happiness should begin within one's self, with the goal of understanding the source of the void and the effect it has on one's self image and world view.

 

It also helps to just smile more. :)