What is happiness?

[mhss1992]

Re: What is happiness?

I also see the "standards" matter like this:
If your satisfactory models aren't too difficult to reach, you can have a good deal of happiness even if things aren't perfectly according to the model. If your models are too harsh (you're a perfectionist) the tolerance value will be too small and it will be much harder to gain happiness, but it will be MUCH more intense (think of a normal distribution with very small deviation). I think I'm usually in the second group, but I also try very hard, so I'm usually happy.

[TimeShaper]

Re: What is happiness?

It cannot be achieved because there is no such thing as 'happiness'.
The only lasting and powerful feelings are those of hatred.
To me, happiness is just an illusion, silly daydreaming and a complete waste of time. Humanity would never evolve through happiness. The urge to kill, to dominate, to have revenge, these will make one achieve perfection.

This is such a matter of perspective though.

[Chic1223]

Re: What is happiness?

Happiness is whatever makes you feel good in my opinion.

[mhss1992]

Re: What is happiness?

It cannot be achieved because there is no such thing as 'happiness'.
The only lasting and powerful feelings are those of hatred.
To me, happiness is just an illusion, silly daydreaming and a complete waste of time. Humanity would never evolve through happiness. The urge to kill, to dominate, to have revenge, these will make one achieve perfection.

This is such a matter of perspective though.

Insane troll logic...
Actually, the only reason people do these things at all is to achieve happiness.

[Izzy]

Re: What is happiness?

It cannot be achieved because there is no such thing as 'happiness'.
The only lasting and powerful feelings are those of hatred.
To me, happiness is just an illusion, silly daydreaming and a complete waste of time. Humanity would never evolve through happiness. The urge to kill, to dominate, to have revenge, these will make one achieve perfection.

This is such a matter of perspective though.

Yea, teen angst is a bitch.

[TimeShaper]

Re: What is happiness?

I suppose that personal opinion is an alien term around here.

Technological evolution gets a 1000% boost during wartime. And war is, of course, caused by hatred/xenofobia between nations and/or races.
We would hardly evolve while everybody is happy and there are no needs. We would stagnate.

Why do I have to be considered as a troll/raging kid just for seeing things from a different angle?

Insane troll logic...

Trolls don't bother to think.

Actually, the only reason people do these things at all is to achieve happiness.

Exactly, it doesn't really matter whether happiness exists or not, as long as we don't have it we will advance. So we don't need it. Not yet.

[who_cares973]

Re: What is happiness?

happiness is the lack of depression

[who_cares973]

Re: What is happiness?

serious answer

What, in your opinion, defines a happy life? What are your goals? What is your mindset if you fail to achieve a goal and are forced to find happiness in unexpected ways? How do you deal with good fortune?

a happy life for me would be a worry free life. whether it be worry because one would make enough money to not have to have any stress caused by financial problems which lead to problems in other areas. or being worry free because you have no commitments that would leave you in a stressful position. aka living life day by day aka being a bum(which ive considered since ive talked to many a bums that say they're happier being a bum then when they werent. my goals in life are pretty basic. get into a position that would allow me to maintain the people i love in my life, make the best of what i have. if i were to fail to achieve these goals i wouldnt know what to do with myself. seeing as how one of my goals is to make the best of every situation and live life as best as i can i wouldnt be forced to find happiness in unexpected ways. i think i deal with good fortune like everyone else. i make sure i dont let it go to waste

[mhss1992]

Re: What is happiness?

Sad people piss me off.

Exactly, it doesn't really matter whether happiness exists or not, as long as we don't have it we will advance. So we don't need it. Not yet.

I think you're mistaking "happiness" for "absolute happiness". Though I don't feel a satisfaction of infinite intensity, I am happy most of the time.

[TimeShaper]

Re: What is happiness?

I think you're mistaking "happiness" for "absolute happiness".

You're right. This is the wrong thread to post on since I'm talking about utopia and not momentary satisfaction.
Oh and there's no need for Internet clichés such as Sad people piss me off. I though this was critical thinking or something.

[mhss1992]

Re: What is happiness?

It's hard to take you seriously and not believe you're a troll after you first post, but let's analyze this anyway:

The only lasting and powerful feelings are those of hatred.

Hatred only exists when something you love is confronted in some way, threatened or destroyed, be it a person, object or whatever.
E.g: I love ice cream. You decided to destroy every ice cream factory in the planet. Therefore, I hate you.
I love comfort. X causes me pain, which confronts my comfort. Therefore, I hate X.

You need to love something before you can hate another, but you don't need to hate something before you can love another (I didn't hate anything related to the lack of ice cream before I ate ice cream for the first time). Well, that proves that hatred is always equal or lesser than love.

Can you think of something you hate that doesn't go against something you love?

To me, happiness is just an illusion, silly daydreaming and a complete waste of time. Humanity would never evolve through happiness. The urge to kill, to dominate, to have revenge, these will make one achieve perfection.

If happiness is a waste of time, then every form of voluntary action is a waste of time. Effort is always motivated by satisfaction.
Conflict exists only because there are things that threaten satisfaction. If the satisfactory feeling didn't exist, THERE WOULD BE NO CONFLICT, and, therefore, no evolution.

Oh and there's no need for Internet clichés such as Sad people piss me off. I though this was critical thinking or something.

I didn't even know it was an Internet cliché... I just thought it by myself. Cliche or not, it's a fact.
Most people I know who consider themselves "sad" most of the time don't really have a good reason to feel that way, they're just either incompetent, weak willed or actually ill.

[TimeShaper]

Re: What is happiness?

Well, you surely have a point there.

Can you think of something you hate that doesn't go against something you love?

But what about xenofobia? (racism etc.)

Effort is always motivated by satisfaction.

What if effort is motivated by the urge to have revenge? In my opinion it's a lot more effective than plain 'satisfaction'.

This debate actually got us somewhere. Apparently it's all about whether satisfaction and happiness are the same thing or not.
Someone else's suffering might satisfy you but it won't make you happy.

Admit it or not, we ended up sharing roughly the same opinion. But still from somewhat opposing viewing angles.

I don't really know whether I'm incompetent, weak willed or just ill but this is my opinion and I'm happy to have had the opportunity to debate this matter alongside with you.

[Izzy]

Re: What is happiness?

Revenge can be satisfying. I would consider satisfaction the same or very similar to happiness. Someone else's suffering could easily make you happy and satisfied if you are that kind of person.

[mhss1992]

Re: What is happiness?

Well, you surely have a point there.

But what about xenofobia? (racism etc.)

Well... As far as I'm concerned, prejudice can make people see other cultures as "threatening" or "evil", so if someone actually hates a culture or race, it's because they think part of their behavior is an insult or confrontation to something you consider good in your culture.

What if effort is motivated by the urge to have revenge? In my opinion it's a lot more effective than plain 'satisfaction'.

Revenge is satisfactory.

This debate actually got us somewhere. Apparently it's all about whether satisfaction and happiness are the same thing or not.
Someone else's suffering might satisfy you but it won't make you happy.

Well, if what you call "happiness" is some sort of ultimate, infinite satisfaction, then I can't say for sure. It might be possible to actually understand the true nature of satisfaction and obtain this ultimate happiness. Some people believe that this is what spiritual evolution is for... But you probably don't believe in it, right?

But most of the time I just refer to "happiness" as an intense and durable satisfaction.

Admit it or not, we ended up sharing roughly the same opinion. But still from somewhat opposing viewing angles.

I don't really know whether I'm incompetent, weak willed or just ill but this is my opinion and I'm happy to have had the opportunity to debate this matter alongside with you.

I'm glad I made you think that way.
But you really are sad and don't see a reason for it? Did you lose something?
Did something affect your perspective of life?

[spring25960]

Re: What is happiness?

From where I standing now, happiness is a sense of satisfaction for me, such as satisfaction from family,friends or maybe your career.