How to attain happiness 101

[Sanity Panda]

In this day and age where depression and sadness seems to be on the increase people express themselves more. However despite all the expression of sadness, we're really taught by others on how to achieve happiness but instead expected to know how to do so.

In general, how do people percieve others?
How happy are most people with their lives and what suggestions/methods would you give to people in becoming happy?

 

[monsta666]

A head's up Sanity Panda there is already a similar thread called Is happiness good for you?, Happiness v. Angst. Post your comment there next time, instead of opening a new thread.

There are number of factors that effect how happy we are. Important factors are our physical and mental health. My knowledge in this area is a bit limited but humans need to fufill a number of things to achieve complete happiness. Simple desires (food, sleep etc) and security are a given but there are also more complex and difficult wants like social interactions and aspirations. If these needs are met people are generally more happy. I'm sure there is something else I am missing. In any case various studies have shown a high amount of income is not associated with higher degrees of happiness. In fact once we have enough money to fufill our basic needs then cash becomes a small factor in determining our overall happiness.

As happiness is a concept that is difficult to quantify it is quite difficult to produce scientific studies that can definitively prove a certain society or community of people are more happy than others.

I find this off-topic to the thread "is happiness good for you." One deals with the personal psychology for gaining happiness whereas the other one deals more with the broader socioeconomic effects of happiness. They are related but dissimilar topics. - daft

 

[samthebear]

How to attain happiness:
Step one: It's all in your attitude
Step two: Be comfortable with yourself
Step three: Be realistic
Step four: Don't be a bitter twisted grudge holding person. live and let go.
Step five: Shower people with your happiness - you will feel it too and they will return the feelings.

Ok. So its a tad bit too simplistic but striped down to it's bare bones - that is how you attain happiness. I find that people who aren't cronically depressed (meaning: they aren't depressed because of a mental issue rather they just moan about everything in life) just want to complain about their lives and hence never find anything good to celebrate about.

The first step is probably the most important step of all. if you can't bring yourself to find the good side in life, you will never be happy. If you keep thinking "My life sucks. everything is out to get me. i'm not happy. no one likes/loves me." Then you will eventually believe that to be true and just generally be a sad person. The powers of persuasion on the mind is great - instead of thinking sad toughts concentrate on the good ones instead.

I agree we have become a more sad society - no one smiles at each other, no one is willing to lend a sympathtic ear because we think our problems are worse. These problems are more rooted in the mentality of the world/society, we have become such a globalised world that we can talk to someone living on the other side of the world, yet at the same time we are cutting ourselves off from our realities.
I'm not saying i'm perfect, but i find myself generally more happy with my lot than most others - i have times where i feel sad or depressed because of stress or other factors but as a whole - my whole attitude to life would have happiness firmly embeded in it. I have been really fortunate to have grown up in a very happy loving environment - other people may not have had the same opportunities but at the same time, if you truely want to seek happiness it has to begin with you - yourself. Stop with the negative thoughts (easier said than done i know but if you really want to change determination gets you far) and just try and believe in the goodness of people.

Happiness is not a final destination - you dont do anything to get there, rather happiness is a journey of discovery and joy. You never reach the destination called 'happiness' but you exprience it as a journey, and like a journey it has its ups and downs. So don't expect true 'happiness' as if you were living in the stepford-wives movie (that isnt happiness - that is actually just scary) True happiness is something you find within - that is probably why no one actually teaches you how to get it.

 

[Black Mamba]

I think it's very true that it's all about your attitude. Whether the glass is half full or half empty (can you say it like that in english?) is up to you. Just that sometimes its hard to stay positive and not let yourself be influenced by negative thoughts, other people's negative ideas and such. But I guess that is part of the "journey" too

 

[khael]

It's easy to be happy... Find something or someone that makes you happy and BOOM, problem solved...
Look at me now, if i didn't know it i'd be skipping around with joy thanks to Spice and Wolf's ED song...
Happiness is what you make it to be, you can be like me, sometimes i'm happy just to lie down and stare at the wall or something while listening to Ringo Hiyori...
Also take note that there are some times when we attain happiness at the expense of others'.
You know, there are societies out there, more often than not 3rd world, who easily get happy. Why? Because their "standards" or "expectations" in life are much lower than those of let's say, rich people etc. etc. e.g. I'm pretty happy with my job even though i only earn enough for my expenses. Some people would crave for more. Greed is not one trait you want to have if you truly want to be happy or satisfied. Satisfaction and contentment are two of the things you want to have if you truly want to be happy. It's the closest i can get.

It's hard to just choose to be happy but i guess it is possible.

 

[EggBeast]

ah yes, happiness is a beautiful, beautiful thing. For me personally I find the easiest way to be happy is to stay true to yourself and have those closest to you be able to accept, nay, even celebrate that. For that you need

A. Freedom

B. Protection (naw, I'm just making an obnoxious joke

. what I really mean is "friends and loved ones"

That aside, I don't really think you can have something like perpetual happiness. While it may just have to do with our biological hormones simply "running out of happiness juice", I prefer to think that it's because of mankind's innate desire to get more than they have. (I think it applies to most of life on earth. If you grab a dog treat out of a bag, and offer it to Roofus, he'd sooner jump for the bag of treats than the mere pittance you're offering). No one is happy 100% of the time, even if they follow the "happiness formula" to a tee.

I'd say "rather than shoot for perpetual bliss, try to be honest: to those around you, and to yourself. At least that way you can be content".

...but of course all of this assumes there aren't people out there who actively make your life a living hell. If that starts happening, well, you've got to get a little pro-active yourself (and hey, face it, it gives you some motivation!)

...yeah, life rocks.