Nice words JWK5, you're really good at putting concepts into understandable situations.
I use metaphors because complicated things make my brain hurt. If I could write code in metaphors I'd probably be a much better programmer (I realize that technically code is composed of metaphors for hardware functions but I mean more blatantly).
I used to be really happy but something happened and now i'm only kind of happy most of the time.
It sucks because I have no reason to not be really happy.
w.e
What is "happy"?
Is it the feeling you get after eating a delicious new food for the first time?
Is it the rush you get after kissing someone you are infatuated with?
Is it the excitement of playing a new game you've been waiting for and its turned out awesome?
Is it the waves of joy that wash over you when you're laughing and being silly with friends?
Is it the feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction after a job well done?
Is it the warmth you feel when a loved one gets excited over a gift you've given them?
"Happiness" is far too vague and is given far too broad a definition, especially since it is not one specific feeling it is actually a period of time surrounding an event triggering a variety of feelings. Consecutive events generating "happy" feelings can make happiness seem like it can and should last forever (that is the illusion) but it doesn't, it is the residue of an experience and its duration can vary greatly. I think children tend to find more joy in things than adults because things are newer to them so there is a lot of discovery and surprise happening for them (as adults we stubbornly assume we have the world figured out already).
I don't think you need a
reason to be happy. I hear people say "happiness is a choice" but I don't entirely buy it, I think where you have any real choice in the matter is choosing how and where to have experiences. If a situation sucks you can choose to leave it, reinterpret it, change it, challenge it, etc., you have options but none of them are guaranteed to generate happiness (and those self-help gurus claiming otherwise need to be slapped upside the head with their own overpriced books).
That is why chasing happiness can be toxic, because it is not guaranteed to happen so you can easily become disappointed that it isn't especially when you are doing the same things you think made you happy previously. Once you start beating that dead horse it is hard to stop and it will exhaust you very quickly. Happiness doesn't happen for a reason (though your actions do), happiness happens as an experience.
If you don't feel you're happy enough maybe you're not having the right experiences, it might be time to seek out new ones or let go of old ones if they're holding you back.
yeah eh
read the previous two posts and note the given age in their respective profiles. that's a clue
sry guys enjoy it while it lasts
I've met plenty of adults who seemed chronically happy, I don't think it is an age thing.
Thinking about it, they were always doing shit. Going places, meeting people, learning things, etc. Especially at the time, being a cynic I'd scoff at everything they'd throw at me like enjoyment was some kind of terrible kryptonite.
"You should go here!" "No, I don't like those places."
"You should try this!" "No, I don't do those things."
"You should talk to so-and-so!" "No, I have enough friends already."
"You sould--" "No." "No." "No." ...
I can see now why misery followed me like the plague, it was the only experience I allowed myself to have. The older we get the more we do stupid shit like that because we assume we are "this way" and the world is "that way" and the only way we'll make it through life is if we stick to our guns and make the world more like us rather than adapting to it.
Some people just instinctively know that the world is a pool for swimming in not a pool for pissing in.
Player
