What is Happiness?

[UnbornTao]

5 hours ago, Princess Arabia said:

No state is caused by you. Get sad now. Get frustrated or angry now. Something on the outside is required. This is why telling someone how to be happy all the time is futile. Peace is a state of harmony that is caused by the absence of it's opposite so even that is caused by the absence of something else. 

Happiness might turn out to be a condition - synonymous with your nature - rather than a passing state, though this will likely sound fantastical to most of us. Conventionally speaking, it might better be described as willingness to go through one's experience exactly as it is, no matter what it is. "Acceptance" sounds lame, though, but it contains some kernel of truth. 

You are essentially assigning responsibility for your inner experience to external circumstances. Yet notice whenever anger arises: what is it actually caused by? You can actually create states at will with no outside factor seemingly causing it for you. You already create your states, and circumstances may help you in that process. 

Think of the craft of a good actor. Their art rests on the ability to summon the appropriate emotional state at will. My suggestion is that we are already like such an actor, though for the most part we do it unconsciously.

What is happiness, anyway? Is it the same as the relief or sense of victory that comes about when something wanted is accomplished, or something unwanted is successfully avoided? 

Edited 4 hours ago by UnbornTao

[Princess Arabia]

26 minutes ago, UnbornTao said:

Happiness might turn out to be a condition - synonymous with your nature - rather than a passing state, though this will likely sound fantastical to most of us. Conventionally speaking, it might better be described as willingness to go through one's experience exactly as it is, no matter what it is. "Acceptance" sounds lame, though, but it contains some kernel of truth. 

You are essentially assigning responsibility for your inner experience to external circumstances. Yet notice whenever anger arises: what is it actually caused by? You can actually create states at will with no outside factor seemingly causing it for you. You already create your states, and circumstances may help you in that process. 

Think of the craft of a good actor. Their art rests on the ability to summon the appropriate emotional state at will. My suggestion is that we are already like such an actor, though for the most part we do it unconsciously.

What is happiness, anyway? Is it the same as the relief or sense of victory that comes about when something wanted is accomplished, or something unwanted is successfully avoided? 

These days I don't put anything pass anything much anymore. There could be somebody out there now who is naturally happy regardless of circumstances. I don't mean they were taught that or even does it consciously. I mean their momma died, their cat died, they got in a car accident, stuff like that and their smiling and carrying on happily ever after and saying, oh well, life goes on. I mean it's their natural state or even a disease just as depression can be. You know how some people are always sad no matter what, just the opposite. I've heard of a woman with no mind so anything is possible, Lots of things I haven't heard of so, you're right, never know. 

[Natasha Tori Maru]

34 minutes ago, UnbornTao said:

Happiness might turn out to be a condition - synonymous with your nature - rather than a passing state, though this will likely sound fantastical to most of us. Conventionally speaking, it might better be described as willingness to go through one's experience exactly as it is, no matter what it is. "Acceptance" sounds lame, though, but it contains some kernel of truth. 

You are essentially assigning responsibility for your inner experience to external circumstances. Yet notice whenever anger arises: what is it actually caused by? You can actually create states at will with no outside factor seemingly causing it for you. You already create your states, and circumstances may help you in that process. 

Think of the craft of a good actor. Their art rests on the ability to summon the appropriate emotional state at will. My suggestion is that we are already like such an actor, though for the most part we do it unconsciously.

What is happiness, anyway? Is it the same as the relief or sense of victory that comes about when something wanted is accomplished, or something unwanted is successfully avoided? 

🎯

[Sugarcoat]

I’d say happiness is when you feel well in a significant way, so more intense than simply a calm neutrality. Because for example in this very moment I feel calm and I would say at a baseline of contentment, but I wouldn’t call that happy, happiness refers to something more significant and intense, because if we call all wellbeing happiness it kinda looses some of its distinct meaning.

Sometimes it can be hard to distinguish happiness because it can come with a simultaneous undertone of anxiety. Because for example when you’re attached to something there is insecurity about loosing the object of attachment
 

 It doesn’t matter the source of the happiness, someone could be happy murdering someone, watching porn, achieving academically, meditating. . It seems happiness is limited within the realm of average human psychology. So if you are attached to something, happiness can occur when attachment feels secure, when you’re fulfilling that need. But it’s limited because the same thing cannot be correlated to endless happiness, it’s to do with the reward system in the brain: it gets “saturated”, and the same source of happiness stops working as much for you. Like how people in relationship go through a limited honey moon phase before it calms down…

So if you wanna achieve an even more long lasting happiness it seems you need to transcend the normal human psychology. Perhaps it means transcending the self altogether or simply working with your psychology while remaining with ego, maybe both are possible. For example above I mentioned attachment linked to happiness, but it could be the opposite so when you let go of attachment you can feel happiness in form of relief , so that is an example of transcending some human psychology 

(I know I mention attachment a lot but ofc you can be happy about something without being attached to it)

 

Edited 1 hour ago by Sugarcoat

[Jehovah increases]

one should never have to chase happiness. because you may end up disappointed. You need to find it within you.

[Natasha Tori Maru]

What is it that witnesses your thoughts, perceptions? If you are not this - what are you?

A simple witness? A camera witnessing reality? Openness? 

What lies there?