Are you happy ?

[Amberiat]

No.

I'm an expert at appearing content most of the time, filled with joy at best, I will never be truly happy until I achieve the things I want to achieve the most, whether I like it or not, a mask of happiness is all I can have until I prove to myself I deserve to have the real thing.

 

[Chad of the OttomanEmpire]

I'm a malcontent under the very best of circumstances.

After experiencing the things I have since...oh, roughly the same time as the creation of this thread, I can give that a resounding No. I will never be happy again. I defy anyone else to be happy in my shoes either.

 

[Flâneuse]

Happy enough. I wouldn’t say my default state is sunny or cheerful, but I have enough intermittent joy to appreciate my life, look forward to the future, and know that the rough patches are worth it.

I try to focus more on whether my life is fulfilling and meaningful instead of hollowly chasing after a simple state of emotional pleasure. I also try to see life for what it really is instead of wearing rose (or grey) tinted glasses as a defense mechanism that shut out important aspects of reality. I've found it's both more fulfilling and more conducive to a state of inner peace to accept the full range of my emotions, and even to appreciate the unique perspective that each my emotional states has to show me.

 

[Esmeralda]

Happiness is tricky and slippery. When I begin to think it is a possibility, life makes a point to make me think otherwise.
Happiness is elusive. I feel I cannot inhabit it. I mostly live around it.

 

[SD45T-2]

Not remotely.

 

[Maou]

I don't think I've ever felt happiness sober.

 

[Yuurei]

Happiness is tricky and slippery. When I begin to think it is a possibility, life makes a point to make me think otherwise.
Happiness is elusive. I feel I cannot inhabit it. I mostly live around it.

Happiness is something that comes from within, not without. The external world cannot force you to feel anything.

It isn't an easy thing to practice-at first.

 

[j.c.t.]

What a difficult question to answer.

 

[cascadeco]

As a generality, I'm content (defined as not resigned but calm and generally positive towards it) with my life. I have happy and unhappy moments over events. That said, I'd say that I'm generally a skeptic and don't think much of humanity.

This is pretty close to how I am, I'd say.

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And I agree with/relate to other comments re no state being permanent. Though my 'baseline' has definitely ramped up to being more at peace overall now vs let's say ten to fifteen years ago. I can find many moments of joy and content, though of course I have many moments on the opposite end as well.

 

[Yuurei]

Currently, yes: doin great!

 

[Lady Lazarus]

I am becoming aware of my ability to create happiness for myself in different ways throughout different periods of my life. Which is really the important thing to come to know. Presently, I am happier.

 

[Lynn_Verde]

There are ups and downs, but overall I am a happy person in general.

 

[Maou]

Happiness is something that comes from within, not without. The external world cannot force you to feel anything.

It isn't an easy thing to practice-at first.

I would argue it is both, otherwise my years of optimism and willpower shouldn't have left me in such a state. It's a mindset Ive carried through hell and back, and I've yet to truly feel happy.

Sometimes people just go through things that damages them forever, and they can only mitigate the crushing dark emotions that seem to endlessly leak out. No matter how loving and happy their enviroment is.

 

[Wunjo]

I am happy, regarding my work and my writings yet I am quite sad, regarding my personal life.

I am inspired, in fact, quite so lately; but happiness, in itself from what I see is not a cause of inspiration, it can only be a result. The irony here is, the cause of my unhappiness, also results in inspiration and that inspiration reflects happiness back.

It's bizarre in the utter sense of word, and speaking of words, I am at a loss of them right now.

 

[Yuurei]

Pretty pissed off atm, but, like happiness, that's temporary. I'll feel better soon.

 

[Qlip]

No, I guess I'm not. Are you? I'm thinking that maybe we should break up.

 

[Peter Deadpan]

No, I guess I'm not. Are you? I'm thinking that maybe we should break up.

They all come back.

 

[Qlip]

They all come back.

That sounds like a perfect tagline for a made for TV Stephen King movie. It's about exes that don't go away. Creepy.

 

[ceecee]

Personal life - family, friends, kids - very happy. Professionally, I love what I do. Beyond that, not very happy, pretty pissed.

 

[Earl Grey]

Right now, I'm pretty happy.