Why is everyone so happy all the time?

[xisnotx]

How can anyone take a good hard look at the world around them and still manage to be genuinely happy a significant portion of the time? Do they just live in some sort of delusion? Do they just not care about the world? Do they willfully choose to ignore the fact that they are, at the end of the day, useless insignificant apes whose lives will literally amount to next to nothing?

Do people not see that their lives are painfully short? That they will one day wake up old, grey, wrinkled, achey, unappreciated...and only if they are one of the lucky ones? How do people find happiness from things that are so insignificant? Career, money, hobbies, clothes, gadgets, cars...etc etc? Sure, those are things that I myself have/want, so perhaps I'm being a little hypocritical, but I only want/have them because I need them..If I was born naked on an island, I'd have no use for them..

If I were born all alone on a island, I have no idea what I would do all day. Do you? Does anyone? How does this not anger you? Sadden you?

How does everyone wake up every morning and decide to go through yet another useless day taking a further step towards something that if they really wanted they could achieve at any time?

Of what significance is anything if any significance you give it is ultimately arbitrary?

And why in the hell are people content with not knowing the answers to these questions?

 

[93JC]

You assume everyone is happy all the time because the only state of emotion people feel comfortable sharing is happiness.

 

[uncommonentity]

I wake up with a smile on my face because the people in my life put one there. As you said, life is painfully short. Why would I spend it being sad instead of happy? It's not a case of being deluded or not.

Someone once told me that the whole world can be your crucifix if you let it be. I'll elaborate and give you my full opinions in a moment.

How can anyone take a good hard look at the world around them and still manage to be genuinely happy a significant portion of the time?

They come to a realization that they cannot single-handedly fix the world so revolve their life around themselves and others they value the existence of and stop dwelling on the negative.

Do people not see that their lives are painfully short? That they will one day wake up old, grey, wrinkled, achey, unappreciated...and only if they are one of the lucky ones?

Death sucks. Life rocks. To most people it's about making the most out of the life part the old, grey shit will be the lame finale to their incredible beginning and middle and end.

How do people find happiness from things that are so insignificant? Career, money, hobbies, clothes, gadgets, cars...etc etc?

Silly question really. Actions and objects have reactions. Humans typically have emotional reactions from interacting with such things as careers, money, hobbies, clothes, gadgets. These reactions are what life is all about. Humans have a wonderful capacity to feel and respond.

If I were born all alone on a island, I have no idea what I would do all day. Do you? Does anyone? How does this not anger you? Sadden you?

Personally I'd have fun because it'd be lame to just sit and cry over the fact I was all alone on an island when there's people out there who'd trade a limb for the experience. I'd survive purely for the things I could create, discover and interact with.

How does everyone wake up every morning and decide to go through yet another useless day taking a further step towards something that if they really wanted they could achieve at any time?

Not everyone considers their day to be useless. They have things to accomplish. New goals to fufill due to brand new discoveries.

Of what significance is anything if any significance you give it is ultimately arbitrary?

Everything means everything because life is everything and death to most is nothing.

And why in the hell are people content with not knowing the answers to these questions?

Knowing everything doesn't necessarily enhance life as an experience. There's no necessity in knowing everything only that which is required to enjoy.

 

[xisnotx]

If people are as unhappy as I am with the way the world around them functions then why aren't they doing something about it? Have they given up hope? What could they possibly do to begin with?

If happiness is a choice, then it is arbitrary, yes? So then, you admit that happiness is delusional....you have no real reason to be happy, yet you choose to be anyway...

 

[goats]

This thread made me happy. Thank you OP for spreading your joy for life.

 

[King sns]

If people are as unhappy as I am with the way the world around them functions then why aren't they doing something about it? Have they given up hope? What could they possibly do to begin with?

If happiness is a choice, then it is arbitrary, yes? So then, you admit that happiness is delusional....you have no real reason to be happy, yet you choose to be anyway...

This just sounds a bit overanalytical to me. Many people are happy because they are making the most of what they have every moment. Loving families surrounding them, sunshine, the simple act of being able to pull a fresh breath of air through an healthy lung. If you are not actively unappreciated, old and wrinkled, the world is not ending, you are not enduring any physical pain or poverty, or any of the other real problems that many people have to face on a day to day basis, why wouldn't you be happy? Thrilled to be so well, even?

Endure true hardship and come out of it again. I think that's a way to be grateful for every living moment.

 

[xisnotx]

They come to a realization that they cannot single-handedly fix the world so revolve their life around themselves and others they value the existence of and stop dwelling on the negative.

So...they give up. It's like saying "I'm going to look after my own". I'm not saying that this is a bad thing but if I were to have this mentality some people would not be pleased with the results.

Besides, isn't this the very same mentality that leads to stuff like 9/11, racism, genocide etc etc? Should I look after my own?

 

[Patches]

Funny, I spend more time thinking, "Why are so many people so miserable all the time?"

To me it seems like most people are. Stop worrying, live life. The majority of the people on this forum seem to be in pretty decent situations. Most people are from first world countries, they have at least enough money to own a computer so they probably aren't starving and have their basic human needs taken care of. I look at the world around me and feel damn fortunate for where I am.

Also, if the ultimate outcome of all our lives is exactly the same, and what we do is meaningless... It makes ZERO difference if we spend it happy or sad. So why spend it miserable? You gain nothing. You change nothing. You are no more enlightened, and even if you WERE more enlightened than the rest of us it wouldn't matter because you're an insignificant ape whose life will amount to nothing, right? So spend your life doing things that make you happy. Flood that little monkey brain with serotonin and dopamine.

Do people not see that their lives are painfully short?

What better way to spend your painfully short life than to use it to mope about all emo-like about how much it sucks!

 

[Inverness]

How can anyone take a good hard look at the world around them and still manage to be genuinely happy a significant portion of the time? Do they just live in some sort of delusion? Do they just not care about the world? Do they willfully choose to ignore the fact that they are, at the end of the day, useless insignificant apes whose lives will literally amount to next to nothing?

Do I live a sort of delusion?...perhaps...I choose to see beyond the horrors that people commit and try to see the people themselves...they got to that point somehow, and I feel sad for them and am repulsed by what they have done, but at the end of the day...they are human. I wake up most mornings genuinely happy...yes I have days that are less than optimum, but all in all, I appreciate where I am at in life. I find that I am most happy when I can soak in the wonder of the outdoors, either in solitude or with good friends...I enjoy hiking and the like because it gives me an opportunity to recharge, and de-focus on the world atrocities that cannot be reconciled easily.

Do people not see that their lives are painfully short? That they will one day wake up old, grey, wrinkled, achey, unappreciated...and only if they are one of the lucky ones? How do people find happiness from things that are so insignificant? Career, money, hobbies, clothes, gadgets, cars...etc etc? Sure, those are things that I myself have/want, so perhaps I'm being a little hypocritical, but I only want/have them because I need them..If I was born naked on an island, I'd have no use for them..

Life is short, and as much as I can, I like to take the 'do it now, rather than later' approach. As one of my favourite quotes puts it, 'The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, the second best time is now'. I don't place much regard in trivialities...material possessions...yes it's nice to have an exotic sports car, but at the end of the day...I could personally do without such lavishness.

If I were born all alone on a island, I have no idea what I would do all day. Do you? Does anyone? How does this not anger you? Sadden you?

I'm not sure I'd describe it as angering me?...but then again, I long for a society less concerned with materialism, given the skills that have long been forgotten by most (survival/hunting), I think that most would do just fine...hunt a couple hours of the day...and enjoy the serenity of nature (hopefully not dying of some simple fever )

How does everyone wake up every morning and decide to go through yet another useless day taking a further step towards something that if they really wanted they could achieve at any time?

This is probably what keeps me most involved, I cannot for the life of me be a hamster, I need diversity, I am not happy with the rinse and repeat life. That's probably why I have some many projects and hobbies that it never seems like I will have the time to do everything I want to do...I like to keep busy.

Of what significance is anything if any significance you give it is ultimately arbitrary?

And why in the hell are people content with not knowing the answers to these questions?

I am constantly racking my brain for answers, but concerning some of the so called 'ultimate' questions, I will not delude myself in thinking I can decipher ~4 billion years of events within the confines of my skull...therefore, I am comfortable not knowing the exacts of what all is going on here, one day, I'm sure it will be brought to light, but for the time being, absolute answers do not usually stand well with me.

*it wouldn't let me post without actually adding text beyond quote box, so here are some extra words XD*

 

[xisnotx]

This just sounds a bit overanalytical to me. Many people are happy because they are making the most of what they have every moment. Loving families surrounding them, sunshine, the simple act of being able to pull a fresh breath of air through an healthy lung. If you are not actively unappreciated, old and wrinkled, the world is not ending, you are not enduring any physical pain or poverty, or any of the other real problems that many people have to face on a day to day basis, why wouldn't you be happy? Thrilled to be so well, even?

Endure true hardship and come out of it again. I think that's a way to be grateful for every living moment.

Because all that is ultimately meaningless. Why would you be happy in the first place? If happiness can be achieved simply by being, then why is the world such an unhappy place (as seen by other people, not just me)?
I've experienced what I would consider true hardship, and associate with people who have as well, and they don't seem particularly happy. Angry mostly, sad, lackadaisical...happy? Only sporadically...

 

[ReflecTcelfeR]

I do my best to avoid being precarious. What most people feel miserable about is beyond their control (that might itself be what saddens them), but you have to come to a point where you can either accept it or wallow in the hopelessness of it all (been there done that).

I don't see why any of those things you've listed are inherently arbitrary because you don't really have the answer to what is and isn't arbitrary. No one can know so why stress yourself out because of that fact?

 

[uncommonentity]

So...they give up. It's like saying "I'm going to look after my own". I'm not saying that this is a bad thing but if I were to have this mentality some people would not be pleased with the results.

Besides, isn't this the very same mentality that leads to stuff like 9/11, racism, genocide etc etc? Should I look after my own?

Refusing to fight a battle that cannot be won by one man alone is not giving up. It's being realistic. As an ideal everyone should look after themselves and ones they hold dear if everyone did that everyone would be fine. It's no mans responsibility to save an entire race, prevent terrorism, yada yada. Life is initially a group effort.

Because all that is ultimately meaningless.

When someone dies. Not everything in their life loses meaning. Values they've instilled in their young pass on through generation to generation. If someone plants enough seeds on earth in the short time span that they're alive one can initially live and influence others forever. Not as a physical entity but as written word, recorded voice, the mere echo of your spoken word or feelings that arise from your written word can ring on forever. If you find contributing to the planet and the future meaningless then fair enough but you can't apply your views to an entire species.

 

[King sns]

Because all that is ultimately meaningless. Why would you be happy in the first place? If happiness can be achieved simply by being, then why is the world such an unhappy place (as seen by other people, not just me)?
I've experienced what I would consider true hardship, and associate with people who have as well, and they don't seem particularly happy. Angry mostly, sad, lackadaisical...happy? Only sporadically...

Well, it seems like you could look at it either way. I happen to surround myself with the opposite types of folks. People who get through heavy duty hardships stronger and better from it. An argument "why be happy?" sounds the same as the argument "why be unhappy?" to me- unless you are actively following through with a plan to help save the messed up world- (and won't be happy until you get it.) Anything beyond that sounds like unfounded brooding.

 

[Unkindloving]

Absolutely agree with [MENTION=13706]uncommonentity[/MENTION].

If you go through life as a miserable soul, then you're going to die never having really lived. That's why people choose to seek out happiness. Do people always know precisely what makes them happy? No. There is a lot of unhappiness in the world based on people not properly assessing what will guide them to what truly will provide them their happiness. After a degree of time, it catches up. It's not necessarily the state of the world that makes for so much negativity, but state of mind and ill-self-assessment.
The problem is that dwelling does nothing productive. Would you fault people who aren't oblivious to the state of everything, yet still choose to keep positive so they don't just inevitably fuel a rut? There's not even an argument to be made that being so unhappy will cause an uprise for betterment, because it is typically a crippling thing to the majority of people.

What would make you happy?