Dicussion Anyone?
What’s the secret to happiness? I feel it is with in us to find. I think we all know what would make us happy. We let fear get in the way of going after it.
There’s a quote from Bertrand Russell,
“Fear is the main source of superstition and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of happiness.”
Easier said than done...Eh?
Though it is said as well that the lack of fear is a sign of mania. As in saying that fear is your minds way of rationalizing...Having rational thought is suppose to be a sign of normalcy. So then the crazy are really the happiest among us.
What do you all think?
There’s a quote from Bertrand Russell,
“Fear is the main source of superstition and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of happiness.”
Easier said than done...Eh?
Though it is said as well that the lack of fear is a sign of mania. As in saying that fear is your minds way of rationalizing...Having rational thought is suppose to be a sign of normalcy. So then the crazy are really the happiest among us.
What do you all think?
Labels: fear, happiness.
posted by Kate Michele at 12:25 PM
14 Comments:
I think I know what would make me happy... and yes... fear IS holding me back. I'm afraid of hurting people and losing my daughter. What to do? I suppose I could just keep on keepin on... til I go crazy... and then I'll be truly happy! right?
Crazy... crap. Now I've got that damn Patsy Cline song in my head. Thanks K8.
Well it's not money...even though Lily and I are certain we are going to win the Lottery and go live in a trailer behind G's house.
I happen to know some very wealthy unhappy people.
It's not looks because most of the people who are admired for their looks are extremely self conscious and have low self esteem...that can't be happy.
Crazy people appear to be happy sometimes.
I don't know Kate I'm just going to have to go with "purpose" I think if you have a purpose then you can be happy a good part of the time....now personally my purpose is wanting to be a Trophy Wife next time around and until then I'd just like to have enough money to live comfortable in a muu-muu with lots of tasty cold wine on hand.
Albert Camus said: "You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life."
I think what happiness is has more to do with what happiness is not. It's not something quantifiable as much as it's an inability to harbor dispair.
I will tell you what makes me happy and that's really all I can tell you Dear One, but it's acceptance.
I use to think if I had this or if I had that that I'd be happy-then I got those things and still wasn't happy about one thing or another. I'm happy now, and it's because I don't 'want' or 'wish' for this or that. If it comes, great. If it doesn't-is my life any less because of it? No. I choose to look at the things I have and realize I am blessed with riches that some people don't have. Sure it's not perfect, or without flaws, but it's my life and we get what we put into it. Y'know that whole do unto others...I guess it's a choice Kate. People have choices in their lives, it's the choices we make that either make us or break us. If it's the wrong one at that moment-ok, then we try again and we don't give up. Doesn't matter what it is that we're talking about.
People refuse to do what makes them happy out of fear of hurting others, but really who gets hurt the most? we [ourselves] do. And who is benefiting from our unhappiness? Certainly not those around us. Because we're not being our true selves. And basically I think if we're living a life where we aren't true to ourselves...no one is happy.
Good discussion !
I agree with Kimmy and Lily.....I feel I have CHOSEN to stay and do whats best for others in spite of what makes me "happy"...... I love my kids soo much and I have been down the road before and lost a child (Unless you count everyotherweekend a real father- son relationship).
I suppose I could be happy , I dream of it most days, yet I go home every night and thank God for whaT I have and deal with the choices I made. So to sum it all up for me, I "fear " losing what I have of happiness, greater than I desire risking a change for the opportunity at happierness (Not a word I know , but you get the point)
Bye for now .
Kimmy... I'm printing that off and putting it on my fridge.
Wow so much of this is good. I agree alot with what Kimmy says.
I feel that we want things that we think will make us happy untill we get them and it doesn't. However we don't know that untill we get it.
Is making a change in our lives really going to make us happy? Who's to say. But I feel that untill we are at happiness on our own with out the change or the things....then nothing will "make" us happy. Get on board with you and the rest shall follow so to speak.....
I'm not sure I'm making any since so I'm stopping now.
Just one good day is all I need to be happy. But then a world full of happy people would just make me angry, so it's a win/lose situation. What was the question again? :(
I always felt like the mentally handicapped were happier than most people.
They generally aren't saddled with the stress of responsibility and the wants we have been told we want. Their needs are basic and met. Food, shelter and people. It's a simple existence.
hey...I'm not saying I envy their life or anything, just that maybe we'd be happier if our lives were simple. To us, its sad that they have to live that way, but are THEY sad?
Feeling wanted, feeling appreciated, feeling loved, feeling attractive. Not being used or treated badly. These are the things I believe happiness comes from. I have had career and monetary success; none of them have ever meant anything to me because I don't have these other factors.
I think I know what would make me happy or at least better than I am now but, I'm scared to death and I have no idea where to start.
I know its all in me but there are others to consider and I just don't think I'm strong enough.
I used to be but that side got beat down a long time ago.
And the crazy aren't happy, they're just crazy.
I never said "crazy". Mentally handicapped people aren't clinically crazy - just handicapped.
Thank GOD! I have tons of fear! Am I good? Not crazy then, right?
there are moments of happiness, then there is the state of being perpetually happy. i know the former is quite possible, but the latter, well... i think it would be next to impossible to be in a state of happiness all of the time. would we even be able to begin to know what happiness was if it wasn't for its opposite?
that said, i think there is room for it all. i would prefer happy mixed with unhappy, because the alternative is much more frightening to me - indifference. i guess it all boils down to balance.
and i have to say - finding one's happiness is important.
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