Of course no one says to accept a wretched condition -- if you find yourself in this situation, please do something to get out of it. Contentment requires work. Don't just accept your situation, work on it, until you can honestly tell yourself "I'm okay". — Caldwell

Much of this is a matter of definition, but contentment can exist without happiness. Take the person who can have a number of serious health issues but has made peace with them. They can be content, but not necessarily happy.

The consensus seems to be, we can be content without being happy, we cannot be happy without being content, and we cannot be content while being unhappy. All terms substantiated even if only in the contexts of a few moments. What's the way forward?

Much of this is a matter of definition, but contentment can exist without happiness. Take the person who can have a number of serious health issues but has made peace with them. They can be content, but not necessarily happy. — synthesis

I disagree. Rationalization is much a strategy to remedy a situation. "Has made peace with them" is not gonna cut it for this happiness -- this is not contentment, but acceptance when all else failed.

"Has made peace with them" is not gonna cut it for this happiness -- this is not contentment, but acceptance when all else failed. — Caldwell

This may be true however do we agree that these two states, happiness and unhappiness, cannot co-exist in the same mind, body, at the same time and place? That is to say, there is a single door of "mood" or "feeling" with only one being able to reside within at once. Not to say one could not merely be passing through with the other close behind.. simply that, yeah the answer of "both" to the question of "are you happy or unhappy?" is generally not applicable.

If you agree with this, then my point was, by having "made peace with them [sources of unhappiness]" you have now removed any obstacle to achieving "happiness" and are now on the path toward it. At the very least making it considerably more reachable.

If you agree with this, then my point was, by having "made peace with them [sources of unhappiness]" you have now removed any obstacle to achieving "happiness" and are now on the path toward it. At the very least making it considerably more reachable. — Outlander

But you are skewing what we call happiness by equating "made peace with" with contentment. A dying person goes through stages of the process of dying -- the final stage is acceptance of the inevitable. This is not happiness.

I disagree. Rationalization is much a strategy to remedy a situation. "Has made peace with them" is not gonna cut it for this happiness -- this is not contentment, but acceptance when all else failed. — Caldwell

Then how can anybody be content (or happy) in such an imperfect world?

you just haven't been around long enough to realize it. This is why everybody should have a natural respect for older people — synthesis

I'm 75; just how old do I have to get?

Then how can anybody be content (or happy) in such an imperfect world? — synthesis

I think we're losing signal here. What's a perfect wold to you?

I think we're losing signal here. What's a perfect wold to you? — Caldwell

There is always something to be happy or sad about. Very nice homes throughout the West are full of older folks that (even if they have checked-off all the boxes) are neither happy nor content.

Contentment is a state that generally takes a great deal of work and persistence, as opposed to happiness which is widely available (with free 2-day shipping!).

If happiness results in sadness, why be happy? — synthesis

Philosopher Philipp Mainlander - 1841 to 1876 - had stated in his only work, "The Philosophy of Redemption", that, as a consequence of existence itself, Non-Existence is the end result - aka Death -, Man should embrace death and therefore, not to be happy, as this would only be an attempt to fight the inevitable, which would create disgrace and anguish in the life of this individual, therefore, not happiness would only facilitate his acceptance of eventual eternity.

Schopenhauer - 1788 to 1860 - states that the search for happiness brings suffering, and therefore, Man should avoid both happiness and suffering.

My point with these two explanations is to show that the concept of "happiness" is completely utopian; metaphysical. It is a false hope to disgrace the miserable and exacerbate the strongest - if used as purpose -.

Man seeks a concept which he already experiences part of it without knowing.

It is not by chance that Man can only be happy, but not be happiness.

If happiness results in sadness, why be happy? — synthesis

Happiness is what explains what motivates you to wake up and get up every day. It is the light of a lighthouse. If you don't see that light and you don't aspire for it to enlighten you, you won't mind being alive or dead.

I'm 75; just how old do I have to get? — Bitter Crank

You must have a young spirit! :)

why be happy? — synthesis

I do it to annoy all the grumpy types. Also because it more peaceful than being angry all the time.

If you are asking WHY .... aren't you already depressed/sad?
Happiness, in therapy, is often associated with acceptance and commitment: don't struggle or fight with the unchangeable past and commit to quality of life (mental health) in the present...
Happiness is brain massage and brain health (neurotransmitters) as well as simplicity for mental health (not depressed, yet can accept a range of emotions), and great in relationships... What brings happiness? How is happiness experienced/created?
Happiness can be the stability when there is a known spectrum between STRIFE and LOVE....in life...

If you are asking WHY .... aren't you already depressed/sad? — Cate

Many see either happiness or sadness. There is also contentment which can involve neither. Nobody really knows what happiness is despite all the science that tells us, this, that, and the other thing. What can be realized is that happiness and sadness arrive hand-in-hand. When the former is spent, the later makes its presence known.

What brings happiness? How is happiness experienced/created? — Cate

The pursuit of happiness that defines much of Western culture doesn't really seem to be thought out very well. — synthesis

Happiness results from an experience that is pleasurable. It is the emotional pleasure that the experience provides that makes us happy. Conversely sadness results from displeasurable ( painful ) experience. Every moment of life is an experience, so every moment of life is either pleasurable or displeasurable or something in between. We are a pain averse, pleasure seeking creature. The pain -pleasure spectrum that we land upon as a function of experience is what provides impetus to life, in my opinion.

​
"Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. It is for them alone to point out what we ought to do as well as to determine what we shall do. "

Jeremy Bentham 1789.

Why be happy?

Happiness seems to be like a place which we like but where we're persona non grata. So, we always look for reasons, even excuses, to go there but our stay there is short, too short to satisfy us, and we're chased off no sooner than we arrive, and we, in response, constantly look for another reason to go there but then, again, we're deported as it were. Lather, rinse, repeat. The question is, when should we give up?

Happiness results from an experience that is pleasurable. It is the emotional pleasure that the experience provides that makes us happy. Conversely sadness results from displeasurable ( painful ) experience. Every moment of life is an experience, so every moment of life is either pleasurable or displeasurable or something in between. We are a pain averse, pleasure seeking creature. The pain -pleasure spectrum that we land upon as a function of experience is what provides impetus to life, in my opinion. — Pop

That's a very nice opinion but happiness is a state-of mind. Since all things knowable arise and pass away, so must happiness. In it's place is left (fill in the blank).

It seems as if the strategy to avoid pain and seek pleasure is not working out so very well. What do you think? Perhaps seeking the middle and being ok with whatever happens your way might be a tad bit easier on the heart (literally and figuratively).

The question is, when should we give up? — TheMadFool

If you seek contentment, you can be 100% with happiness when it comes and 100% with sadness when it comes. The key is letting each go, otherwise you will fall into the cycle of birth and death of both over and over and over...

In it's place is left (fill in the blank). — synthesis

Every moment of life is an experience with its corresponding feeling.

The interesting thing about this is that it is an internal feeling - one persons pleasure is another persons pain. What makes one person happy, is not guaranteed to do the same for another.

In Yogic logic happiness is not dependent upon external causes, but can be elicited at will, with some practice.

If you seek contentment, you can be 100% with happiness when it comes and 100% with sadness when it comes. The key is letting each go, otherwise you will fall into the cycle of birth and death of both over and over and over... — synthesis

I see. Are you 100% with happiness or 100% with sadness?

In Yogic logic happiness is not dependent upon external causes, but can be elicited at will, with some practice. — Pop

Regardless of its cause, happiness comes and happiness goes. The key is in letting it go in its own time. If you attach to the feeling and morn its loss, this is the suffering. The same applies to all feelings.

I see. Are you 100% with happiness or 100% with sadness? — TheMadFool

Both. Happiness and sadness are normal parts of life. When either arises, you be with them fully, when they are done, you let them go fully (by moving on).

. I want you to meditate upon this ...

. Being happy is up to you. It’s a choice you make, and it really is that simple. No one but you is responsible for your happiness, and no one but you can choose to be happy.

. Happiness is man's nature. You need not worry about happiness at all, it is already there. It is in your heart – you just have to stop being unhappy, you have to stop the mechanism functioning which creates unhappiness.

. People come to me and they say - "I keep searching for happiness but not finding it ... What shall I do?"

. Seeking, you will never find it. Finding, or the effort to find it, is a serious thing. It is here! – you need not find it. Start enjoying it! Start being cheerful this very moment! Don't try to find it, because if you try to find it you will remain serious. How can a seeker be non-serious?

. You are searching for happiness and laughter and joy – you have to be serious, otherwise how will you search? Meanwhile you will remain serious, and the seriousness is getting stronger every moment. Tomorrow again you will search; but one day has passed – twenty-four hours' more conditioning of seriousness is on you. You will find less laughter tomorrow; the day after tomorrow it will become even more difficult…and so on and so forth. And you will always be searching and seeking and trying to find.

. Just be cheerful this moment! Just see the point of it! Don't postpone it – these are tricks of postponing. You don't want to be happy; you still want to remain unhappy. You still want some new excuse to be unhappy. Now this is the excuse: ‘I am searching for happiness, I am searching for joy. Right now I am unhappy. I will be happy when I have found – but how can I be happy right now? I will have to find, and the journey is long and the path is arduous, an uphill task.’ So you can be happy with your unhappiness right now, and tomorrow we will see ... and tomorrow never comes.

. Please, understand this ...

. The more you ask for happiness, the more you will be in suffering. The suffering is a shadow. The greater the desire for happiness, the greater will be the shadow. Ask for happiness and you will never get it. You will suffer frustration. Why? – because there is only one way to be happy, and that is to be happy here.

. Happiness is not a result, happiness is a way of life.

. Happiness is not the end result of desire. Happiness is an attitude, not a desire. You can be happy here if you know how to be, and you will never be happy if you don't know how to be and you go on desiring it. Happiness is an art. It is a way of life. If you can be silent and aware of the life that is around you and within you this very moment, you will be happy. The birds are singing, the wind is blowing ... The trees are happy, the sky is happy; everything in existence is happy except you.

. Existence is happiness. It is an eternal celebration, a festivity.

. Look at existence! Every tree is in a festive mood, every bird is in a festive mood. Except man, everything is in a festive mood. The whole of existence is a festival, a constant, continuous festival. No sadness, no death, no misery exists anywhere, except in the human mind. Something is wrong with the mind, not with existence. Something is wrong with you, not with the situation.

. Why is man unhappy? No animal is so unhappy, no bird is so unhappy, no fish is as unhappy as man. Why is man so unhappy? – because man desires happiness, and the birds are happy right now, the trees are happy right now. Man desires happiness – he is never happy here and now. He always desires it, and goes on missing it, because happiness is here. It is happening all around you. Allow it to enter within.

. Be part of existence. Don't move into the future. Existence never moves into the future, only the mind does.

The more you ask for happiness, the more you will be in suffering

@Anand-Haqq

It can be applied in other kind of abstract meanings in human behaviour. Sometimes this is why the youngest generations feel frustrated for not getting the properly "happiness" why? Because they ask a lot of it.

If you ask for being attractive for a girl/boy, the opposite you will get.
If you ask too much for attention, the rejection you will get.
If you ask too much for happiness you will not be full filled in your life or opportunities.

I guess we have to accept our circumstances and yes working hard to get better every year but not being obsessed with "happiness" because it is quite impossible.

Thank you for your comment I enjoyed reading your contribution!

Your welcome. :smile:

Happiness is not a result, happiness is a way of life. — Anand-Haqq

There is no question that there are many folks fixated on happiness, but life does not always present the conditions for happiness to arise. Let's say you have a health condition that cause moderate to severe chronic pain. Or if you have a child who is suffering very harsh difficulties in life. Let's say many, many other things that happen to people in their lives.

Even for the most fortunate, life is difficult. The pursuit of constant happiness seems similar to people who are seeking an escape via all kinds of distractions . Balance is what is needed in all things so you can deal with the inevitable challenges and not-so-wonderful things that defines everybody's life (regardless of the public mask many wish to don).

OTH, contentment is a worthy rung to reach for as this allows one to make the most efficacious responses with the not-so-great things and enjoy the wonderful parts of life without becoming attached (addicted) to such.

There is no reason to be happy lol

. Don't deceive yourself friend ... Don't be cunning with yourself ...

. The out world nothing has to do with happiness ... Life is happiness ... And life is throbbing withing you ... So is happiness ...

. Happiness is an art that one has to recognize. It has nothing to do with your doing or not doing ... It has everyhting to do with your being ...

. People can be happy only in one way ... If they become Buddhas ... otherwise ... you're just deceiving yourself with your beautiful dreams ... with your maya stupid businesses ... with your so called golden palace ...

. Just by becoming a meditative being ... you're happy ...

. Then ... the spring of happiness start flowing; they become more alive, they become a joy to see, a joy to be with; they're a song, they're a dance ...