Why Some People Are More Happy Than Others?

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   andycoolposted 12 years ago

   Is it money, or relationship or just another psychological phenomenon? Please contribute on how to earn a bit more happiness in life. We desperately need it, don't we? Welcome to a constructive debate and thanks in advance to all contributors in this thread!

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      God is in kitchenposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      They forget easily

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         andycoolposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Agreed! "They forget easily". Well that's not a joke, seriously. That's actually a massive power of mind!

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      gmwilliamsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Of course, having a substantial amount of money makes people happy.   People who are financially struggling are not happy.   They are busy making sure that they obtain the bare necessities and not to be homeless.   If you have a substantial amount of money to be comfortable and beyond, you are happy knowing that at least you have some type of financial freedom and you are able to pursue the lifestyle you desire.   
      
      Besides the aspect of monies, happiness is actually an inward condition.   While certain outer events influence the amount of happiness a person has, genuine happiness is an inner quality.    There are some people who are generally more happy and optimistic than others.   These are the people even though they are exposed to the less positive and more difficult aspects of life, they nevertheless do not become defeated but such prospects but view the positivity of the situation, learn, and move on.   They realize that there is hope and life in general is a gift and joyful experience.

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         JaxsonRaineposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         I disagree...
         
         I have been very happy at times where we were struggling. Not all the time, but I was still able to be happy.
         
         And I know a lot of rich people that aren't happy... they are too busy with work. Come home from work and they are still working or thinking about work.

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            andycoolposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            But Jaxson money provides security, and as gmwilliams makes a valid point, security is an essential ingredient of happiness.

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               JaxsonRaineposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               I think people base their happiness too much on external factors.
               
               I know it is possible to be happy when you don't have security, because I've been there.
               
               Yes, it's easier to be happy if you are wealthy, but it's not a guarantee. I know happy poor people and unhappy wealthy people.

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   JaxsonRaineposted 12 years ago

   I think it is because the choose to be happy, and work to be happy.
   
   I try to be happy and enjoy life, even when it 'sucks'. It is an actual effort, but the reward is that I am more happy now than I used to be when I didn't put forth the effort.
   
   I relax, I count my blessings, I spend as much time with my family as I can...

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      andycoolposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks Jaxson for the insight. "I try to be happy and enjoy life, even when it 'sucks'". That's a great contribution!

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   WriteAngledposted 12 years ago

   I'm happy, because after 30+ years in four major relationships, I finally realised being single is so much more rewarding than being tied to someone and their needs. I love the freedom I have now to be what I want to be and do what I want to do without having to consult anyone else.
   
   I am happy because after living all my life in big cities, I fled to the sticks four years ago at the age of 54. I now work in my study, from which I look out over the valley and mountains and revel in the changing light and colours every day. Even when it pours with rain, which is often here in Wales, it is only another play on light to enjoy.
   
   I can truly say my current life is 100% fulfilled and I yearn for nothing more, despite the fact I am neither rich nor successful in the eyes of the world.

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      JaxsonRaineposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I agree with you on the countryside Not on the single life though, I hated being single.
      
      But, if it makes you happy, I'm glad for you

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      andycoolposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks WriteAngled for sharing your secret of happiness. The gist is your mental flexibility, right? That's a virtue one has to develop over years.

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   paradigmsearchposted 12 years ago

   Darn. I wrote a good answer, but decided to put it in a hub instead.

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      God is in kitchenposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      junior scientist

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   knolyourselfposted 12 years ago

   Maybe a lot people are not smart enough to be happy. Maybe it takes some intelligence to figure out how to be. Are there any happy haters?

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   rebekahELLEposted 12 years ago

   I think those that are happiest have discovered it comes from connecting with oneself and are not trying to find it 'out there somewhere'.  I wrote a hub about it sometime during these last three years.  It definitely is a choice we make. Circumstances don't necessarily indicate the potential for happiness.

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      andycoolposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks rebekahELLE for the contribution. Do you see any correlation between creativity and happiness? I've seen many creative people that are the happiest and also seen creative people suffering from terrible depression. Doctors say creative people are more sensitive and hence more prone to depression.

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         rebekahELLEposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         That's a good question.  I think it goes back to the individual making a connection with their strengths and abilities.  Creativity expands our mind. Using it can enhance our well-being. Yet there are very creative people who are unhappy.  That doesn't mean they don't experience periods of happiness while in the creative state. Different factors play a part in someone's happiness 'set point'.  Genetics can play a part in depression.
         The great thing about happiness is that it can be experienced by anyone. No one is happy all of the time. Our 'set point' moves throughout our lives, or it should. But if someone decides that the only way that they can be happy is with a six figure income and a 3 car garage, well, they may not find it, and perhaps have wasted their life chasing  false 'contentment'.
         
         Here's a link to an article published a number of years ago in Time magazine about a happiness study.
         It's interesting. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/artic … -1,00.html

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            andycoolposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Interesting reading... thanks rebekahELLE!

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   rebekahELLEposted 12 years ago

   I disagree.  Perhaps it's how you define happiness that makes a difference in how you perceive why some are happier than others.  Having a substantial amount of money doesn't 'make' people happy.  We could listen to news reports or read any number of biographies,  autobiographies to know this isn't true.
   Children are some of the happiest humans I know.  Are you saying that because a child's family may not have a substantial amount of money that they can't be happy? Nonsense.  I know truly happy people that have had their lives broken open, so to speak.  Substantial amounts of money and 'security' do not guarantee happiness anymore than not having substantial money and security indicate unhappiness.

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   andycoolposted 12 years ago

   I've seen two types of people -- 1) trouble lovers and 2) trouble haters. Trouble lovers generally come from poor socioeconomic background and are comfortable staying in troubled situations. They create trouble in their private lives as well as in public. Trouble haters, on the other hand, are more socioeconomically well-off and more intolerant into troubled situations. *
   
   Inference: Money makes a difference... but it remains to be seen whether there exists any statistically significant correlation between unhappy population and trouble lovers.
   
   * That's a personal observation and not meant to be offensive to others.

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   Aris Budiantoposted 12 years ago

   Wow..pretty cool discussion here. For me, happy or unhappy is from ourselves. For the happy, let me congratulate and for the unhappy, please calm down. If it's about money, try to look around, so many people experience this. Please look down and do not look up. If we compared to the rich, just think about this, we and the rich are just the same, "eat 3 times a day".
   
   AB

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