[Charismatic]

I am doing a English paper and would like to know your opinions.

What does Happiness mean to you?
What is the key to Happiness\How do you obtain it?
Can true Happiness be obtained without sorrow?

This is a serious discussion only, please.

Lastly,
I reserve the right to quote or use the answers given in my paper. If you wish to possibly be properly cited, put your full name in your post. Ill try to properly cite you either way if I use your post.

That said, Discuss!

[Deka1184]

I am doing a English paper and would like to know your opinions.

What does Happiness mean to you?
What is the key to Happiness\How do you obtain it?
Can true Happiness be obtained without sorrow?

This is a serious discussion only, please.

Lastly,
I reserve the right to quote or use the answers given in my paper. If you wish to possibly be properly cited, put your full name in your post. Ill try to properly cite you either way if I use your post.

That said, Discuss!

Happiness to me is.... doing something you love, w/ someone you love, in an environment you love.... and being totally in the moment. I don't believe happiness can be permanent because everyone dies, rather, it is those instantaneous points where you feel you could go on forever doing exactly what you are doing that make life worth while.

The key to happiness is realizing and accepting that everything must come to an end and choosing to live in the above mentioned moments, when you have them, and not anxiously longing after them when they are gone, but cherishing them, and looking forward to the wonderful surprises of the future.

True happiness, I believe, cannot be obtained without sorrow. Sorrow as a prelude to happiness intensifies happiness so much.... because everything is relative. Its not perfection that is beautiful, but the contrast of perfection with surroundings of imperfection.

didn't put much thought into it so don't rip on me too harshly, hope that helps.

[iamzack]

1. being the cause of other people's happiness

2. uhm.. i'm thinking

3. being entirely without sadness is probably only possible if you're dead, but if you're dead you can't be happy either. so.. no?

[NGTM-1R]

Acceptance.

[General Battuta]

Scientifically, long-term happiness is apparently mostly drawn from relations with other individuals.

'Flow cognition', or deep immersion in challenging but not frustrating tasks, is also a major source.

Money is not a major element.

[Liberator]

Happiness is a life filled with a job you like and are good at, a mate that wants you for you and not for what you can give them, children to raise and provide you with a sense of immortality, and the ability to obtain all these things without being a braggart about them or ungrateful to have them.

[Charismatic]

Thanks for the comments sofar guys, their great. Keep them coming HLP!

Acceptance.

Acceptance of or to or from what? What kind?

[NGTM-1R]

Acceptance of or to or from what? What kind?

The question is more properly what can you not accept and still be happy?

And the answer to that is "not much".

[Deka1184]

Hmm, accepting something, making peace with it. As long as you accept everything you can never be taken down.

Go with the flow.

Eastern thought. 

[Colonol Dekker]

Question: What is the Key to Happiness

 
 
Peace of mind and good health. A sense of fulfillment.
 
You'd need to define happiness though, not a general definition. A personal/individual definition. My above answers max not cut the mustard for everyone.
 
To that end I'd say mutual undertanding and tolerance plays no small part.
 
 
It's James Dobbs-Reynolds by the way.
 
Of LONDON.

[MP-Ryan]

Scientifically, long-term happiness is apparently mostly drawn from relations with other individuals.

Yup.  There was a paper published on this that examined lottery winners not that long ago.  Conclusion:  loving long-term relationships make people far happier than comfortable lives.

[watsisname]

Happiness is temporary.  The pursuit of happiness is eternal.  Sex, drugs, and alcohol make a great quick fix though lol

But seriously, I think the key to happiness is finding some activity you love, and becoming truly good at it.  Maybe it's a sport, maybe it's a job, or maybe it's something very personal/private and isn't even beneficial to the world at large.  Whatever it is, it should be something you really care about.

[swashmebuckle]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylQMhYqSntk

'nuff said

[Mars]

Happiness can only happen when you let go of the muddled idea of what SHOULD be and embrace the idea of the best things could possibly be.

[Thaeris]

...Eugh...

The fundamental construct of true happiness is immaterial - the elements and conventions of this worldly plane are of no concern.

Thus said, what is needed to be happy? What is required is that which does not have need of direct interaction with the physical - freedom of thought and mind. However, there also must be established order in such a system as to deny the presence of chaotic degredation. Such a state will result in its own self-destruction.

Therefore, to be happy, people ought to be free. However, in the contrast and balance of this presumption, order of a sort must be established so as to deny chaos and the self-destructive nature of man to disrupt peace.

It must also be noted that with freedom of thought and mind, there must exist in the individual the capacity to test and reason about said thoughts - "testing them with fire," if you will - so as to maintain order within the mind. To be free is to bear a burden and a responsibility; to be happy is to be free. A pure state of happiness is thus linked to a code of honor - a righteous burden in the soul.

...Meh. That's all I feel up to throwing out there on a philosophical rant. If this interests anyone, I'll continue then.

[General Battuta]

That's just philosophical. We can test what makes people happy empirically.

[bobbtmann]

You can't pursue happiness by doing stuff, since being happy is a state of mind. Acceptance of the conditions surrounding your life, and not pursuing something is where you find happiness.

I mean, really, if you're always looking for happiness, then you obviously haven't found it yet. And the only way to find it is to realize: "Hey, I found it! Now I don't need to pursue happiness more" So really, you're not happy until you've accepted what you've got. And acceptance is also a state of mind.

[MR_T3D]

happiness is living without worry, and if you have enough money to not worry about affording what you need in life, then that money has bought you happiness

Acceptance.

and this.

[Mongoose]

That's just philosophical. We can test what makes people happy empirically.

I think you both need to yank your heads out of your textbooks and go do something fun.

[iamzack]

Scientifically, long-term happiness is apparently mostly drawn from relations with other individuals.

So I got the answer right?