Is happiness something that happens to you or something that you choose to feel?

Question

I'd like to hear your opinion on this subject! We can choose to start the day with a positive attitude and be grateful for our "abundance" of wealth and health. But sometimes we feel happy because we get what we want or we achieve a goal. Is happiness something that could be achieved or is it all in our heads?

Answer 1

I find it hard to be happy.  I've always fought depression.  If happiness was a choice I'd choose to be happy but it's hard sometimes.

Answer 2

i think both because if ur life isnt good at the time its hard to be happy, but ur life cld be great and u cld still choose to be negative about everything and make urself sad.

Answer 3

Most people go a lifetime without understanding what happiness truly is. We go seeking happiness in all sorts of places, things and people but we don't realize that the key to happiness is within us.

We can seek happiness in worldly things and though we might have a sense of pleasure for a while it only lasts so long. No matter how much you love or covet something, someone or someplace eventually one would get tired and bored by it, for the mind is ever unstable.

It takes wisdom to understand that happiness is within ourselves and true happiness can only come with self-realization. When one finds happiness within themselves, that is the happiness that truly lasts. That is the happiness that stays with you. The journey to happiness is not an easy one, and the only way you will find it is if you choose to seek it and then feel it.

Answer 4

Well, any feeling is all in your head.  But what else do you have?  Who cares if it's all in your head, or verified by the scientific community, or sanctioned by god?  We like good feelings and we don't like painful ones, regardless of who validates them.  This is the essence of happiness.

Our feelings are reactions to things.  We can't really decide not to have these reactions.  It's narcissistic to believe we can turn feelings on and off like a switch at will. We can, however, learn through trial and error what things make us happy and what things make us sad, how to get the things that make us happy, how to avoid the things that make us sad or cause us pain, and then make choices and do things to maximize our happiness and minimize our pain.  This process is usually called self-discovery, learning about the world and yourself and how you fit into this world.

And thoughts CAN add to our happiness or sadness.  We can, for example, tell ourselves that we don't deserve good things in life, which can make us sad.  We can tell ourselves that some bad thing is sure to happen even though we don't know for sure, which anxiety, dispair and loathing will be the result.

To this extent a positive attitude can add to our happiness.  But to have someone close to us die, for example, and then force ourselves to be happy about it is a power we just don't possess in my opinion.

Answer 5

Your feelings are what you want them to be.  People cannot "make" you feel anything.  Statements such as "he makes me mad", are wrong.  A proper statement would be "I am mad because he does not do what I want, or the way I want him to do things".

We are not "victims" of our own feelings - they do not "happen" to us.  Feelings are reactions to our perceptions of reality.  

Answer 6

i think its little bit of both. sometimes u just look at life positively and become happy and sometimes somethings happens dat just makes you happy...like reflexes

Answer 7

A bit of both.....no one can sustain a happy feeling if their lives are S****y, but if life is good - yes it does depend on the individual adopting a positive feeling about their life.  I've met some totally miserable individuals (always looking on the dark side of life) for no reason that I can ascertain.  Reasonably well-off, in good health, got a good job, family etc. - they're just determined to be fed-up and have this need to moan about their lot.

My life is brilliant, and I go around telling everyone this....(god, I bet everyone hates me. =)   Bye, have a nice day.

Answer 8

I think its a little bit of both . you can make yorself feel happy but often you make yourslef feel happy by thinking of something you accomplished . for example " i dont want to go to work but after i can goto the movies " you look foward to something at your job therefore your happy at your job. so its both

hope that helped :D

Answer 9

I believe happiness is not in our heads, but in our souls.  The problem arises as people are stressed, and are treated badly, don't get their way, and then tend to only think and believe negative thoughts. Negativity buries and hides our happiness.  But if you have happiness inside of you, there is still a chance to dig through all the rubble and resurface it.  I know this as this is what happened to me.  I was so negative for so long about my life.  I didn't like where I was, the fact that I was not married with children already, and so I decided I was going to give up and only be negative about my future. And it was just that, negative.  Things changed for me when I read that book, The Secret.  It taught me how to be positive to channel in all the things I wanted in my life.  But my first step was to make positive thoughts a priority.  And now... I am completely happy and positive everyday.  I wake up with a great attitude, and am so thankful and grateful for all the wonderful people and things in my world.  

So, I do not think happiness can just happen to you one day.  I think it is inside of us, and we just have to learn how to listen to it, and bring it out to enjoy everyday. Plus, I choose to be happy, because this is the most incredible high I have been on in my life, and I don't want anything to change!

Thanks for reading!  

Answer 10

Well that's quite a difficult question. :)  Well the occurance of happiness is always dependent on the point of view of the event.  The exact same thing could happen to the same person at two different times (like while that person is in different mood), and happiness may result in one but not the other.  Yes, our mood is effected by what happens to us, but we can choose which direction we emotionally go, we would then choose to be happy because we decide that something is enjoyable or entertaining.  So yes, I guess you could acheive it by choosing to find happiness in everything.

Answer 11

Happiness is a choice, because

there are many things to feel sad

about.  

Yes, when a goal is achieved it

brings on happiness.  The goal

through hard work was achieved.

Again, we picked happiness.

We didn't say I'm not happy,

because the goal took too long

to achieve, or I'm too tired to be

happy.

Answer 12

Personally i think its something that just happens, my prime example wouldn't be from achieveing a goal or aquiring wealth but my example would be my girlfriend. When im doing other things and not around her, there are always things that put a smile on or get me excited but that doesn't neccessarily mean im happy. Its when im around her and when we show affection to each other that i feel alive. So basicly, my claim is the feeling of life and energy running through your veins is synonymous to happiness. Ever have butterflies in your stomach when your around someone? If u ask me... those are happy butterflies...

Answer 13

something that you choose to feel

Answer 14

Happiness is the reward for the positive choices, only you can make

Answer 15

Sometimes we don't feel happy because we are not well rested ,we have not done any exercise, and we are not eating well or drinking enough water. Today I have not felt good but I expect to feel better when I take care of my self better. Our thoughts and attitudes play a major role in our happiness level as well.