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Things I do to be consistently happy

joel.is

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Re: Things I do to be consistently happy

#21

Post by Xcelerate »

exch wrote: post #5

At the risk of going completely off topic and being all philosophical: Can someone explain to me what 'being happy' means? I have consistently failed to answer anyone who asked me if I was happy or not. All I can say is that I am content or not. Which, for me, means that I am satisfied with the situation I am in. I can do what I want to do, when I want to do it and do not have to be bothered by things that do not int…

Happiness is some state of brain chemistry that humans find desirable and, having experienced it once, attempt to achieve that state again.

Contrast this to pain, which most people attempt to avoid experiencing again.

Re: Things I do to be consistently happy

#22

Post by mirsadm »

I think its solid advice on a bunch of things you can do to feel energetic and alert every day. I'm not sure I would have used the word "happy" but the advice is good. I follow similar routines and I found myself feeling fantastic.

Occasionally I'll pig out with food, stop going to the gym etc and I notice a huge difference in my energy levels and my motivation towards work and life in general.

Re: Things I do to be consistently happy

#23

Post by il »

elmuchoprez wrote: post #9
il wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Aren't those all examples of things that you do have a great amount of control over? I personally feel like I've already won the lottery for all of the things I have no control over: living in a wealthy country, not having to worry about food or water, being reasonably healthy and having access to healthcare, etc.

"I personally feel like I've already won the lottery for all of the things I have no control over: living in a wealthy country, not having to worry about food or water, being reasonably healthy and having access to healthcare, etc." Do you actually feel like you've "won the lottery" or do you just try to remind yourself how lucky you are? I've read a number of studies that suggest we internally compare our status rel…

For me it's more about perspective and locus of control. Everyone always says that success is a mix of effort and luck. I agree, and I think I've already gotten more than my fair share of luck. So I can't complain about bad luck, bad economy, etc. If I succeed or fail, it's 100% because of my decisions and actions.

Re: Things I do to be consistently happy

#25

Post by cwp »

nostromo wrote: post #17

I have a theory. I think that self-help books and articles actually make people miserable. I'm quite happy, and I manage to be happy without having a list of the 6 essential things I must do every day to stay happy. In my personal life, the people most into self-help books and the like are the least happy. Correlation doesn't prove causation, so I can't blame the books and blogs -- but they certainly don't seem to be…

Even beyond correlation not proving causation, it doesn't sound surprising to me that unhappy people are looking for ways to become happy, but happy people aren't. You might equally conclude that restaurants make people hungry.

Re: Things I do to be consistently happy

#27

Post by vishaldpatel »

nostromo wrote: post #17

I have a theory. I think that self-help books and articles actually make people miserable. I'm quite happy, and I manage to be happy without having a list of the 6 essential things I must do every day to stay happy. In my personal life, the people most into self-help books and the like are the least happy. Correlation doesn't prove causation, so I can't blame the books and blogs -- but they certainly don't seem to be…

We have a habit of looking for magic pills. Many self-help books advertise themselves as magic pills because they know that it sells. I've read my share of self-help books and articles - specifically on exercise, nutrition and startups. I can say that they have good advice.

Making changes in your life can be difficult. One can also talk at length about the mental state of someone that is only looking for magic pills and how to break out of it.

Re: Things I do to be consistently happy

#28

Post by AznHisoka »

mparlane wrote: post #14

Why is being in love not mentioned? Or sex? Are you just happier being alone?

I guess those are not necessarily things everyone has control of. It would be nice if we can all find a warm body to cuddle with.. I know sex is the ultimate stress reliever for me. But for some people, it doesn't come as easy.

Re: Things I do to be consistently happy

#29

Post by wpietri »

exch wrote: post #5

At the risk of going completely off topic and being all philosophical: Can someone explain to me what 'being happy' means? I have consistently failed to answer anyone who asked me if I was happy or not. All I can say is that I am content or not. Which, for me, means that I am satisfied with the situation I am in. I can do what I want to do, when I want to do it and do not have to be bothered by things that do not int…

You might be like me and not be particularly good at introspection: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_multiple_intelligence...

It took me a long time to be able to recognize things like happiness and love.

Re: Things I do to be consistently happy

#30

Post by nostromo »

cwp wrote: post #25
nostromo wrote: post #17

I have a theory. I think that self-help books and articles actually make people miserable. I'm quite happy, and I manage to be happy without having a list of the 6 essential things I must do every day to stay happy. In my personal life, the people most into self-help books and the like are the least happy. Correlation doesn't prove causation, so I can't blame the books and blogs -- but they certainly don't seem to be…

Even beyond correlation not proving causation, it doesn't sound surprising to me that unhappy people are looking for ways to become happy, but happy people aren't. You might equally conclude that restaurants make people hungry.

"...but they certainly don't seem to be helpful either."

If people left restaurants hungry, wouldn't you suspect they're not living up to their mission?

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