What is happiness?

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Charlemagne_III

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What is happiness?

What is contentment?

Can people confuse contentment with happiness?

What are the essentials that constitute happiness?

Can people think they are happy when they are really miserable?

Is happiness the ultimate good of life?

What is the main obstruction to achieving happiness?

Your thoughts?

Thank you. 🙂
 
What is happiness?
What is contentment?
Can people confuse contentment with happiness?
What are the essentials that constitute happiness?
Can people think they are happy when they are really miserable?
Is happiness the ultimate good of life?
What is the main obstruction to achieving happiness?
Your thoughts?
Thank you.

I think many people fall into the trap of believing that they deserve “happiness” in their life or that God wants everyone to be “happy.” Personally, I don’t think God cares if we are happy. I DO think we are called as God’s people to be joyful in everything that life throws at us in order to be a witness to the Joy and Peace that comes as being a child of the One True God. “Happiness” may be a byproduct, but it is not a necessity.
Contentment is often a word that I have to ponder about. I think it is often confused with complacent. Complacency occurs when we become accustomed to our little bubble and stop caring about the bigger picture outside our “norm”. I believe we are called to be content with each stage of our life, having faith that if we are actively following God’s will then where ever we are at in life is where He wants us to be. We fall into dangerous territory when we focus too much on the future or our own selfish plans (albeit sometimes good intentioned plans) that we become dissatisfied with what God is wanting us to do at this present moment.
“Happy” and “miserable” are merely states of mind that depend on how you view your own circumstances.
I don’t know if that answered all your questions, but it’s my two cents. Take it for what it’s worth.
 
CuriousKansan said:
What is happiness?
What is contentment?
Can people confuse contentment with happiness?
What are the essentials that constitute happiness?
Can people think they are happy when they are really miserable?
Is happiness the ultimate good of life?
What is the main obstruction to achieving happiness?
Your thoughts?
Thank you.

I think many people fall into the trap of believing that they deserve “happiness” in their life or that God wants everyone to be “happy.” Personally, I don’t think God cares if we are happy. I DO think we are called as God’s people to be joyful in everything that life throws at us in order to be a witness to the Joy and Peace that comes as being a child of the One True God. “Happiness” may be a byproduct, but it is not a necessity.
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Welcome to Catholic Answers. 👍

If we have joy and peace, are we not happy?
 
Charlemagne_III said:
What is happiness?

What is contentment?

Can people confuse contentment with happiness?

What are the essentials that constitute happiness?

Can people think they are happy when they are really miserable?

Is happiness the ultimate good of life?

What is the main obstruction to achieving happiness?

Your thoughts?

Thank you. 🙂
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I think happiness comes from within, goes along with our inner peace.

I believe it is actually possible to be happy despite incredibly horrendous external circumstances, even, for this reason. Some saints have been said to achieve this.

Obstructions to happiness? One is probably expectations. We have expectations rather than preferences. When our expectations aren’t met, we become unhappy.
 
We can believe, (falsely) that our happiness is tied to something external, and this generally assures unhappiness.
 
ClearWater said:
We can believe, (falsely) that our happiness is tied to something external, and this generally assures unhappiness.
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Yes. One thinks of the miser who puts his whole heart into hoarding money and things, and puts no heart at all into purifying himself and finding joy and peace.

Then there is the loss of a loved one, after which we feel we cannot go on alone because we have dedicated ourselves entirely to the loved one.

The only external loved one who never fails us is God. So ultimate joy and peace will only be assured in knowing and loving God.
 
ClearWater said:
I think happiness comes from within, goes along with our inner peace.
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Amen, I think its documented well with Paul who struggled with his own past.

Philippians 3:13-14 that “this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”

He replaced living in the past with living in the Lord. Pauls past wasn’t forgotten, nothing was gone from his past, he refused to allow his past or daily trials to stop him from obtaining heaven.

Happiness was communion with the Lord, communication, prayer bought the inner peace which is Gods gift.
 
`Happiness, to me, involves that my life has meaning…that I am a positive influence on those around me and that, just maybe, some will miss me when I’m gone.
 
oldcelt said:
`Happiness, to me, involves that my life has meaning…that I am a positive influence on those around me and that, just maybe, some will miss me when I’m gone.
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Someone will likely miss all of us after we are gone, even if it’s only to miss having someone to beat up on. 😉
 
In his book *Ten Philosophical Mistakes *Mortimer Adler has a very helpful chapter on “Happiness and Contentment.”

Then there is also *The Conquest of Happiness *by Bertrand Russell.

The only defect of Russell’s book, and it’s big defect, is that he leaves God entirely out of that conquest.
 
Charlemagne_III said:
In his book *Ten Philosophical Mistakes *Mortimer Adler has a very helpful chapter on “Happiness and Contentment.”

Then there is also *The Conquest of Happiness *by Bertrand Russell.

The only defect of Russell’s book, and it’s big defect, is that he leaves God entirely out of that conquest.
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Remember, that is not a defect to everyone. To some of us that is the way it is, and we are better off for it.
 
I believe that we should not crave worldly happiness, but postpone it until the Hereafter, seeking only the cross in this life. Spiritual joy, on the other hand, is most welcome, as long as the experience is not tainted with anything worldly. The distinction between worldly and spiritual joy (happiness) is an important one.

Contentment is largely independent of happiness as far as I’m concerned, and has to do with spiritual peace. I’m quite content, but not happy, where I’m at today.
 
Robert_Sock said:
Contentment is largely independent of happiness as far as I’m concerned, and has to do with spiritual peace. I’m quite content, but not happy, where I’m at today.
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Contentment signifies to me a temporary sate of satiation usually associated with our material conditions.

Happiness is, or ought to be, a spiritual state in which we find ourselves desiring only that which is good for us and for others. This is not ultimately achievable without God in the equation.
 
oldcelt said:
Remember, that is not a defect to everyone. To some of us that is the way it is, and we are better off for it.
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The defect of leaving God out of the equation for happiness is that we never rest until we find God back in the equation. What is your reason for being at Catholic Answers? I know you must be aware that God is very much a part of the equations at work in this place.
 
Mortimer Adler suggests that virtue (a life nobly lived) alone is not a sufficient guarantee of happiness. Added to that must be a measure of good luck. Luck he defines as circumstances of our life over which we have no control. If we have bad luck by inheriting a tortuous disease, our capacity for happiness can be severely limited. If we have good luck by being born with a healthy body and mind, our capacity for happiness is enhanced.

Perhaps we all recognize this as underlying all our happiness when we wish each other, as we so often do, “Good luck!”
 
Charlemagne_III said:
Mortimer Adler suggests that virtue (a life nobly lived) alone is not a sufficient guarantee of happiness. Added to that must be a measure of good luck. Luck he defines as circumstances of our life over which we have no control. If we have bad luck by inheriting a tortuous disease, our capacity for happiness can be severely limited. If we have good luck by being born with a healthy body and mind, our capacity for happiness is enhanced.

Perhaps we all recognize this as underlying all our happiness when we wish each other, as we so often do, “Good luck!”
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Perhaps this is why the emphasis should not be on happiness but on contentment and joy. Happiness is very much dependent on circumstance and attitude and as believers in Christ we should not be so easily swayed to the negative by such ephemeral events. Happiness is too fickle to be the main pursuit of a holy life IMHO.
 
Charlemagne_III said:
But isn’t happiness the end goal of a holy life if we are to be happy in heaven?
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Contentment and happiness are really one and the same. No matter what your religious view, both concepts ultimately explore the idea of greatest joy. So while that joy seems beyond description, I think everyone would agree that it’s no excuse to just dismiss happiness as a significant factor in people’s lives.

Simply put:

If you’re truly content. You’re happy. If you’re truly happy. You’re content.
 
Charlemagne_III said:
The defect of leaving God out of the equation for happiness is that we never rest until we find God back in the equation. What is your reason for being at Catholic Answers? I know you must be aware that God is very much a part of the equations at work in this place.
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I have been here since the death of JPII…is this not a philosophy forum? Perhaps you are only looking for opinions that coincide with your own. If so, you will find few here…a cradle Catholic, who saw another possibility.

John
 
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