How do we know if we are happy in our lives?

[Jadukor]

Sometimes I wonder how do we really know if we are happy with our lives? What are the indicators for happiness? Is it money? promising career? loving family? great health? strong faith? or a combination of all? Could anyone achieve all that and still be unhappy? Is it possible to achieve some of those without sacrificing others? (eg money and career growth over family commitments)

Share your thoughts

[Zunaid]

I think your degree of happiness can be distilled down to asking - "How often do you wake up with a pang or anxiety or foreboding?" Yes, as simple as that. The less you do the happier (or less unhappy) you are.

Many moons ago, in grade 9, I remember reading a collection of Ian Fleming short stories where 'Quantum of Solace' really caught my fancy. The eponymous James Bond movie has really no relation to the story - which was a most unusual James Bond story in that Bond played only a parenthetical role and the main protagonist was the character in a story being told the British High-commissioner to the Bahamas(?). The latter came up with the term Quantum of Solace and the quantum drops to zero when humanity and consideration of one human for another is gone and the relationship is finished.

This story got me thinking and I coined the term 'Quantum of Contentment' which to me is a truer measure of happiness in life. How you measure it is subjective and can only be measured by your personal yardstick. If you start thinking of the Quantum of Contentment and you ask yourself - am I content? If you are, you are happy.

[ahnaf]

The less you are thinking about it,the more you are..

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[Zeeshan]

if you have to ask then you are not happy....happy people are too much busy enjoying their life..like Zunaid...who is going to vatican to tap his pince-nez... ne'st pas simon...timon..oh imon

[Zunaid]

Originally Posted by Zeeshan
if you have to ask then you are not happy....happy people are too much busy enjoying their life..like Zunaid...who is going to vatican to tap his pince-nez... ne'st pas simon...timon..oh imon

True. Happiness is traveling. And I travel. Ergo, I am happy

[Zeeshan]

Originally Posted by Zunaid
True. Happiness is traveling. And I travel. Ergo, I am happy

Or expensive hobby like watching movies. Just spent a stash on The Conjuring. Creepy as hell. Reminded me of this fellow called bujhee kom (?) 's avatar...

[Jadukor]

damn I need to start travelling again

[cricheart]

I think drugs really do helps here in certain extent.

[Zeeshan]

Before idumb comes and says this:

ki hay Jadukor tsk tsk....jadukorni treating you not right? agei bolsialm eishob biye sadhir theke dure thako, mayia manush manei bejhal aar jhamela... amar wife k deklam jomidar er cheler sathe tanki marte kalke ratre... these ******es should be locked up in cages in high heels

take zeeshan for example, he is not married or got a gf and he is so happy

[sum_1]

There is a saying that money can't buy you happiness. The quote itself here is of little significance, but it gives way for a very interesting question. What makes people happy? Is there a common set of attributes like say, family, friends, fame, wealth, etc that are universal to one being happy? It might not be so, for to some people even a loving family can feel like a tight noose, and depression is common among celebrities who have both fame and wealth in abundance. Health is hardly a source of happiness, for we take good health for granted. It is however, the lack of it that causes the exact opposite. Happiness is, in fact in my humble opinion, like a dessert, which has a general name, but can be made using many different ingredients. The attributes varies from people to people. For Mother Teresa happiness meant saving a life, for Jack the Ripper it was taking one.

Now the question arises, can we measure happiness? In other words, how happy are we? Is there any thing as being fully happy or completely sad? And how can we measure the things in between? The answers are way beyond my intellectual level, but I dare put an argument that how can we measure something when we are yet to find the starting point. And when even the exact same levels of attributes like scoring 60% in an exam can cause different levels of happiness to different students.

Finally are there any properties to which happiness directly or inversely depends upon. Two things that comes to my mind are the 'things we like' and our 'expectations'. There must be many more, and these things might we closest to what can be termed as the "control panel" to happiness.

[simon]

Originally Posted by sum_1
There is a saying that money can't buy you happiness.

ei ashlo eyedumb miya bhai

[iDumb]

not bad zeeshan.....

i agree money cant buy happiness but bro with money you could go to mcdonalds and buy a happy meal, then you go to a bar and spend some money in happy hour... then you can go to a massage parlour and get a happy ending......

if all that dont make u happy, then u should get married, have some children and let them enjoy your money.......

jadukorni dont even cook for you bro, time to stand up for whats right jadukor bhai....dont settle for turkey sandwich.... tell her to cook some good biriyani... i mean freaken asif making more food than her... what the hell yo..... you better off married to asif, atleast u get some food....

thats how u be happy...standing up for whats right.... not by staying in a little cabinet high in the air most of your life and believing you are happy because not everyone can afford that........
i am sold in that good experience is happiness..... bad experience like a marriage is unhappy.....

i am miserable.....

[AsifTheManRahman]

A Bangladesh cricket fan can never be happy...always miserable.

Unless you have low expectations like pretty much everyone in the A team, Aftab and Ashraful.

[G-man]

work hard, play hard, eat right, exercise and live within your means. It's not rocket science.

[Night_wolf]

Originally Posted by AsifTheManRahman
A Bangladesh cricket fan can never be happy...always miserable.

Unless you have low expectations like pretty much everyone in the A team, Aftab and Ashraful.

true words

[adamnsu]

This is quite a philosophical question.

In general one can claim to be happy when someones mental (less stress, recreation, good family life etc) and physical (eating, shelter etc) needs are met adequately. The level of their wants determines their extent of happiness.

[AsifTheManRahman]

Nah shetai, buk bhora bhalobasha diye paar peye jete parle ke na shukhe thake, tai na adam bhai?

Originally Posted by adamnsu
This is quite a philosophical question.

In general one can claim to be happy when someones mental (less stress, recreation, good family life etc) and physical (eating, shelter etc) needs are met adequately. The level of their wants determines their extent of happiness.

[adamnsu]

Soft dismal diye, matha lojjay niche rakhte hobe, aye bhabe to shukay thaka jai nah...ki bolen Asif Bhai?