Tricky tricky question.
As many people, as many answers. And not one of them correct, or incorrect.
I'm not even going to attempt an answer, not here at least. But I do want to know yours.
What is it that you really need to be happy?
I was quite in the mood for an intellectually stimulating conversation this evening. Actually, quite starved for it. Life has become too drudge and stressed of late. Too much to do, too little leisure to ponder, and practically nobody to help. Conversationalists like me will die, what less!
So I asked a friend what he really needed to be happy and he never got a step ahead of the good food and lots of sleep step. Sure they're important, but just that much? Is it all? He won't say anymore, primitive aadivasi that he has become, but I want to know what is it that makes different people happy. Maybe the aadivasi is indeed content with that, but happy? Lock him in a room with a comfortable bed and adequate supply of good food forever and he'd be happy? Maybe...people are strange. But I have my doubts.
So you answer me, please. Honestly.
Then I'd fire the other questions I'm playing in my mind with. :P
34 comments:
All you need is love. :)
Of what?or, whose?
One has to become desire-less to be truly happy.
hmmm some good questions, but this one is actually tough, what do I need to be happy????
well if I start talking of materialistic aspects then it would be a never ending list, and at the end of the list again I would think "would I be really happy with this ?"
The desire-less funda given above is also good but finally we are all humans and that is not possible!
I guess happiness is relative, the definition keeps on changing from time to time, depends upon the phase you are currently in, the thoughts that are bothering you most at the moment, things or thoughts that would give me happiness were different when I passed out from college, and they are a lot different now. But I guess happiness to me is a perfect life, not to worry much about the earnings, so that I am free to work on my passions, desires, things that I left long time back... this was one idea, the second would be to live with my family parents , sister, but alas everybody has their own jobs, their own engagements and these things cannot happen, a friend who doesn't change with time / new people entering his / her life, someone with whom it shouldn't matter that we have / haven't spoken since ages, the formality, social obligations are not there....
But I guess I still haven't defined what I need to be happy, so I guess I would think and post again... but this should be enough to kick start the discussion!
Pheonix: thanx for making me sit and think again :) only to get more confused
Shantanu
"Maybe the aadivasi is indeed content with that, but happy?"
Content??? Don't you think being 'content' is even more difficult than being 'happy'? I haven't seen anyone content with his/her life!
something to work, someone to love, something to hope for.
Sounds clichéd, but has worked for many!
[tapasya]
Agreed. That is the one desire that's almost impossible to fulfill.
[shantanu]
I like the way you think, and that does provide me critical inputs to think in the direction of (so what if you got slightly more confused :P )
materialistic things are an unending list that cant bring lasting happiness. the second bit of your answer is more interesting as it brings in the people element into it...the desire to be with some people or find certain kind of people, and what I in essence see as a need of freedom and security. That sounds very agreeable to me. :)
[anonymous]
It's contentment in a different sense, more like absence of constant frustration and cribbing over what is there. In the absolute sense of the word contentment is definitely divine, but the way I meant it here is like saying I'm not exactly happy with where I am in life but for the moment I will make do with this and live.
[thelostcause]
A reason to live :)
And how many of these do you have?
PS Nice to see you around on the blog still!
Depends on why I need to be happy. If I need to be happy because I feel that's what life is meant to be like, then I need selfishness and ignorance, and things and people I can rely on. If I need happiness so that people around me are happy too, then what I need is a little selflessness and innocence and stupidity and extreme fear of loneliness. If I need happiness because I had a cosmic revelation that that's every person's duty once he's born, I need ambition, competitiveness, strength, talent, ability etc etc. Of course, all these reasons mix, and so all the qualities required mix, and so are you really expecting an answer to this question?
Zyada bol diya, but I guess it's good for a start!
[vibhav]
Obvious counter question: Why do you, Vibhav, need to be happy? And if the answer to this changes with time and circumstance, what is the co-relation?
As per the rest, well put I must say.It's interesing how one needs a little bit of both selfishness and selflessness co-existing to be happy, among other things. Why an extreme fear of loneliness though? that's one of the most terrible mortifying feelings to have!
What I want to be happy perhaps does depend on whether I want to be happy for my peace, for my sense of being 'good' and 'moral', for my material needs or for my ego. The interesting thing is, these wants so change with time. Or do they?
Are we looking to be simple or are we looking to be super? (And are only women hard to please?)
I really think happiness is 'to each his own'..but in my opinion,anything that gives me immense satisfaction and most importantly when I am doing something I like, I am happy!!besides someone else's happiness also adds up to our own happiness many a times!i.e. seeing someone very very happy!!
and btw dude! I am coming to Delhi from 26th-29th nov..if possible I wanna meet you!!lemme know whatever is the case!
[metallica bhakt]
So basically, it's the freedom to do what you really want to do, isn't it?
:)
And yeah, I'd love to meet you though I think my end of term exams start around the same time, yet a few hours shouldn't be a problem. I'd be at IIT meet me for sure!
Yeah would like to add something more on Metallica Bhatk's lines...
Yeah definitely someone else's happiness adds to my happiness a lot... friend, family... infact this is transitivity (A->B and B->C so A->C) hehehehe that was one idea of happiness in a software engineer's language :P
Shantanu
congrats you got Flogger Award for best blogs
http://floggeraward.blogspot.com/2007/11/public-diary.html
absolutely! the freedom to do what I want to do and most importantly it should make me happy even while I am doing it..as in the process should make me as happy as the output!
Doin things you love, or spending time with family friends and sometimes just arbit...happiness plan karke thodi aati hai!
dont know..i have been in d pursuit of happ'y'ness for a very long time..and still havent found it...
[shantanu]
Chalo another lesson added:
happiness is transitive.
[metallica bhakt]
Often the process is the difficult part...i mean if i didnt have the hope n vision of the end result, i might find it much touger to do or live thru certain things
[akshay]
So happiness is also random? Kabhi bhi aati hai kabhi bhi chali jati hai............
[azeem]
Maybe it'd help if you know exactly what you're looking for.
[fattebaz admin]
Thank you.
Not completely random but sometimes when you plan, it might not appear and sometimes it might come unplanned.
Actually agree with doc.... All you need is love.... from someone close, someone you respect, and most importantly you need to actually love yourself.... hating oneself is the primary cause of unhappiness
Hi! My name is Project 71. Weird name I know, but my masters are weird too. My masters apologize for such an out-of-context comment and they know how painful such spamlike comments are. But, say masters, how else are we to present something good to the world. By that they mean me :D. Kindly see what I am about. Won't take you more than 22s to read... http://www.project71.com/readme Enjoyy!
[akshay]
Kaisi elusive unrelaible si cheez ke liye bhagte hain yar sab log is duniya ke
[rohan jain]
Hard to get, impossible to keep.
And self-hatred is harmful agreed, but too much self-love?
Gr8 question
I started thinking "how come i didn't think of this question"?
The answer has to be individualistic in my case it is philosophical and complex, yes too long to pen it down here, hence this link
http://memoofthepast.blogspot.com/2007/11/in-pursuit-of-happyness_15.html
Just love yourself, and believe in the love you have for yourself.... U ll be happy!!! But that does not mean I am implying that external loe is not effective, it is.. but not in our hands!!!
[project 71]
Oh nice thing you are. Congratulations to you and your master, for you are born
[nikhil]
Nice theory. And hence it comes down to people again. What if you had no one??
[eagle]
a lot of Narcisism can bring u pride, but joy?
What! Do you need to be happy?
Puns dont always answer questions baba... :)
Now I had to think about the question. I scanned through my memories and concluded that most of the unhappy moments in my life have been a result of me being wrong despite being able to be right. So, to be happy I need to be right in my actions/decisions up to the extent that is normally expected of me-the-mortal's capabilities/faculties.
(I know it's a very simplistic approach. And it's only about 'what do I need to be happy'. I can't even attempt to answer 'what does one need to be happy?')
[vik]
Good answer you know, because you just initiated the chain of thought that wonders, is happiness when we are able to meet our own expectations?
That is an alternate definition that is less simplistic that it really looks. It says that to be able to be happy you need to have control over how much you expect out of yourself, and your life, by extension. It might somewhat explain why peace, desirelessness and a calm, un-greedy attitude is associated with happiness. It may just also hint why highly ambitious/rich etc people don't tend to be "happy", apparently.
Okay, my interpretations are getting wild now. Your thoughts?
Leo Tolstoy once said, "If you want to be happy, be." That, to me, sums it all.
The one thing that I would say is very very essential to be happy is to have good health. That apart, it is upto you to work your way towards happiness. It might be difficult, but trust me it is possible. You don't really 'need' anything besides this.
PS: Of course I assume that you have things that are absolutely necessary to live - food, air, water, etc etc etc (no, not clothes :D)
as soon as you define happiness the sooner can a conversation be resulted which might or might not be inclined to call the conversation intelligent but it could be revealing but it would need a definitionfor now the answer would begin with each his own...
[:d]
So, in order to be happy, what you need is to really really want to be happy. And then, not to try to hard for it. :)
cool.
So long as you know what you;re looking for...
[pricky]
My definition..mm...watch out for my next post!
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