this post was submitted on 19 Apr 2024
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When is happiness stable or permanent? Under what circumstances does that even happen?
Well it's never permanent, but I would imagine someone in good health, with strong familial and social connections who lives above the poverty line (person A) is much more likely than someone without one or all of those things (person B) to have a stable feeling of happiness.
Stable, in this context, meaning harder to shake or break.
An example being person A is having a good day and they get a flat tire. The issue is much more likely to be resolved without affecting their overall happiness very much, whereas person B's day might be ruined, which is more likely to have a knock-on effect that can greatly reduce overall happiness.
This is not to say someone without those things wont be happy, just citing a few top level things that, when absent, can make someones life experience more difficult.
As far as under what circumstances would someone experience stable happiness? That's different for everyone because we all have unique challenges in life and how we were raised can directly influence where we are emotionally and what it will take to find happiness.
One of the most sure fire ways to find happiness is in kindness and forgiveness to others, as well as yourself.
That all sounds very idealistic, dare I say naive.
People do not typically assess their own happiness by looking at those less fortunate than themselves. They may feel a sense of relief that their situation isn't as severe but that is not happiness.
Human beings fall ill and pass on, every day. Those are guaranteed outcomes. So yes, while we may all have unique challenges that we're all made to face there are some core facets to the human experience that none of us can escape. People who suggest that happiness is anything but fleeting and impermanent are deluding themselves.
The human experience itself is fragile and unpredictable. How then can human happiness not be?
Ah, a nihilist. I know my limits, and virtually nothing I can say will change your mind because it's still closed, and you likely already have an answer to any questions you ask.
However, I'll leave you with this:
You can see it as naive and idealistic, and sure, I get it. But I never claimed happiness is permanent. It's a worldview, and those can and should change. How they change is entirely up to the individual.
You have more control over your path than you realize, and those who benefit from a defeated or complacent populace are terrified of you realizing it.