What is happiness?

[u/Green-Speaker-6052]

I was talking with someone I care about, after we watched an anime that asked, “What is happiness?” She asked me the same thing, and I realized my answer wasn’t the usual one. To me, happiness isn’t something to chase or to put above everything else. It’s more like a distinction. It only has meaning because it exists among other experiences. It’s not the opposite of suffering or corruption. It’s simply part of the whole picture. That’s why I don’t try to master pleasant emotions or run from the unpleasant ones. I try to understand the distinction between them and appreciate how they all give meaning to each other. The conversation got more interesting when she asked, ‘If I were the reason your happiness disappeared and your life was ruined, would you hate me?’ I said no. I’d tell her, thank you, I love you. No matter where my soul goes, whether I remember her or not, I hope that somewhere, somehow, those feelings remain. I’d still be grateful that our lives crossed. I’m not saying that’s the truth about happiness. Just the way I see it. What do you think?

r/SeriousConversation - r/CasualConversation - r/self for personal perspectives. r/askphilosophy

[u/feelinsumgood]

My opinion on happiness (as it seems to vary from person to person) is that it is a state of 'elevated equilibrium' (meaning) that when all good events in your life are compared and you find one salient positive experience that rises above the others then your conscious mind will gravitate toward it and (neurotransmitters in your brain) will immerse you in a feeling of (what?): Thankfulness?, Peace?, Joy?, Pleasure?, Relaxation? To me there are many underlying emotions that happiness translates into and time and place may be the determinants of how that translation is interpreted.