JaneChin says Happiness. Many want it, most don't define it, thus few who don't define it will ever find it. {Discuss}

64 responses to this plurk.

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  August 09, 2008 at 22:47 DebInDenver says oh this is a big topic for me. I see so many unhappy people, usually in the workplace, that I often wonder what makes people happy and more
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  August 09, 2008 at 22:46 JaneChin DebInDenver from personal experience it's usually bc have not defined what "happiness" means for the individual.
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  August 09, 2008 at 22:46 DebInDenver says importantly me. One of my professors in grad school was a famous Chinese poet who lived in the US and had a Japanese wife (he had done his
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  August 09, 2008 at 22:47 DebInDenver says graduate work in Japan then moved to the US to teach. So he said as long as he had these three things, he would be happy: 1. His beautiful
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  August 09, 2008 at 22:49 DebInDenver says Japanese wife 2. His nice American home and 3. he could eat Chinese food any time he wants.
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  August 09, 2008 at 22:48 DebInDenver says I thought that was pretty smart.
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  August 09, 2008 at 22:51 JaneChin DebInDenver in one of my biz articles i cited chris rock re: what men v. women want. i thought it was very insightful.
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  August 09, 2008 at 22:50 JaneChin men (according to chris) want 1) food 2) sex 3) silence. women want: EVERYTHING.
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  August 09, 2008 at 22:50 DebInDenver says absolutely!
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  August 09, 2008 at 22:50 patricksweeney says i don't think we actually can even define happiness until we hit a certain age
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  August 09, 2008 at 22:51 JaneChin i found that if one's definition of happiness is vague and non specific, then more difficult to know when attained.
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  August 09, 2008 at 22:51 JaneChin in one of my talks i said "if you don't know what you mean by happiness, you wouldn't recognize it if it came up and slapped you in the face
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  August 09, 2008 at 22:51 DebInDenver says I heard Eleanor Gilchrist, a Southern author, once say, "My momma said, 'Ellen of course you can have everything, you just need to decide
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  August 09, 2008 at 22:52 patricksweeney says i am 28, married for 5 years, have two amazing sons, 5 and 3, and i still don't think i know the true meaning of happiness
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  August 09, 2008 at 22:52 JaneChin (and i'm saying this from personal experience of "the existential struggle"!)
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  August 09, 2008 at 22:52 DebInDenver says just how much of each one thing you can stand to have.'" I thought that was brilliant.
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  August 09, 2008 at 22:51 JaneChin DebInDenver that IS brilliant!
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  August 09, 2008 at 22:53 patricksweeney says i would say i am a happy guy, but i wouldnt say im content........yet at least
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  August 09, 2008 at 22:53 JaneChin patricksweeney do you think you can enjoy life anyway, even as you still work on the true meaning (if you are interested in it at all)
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  August 09, 2008 at 22:52 DebInDenver says when I ran my last race if Vail, I thought to myself, upon reaching the summit, that this was true happiness- having the ability to run that
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  August 09, 2008 at 22:54 DebInDenver says far, reaching a remote place, and the stellar scenery. I thought, "it's a privilege to be able to do this."
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  August 09, 2008 at 22:54 JaneChin patricksweeney i'm surprised! for me, 'happiness is ephemeral, contentment lasts forever'
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  August 09, 2008 at 22:55 JaneChin (as i reference something i wrote in 2001) www.rateofattrition.com/2001/2001,10,15,contentment,forever.html
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  August 09, 2008 at 22:54 JaneChin DebInDenver did you touch upon happiness at that moment?
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  August 09, 2008 at 22:55 patricksweeney says JaneChin, yes definitely, i don't enjoy how i have handled myself up to this point in a lot of ways, but i love being....
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  August 09, 2008 at 22:56 patricksweeney says a husband and father
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  August 09, 2008 at 22:56 patricksweeney says id actually rather not be able to say im truly happy, because i would get lazy then
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  August 09, 2008 at 22:56 DebInDenver says Jane, definitely, I was beyond thrilled. On my way back I plurked, "I ran at the top of the world today."
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  August 09, 2008 at 23:00 JaneChin do you think happiness leads to complacency?
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  August 09, 2008 at 23:01 patricksweeney thinks at least for him it does lead to complacency......not being where i want to be makes me work harder for it
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  August 09, 2008 at 23:01 patricksweeney says but i think i think too much
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  August 09, 2008 at 23:02 patricksweeney says my 3 year old has the right idea, he is a little genius, and we were fishing the other day
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  August 09, 2008 at 23:03 JaneChin DebInDenver for many, being with nature open them to that experience
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  August 09, 2008 at 23:03 patricksweeney says and he could see i had a lot on my mind, he puts his arm around me and says "dad, i know you have a lot of adult stuff"
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  August 09, 2008 at 23:03 patricksweeney says "but we are fishing.....enjoy it" it was so cute!
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  August 09, 2008 at 23:02 JaneChin Patrick I understand; I once thought the same way (happiness = complacency) thus never allowing myself to feel happy.
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  August 09, 2008 at 23:04 patricksweeney says my wife rags on me foor that JaneChin, she says i dont stop to smell the roses heh
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  August 09, 2008 at 23:04 JaneChin but now I believe that complacency = satisfaction at the ego-self level whereas happiness = peace with self and the world
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  August 09, 2008 at 23:05 JaneChin children are natural geniuses Patrick!
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  August 09, 2008 at 23:04 JaneChin (ok i need to go to costco with hubby to get bb formula bbl to catch up on this thread) I love what I've read from you both so far!
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  August 09, 2008 at 23:04 patricksweeney says especially these 2 characters
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  August 09, 2008 at 23:06 patricksweeney says they know how to enjoy everything
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  August 09, 2008 at 23:18 DebInDenver says Jane I would say I am always happy when I am in nature and feel at peace. I grew up in a rural place. And while I think I have adjusted to
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  August 09, 2008 at 23:17 DebInDenver says city noises, every time I go backpacking I realize that a lot of tension disappears and I usually don't want to come back to Denver.
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  August 10, 2008 at 01:55 JaneChin DebInDenver I understand. My husband loves the outdoors and appreciates nature. I'm very much an indoors person but do appreciate as well.
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  August 10, 2008 at 04:48 affiliatecoffee says happiness - as much of a simple word it may be - yet the hardest to define. everyone has their own unique definition of happiness.
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  August 10, 2008 at 04:50 affiliatecoffee says for some materialistic things provide happiness, some feel the need to grow spiritually.
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  August 10, 2008 at 04:54 affiliatecoffee says may be by some self introspection, we will be able to find what truly makes our life complete, and gives us "happiness"
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  August 10, 2008 at 11:46 DaisỵΜ∞n says Happiness - the feeling I have every morning when I wake up to the life I have been blessed with. No matter how the trials and tribulations
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  August 10, 2008 at 11:49 DaisỵΜ∞n says fight against us, no matter how the *sunshine & rainbows* lift us up; it's the feeling in every moment that __I have this moment__
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  August 10, 2008 at 16:23 DSN has yet to define happiness for himself. knows $ won't buy happiness, however, $ is required to by freedom from idiots...
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  August 10, 2008 at 19:13 JaneChin DaisyMoon you are very rare indeed
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  August 10, 2008 at 19:13 JaneChin DevSpamNull actually, scientific studies have shown that a certain amt of $ is required for happiness (i.e. survival may be needed first)
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  August 10, 2008 at 19:52 DavidBridger says happiness is my default setting these days. I've lived through a severe injury and subsequent chronic illness, family upheaval & financial
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  August 10, 2008 at 19:53 DavidBridger says difficulties. After surviving stuff like that with body soul & family intact, every day is okay in comparison. No, it's more than that -
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  August 10, 2008 at 19:53 DavidBridger says every day is simply okay. That's where we start, and it's up to us to build on that base.
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  August 10, 2008 at 19:55 DavidBridger says That's how it works for me, anyhow.
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  August 10, 2008 at 20:08 JaneChin DavidBridger thank you! Most of us fail to appreciate the power of "every day is simply OK". we think we should want more and have more.
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  August 10, 2008 at 20:08 JaneChin I'm going to remember what you said about everyday being simply OK.
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  August 10, 2008 at 20:21 DavidBridger says
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  August 13, 2008 at 22:42 ethnicomm says happiness - you are in control of your own happiness - others cannot make you unhappy - it's when your expectations are not met that you are
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  August 13, 2008 at 22:44 ethnicomm says unhappy NOT their actions for they are independent of your life
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  August 13, 2008 at 22:44 ethnicomm says if you let others control your feelings, you will never be happy
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  August 13, 2008 at 23:31 LivSimpl.com Happiness is having my 1 yr old son squeal happily, clap, and run up to me when I walk in the door after work.
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  August 14, 2008 at 02:22 drb74 says happiness is accepting what is while you seek to change towards preference
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  August 14, 2008 at 02:31 Suninthecity there is a difference between happiness and joy. JOY is perpetual while happiness is circumstantial.
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  August 14, 2008 at 03:12 JaneChin well said ethnicomm drb74 livsimpl
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  August 14, 2008 at 03:13 ThoughtWrong is happy, The only thing that would make my life more complete is if I had all my bills paid and money woes were no more
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  August 16, 2008 at 14:03 johnlarkin feels happiness is mindfulness; when the past, present and future are as one; dying is not an issue; one is in the present; possessions irrelevant
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  August 16, 2008 at 14:15 JaneChin johnlarkin you said it well. For me, dying will be an issue of physical reality, but I'd fear it less.
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  August 16, 2008 at 14:17 JaneChin (by the way nice to see you on plurk! and thank you for your very nice email)