Do you think it's possible to be happy all the time?

[the_bob_delusion]

Would you want to be if it was possible?

If there was a pill that gave you the sensation of feeling happy all time time. WOuld you take it?

[*mrgrizz*]

not possible

we experience many emotions every day

shock,surprise etc even though they may not negate our happiness. it is still the overriding emotion, only if only brief

[the_bob_delusion]

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@*mrgrizz* wrote:

not possible

we experience many emotions every day

shock,surprise etc even though they may not negate our happiness. it is still the overriding emotion, only if only brief

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I was thinking from a neuroscientific perpective. There's a happy center in our brain. Supposely we're able to stimulate that area all the time. Essentially it does mean it's possible to be happy all the time. Maybe a different degree of hapiness but it's still the happy center nonetheless. 

[*crikey*mate*]

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@**freethinker_bob** wrote:

I just figured out an alternative to your point Crikey. I want to take that kudos back. 

Suppose what you said is true. If I was to make someone's life a living hell and never gave them a break and caused him/her as much pain as possible. I'm essentially making them happy when I'm a little lenient on him/her right. 

So can you argue I'm making him/her happy when I don't torture them every 2nd day?

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you lost me.

You asked was it possible to be happy all of the time.

my stance still stands.

if you only tortured them every second day, then they aren't happy all of the time (assuming that you stopping turturing them makes them happy)

if you stop torturing them altogether, will they be happy every day or content? Or will they try to do something to gain that happy feeling when they get used to living in a life without torture, so that this is their "normal"?

and why is it that you are now responsible for someone else's happiness?

[the_bob_delusion]

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@crikey*mate wrote:

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@**freethinker_bob** wrote:

I just figured out an alternative to your point Crikey. I want to take that kudos back. 

Suppose what you said is true. If I was to make someone's life a living hell and never gave them a break and caused him/her as much pain as possible. I'm essentially making them happy when I'm a little lenient on him/her right. 

So can you argue I'm making him/her happy when I don't torture them every 2nd day?

---

you lost me.

You asked was it possible to be happy all of the time.

my stance still stands.

if you only tortured them every second day, then they aren't happy all of the time (assuming that you stopping turturing them makes them happy)

if you stop torturing them altogether, will they be happy every day or content? Or will they try to do something to gain that happy feeling when they get used to living in a life without torture, so that this is their "normal"?

and why is it that you are now responsible for someone else's happiness?

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I just turned it around by saying is it possible to be sad all the time. So if I make someone's life hell then that becomes their normal state so any improvement from that is by definition making them less sad. 

[the_great_she_elephant]

Only in fairy tales, Bob.

[*crikey*mate*]

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@**freethinker_bob** wrote:

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@*mrgrizz* wrote:

not possible

we experience many emotions every day

shock,surprise etc even though they may not negate our happiness. it is still the overriding emotion, only if only brief

---

I was thinking from a neuroscientific perpective. There's a happy center in our brain. Supposely we're able to stimulate that area all the time. Essentially it does mean it's possible to be happy all the time. Maybe a different degree of hapiness but it's still the happy center nonetheless. 

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but after a while our bodies woiuld become used to the feeling that those endorphines release, so then we go from being happy to content if our brain is hardwired to accept that state.

we only know a feeling of happiness beciase someone has identified it as a different and more pleasurable feeling than "normal". If happy became the new normal then they would have to redefine what happy meant.

we wouldn't know that we are happy.

and leave that kudos alone - I'm in a competition woith someone - first to 250 gets a chocolate frog. That will make me happy if I win.

[the_bob_delusion]

well my kudos is worth more. I notice I've only given 3 and the first 1 was just to see what it does. 

[*crikey*mate*]

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@**freethinker_bob** wrote:

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@crikey*mate wrote:

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@**freethinker_bob** wrote:

I just figured out an alternative to your point Crikey. I want to take that kudos back. 

Suppose what you said is true. If I was to make someone's life a living hell and never gave them a break and caused him/her as much pain as possible. I'm essentially making them happy when I'm a little lenient on him/her right. 

So can you argue I'm making him/her happy when I don't torture them every 2nd day?

---

you lost me.

You asked was it possible to be happy all of the time.

my stance still stands.

if you only tortured them every second day, then they aren't happy all of the time (assuming that you stopping turturing them makes them happy)

if you stop torturing them altogether, will they be happy every day or content? Or will they try to do something to gain that happy feeling when they get used to living in a life without torture, so that this is their "normal"?

and why is it that you are now responsible for someone else's happiness?

---

I just turned it around by saying is it possible to be sad all the time. So if I make someone's life hell then that becomes their normal state so any improvement from that is by definition making them less sad. 

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yes, I got that  but if they are less sad all the time (so presumedly happy all the time) this then becomes their normal, so the benchmarks of what happy means have shifted.

[joz*garage]

i think a good level of contentment (or happiness) can be acheived through learning and practicing meditation

[*crikey*mate*]

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@the_great_she_elephant wrote:

Only in fairy tales, Bob.

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fairy tales are brutal!