I am pondering happiness at the moment...

[i-need-a-martini]

(and no, it has nothing to do with the length of my ignore list lol!).

But I am wondering 2 questions:

1. What is happiness?

2. What makes you the happiest?

I know you're all going to say my kids, my husband etc. But what SPECIFICALLY makes you the happiest?

[newstart2380]

You're all being too wishy washy.

I want real examples.

Making heaps of money and being totally self indulgent.

[cherry*135]

[cat_mioux]

So does that mean that happiness is an inherited emotion cat?

Going by what you wrote, my happiness set point is relatively high. Very little gets me down and I am never depressed.

But I do get angry a lot. I'm not talking violent anger at my kids for not picking clothes up. But general anger at the wold like when I think about injustices against refugees for example. So what happens to your set point when you get angry? Does it drop or anger a separate emotion?

So does that mean that happiness is an inherited emotion cat?

Do you mean is our happiness set-point genetic? I don't know.

So what happens to your set point when you get angry? Does it drop or anger a separate emotion?

Usually feeling angry would add to your unhappiness but it depends on your motivation for 'feeling angry'. Anger is a better feeling emotion than depression. If you were depressed or sad you'd be low on the scale. If you got angry you'd go up the scale but you'd still be below your set-point unless your set-point is feeling angry all the time. There are Ten Worlds in Buddhism in which we operate from (you could say our fundamental way of being).

Hell is the lowest (depression, fear, grief)

Anger comes next.

So if you were operating from the World of Hell and you got angry, you'd go up a level.

[katydidthat]

Thanks, Cat (I think).  

I love the idea of Buddhism, but don't know enough about it to say I'm a follower. 

I think anger can be a very positive emotion, depending on how it's handled.  Or, how it is channeled ... 

So, looking at Martini's examples ... is there a difference between getting angry with kids for their behaviour, and getting angry with a government for IT'S behaviour?  

[toon_town_nutter]

I read an article the other day where the author said Australians place far too much emphasis on being happy. 

[icyfroth]

 I am pondering happiness at the moment...

Well stop pondering and start living it fgs... ppl "ponder" too much.

They should flash their boobs in public places or something.

[cherry*135]

I read an article the other day where the author said Australians place far too much emphasis on being happy. 

I saw the headline for that, and meant to go back and read it, but forgot.

[toon_town_nutter]

I saw the headline for that, and meant to go back and read it, but forgot.

Yeah I can't find it now. 

[icyfroth]

I remember an old black and white movie. I forget the title, but the lead character, a young woman in a twinset and rolled hair complained to her grandfather:

"but Grandad! I'm not happy:!

Grandfather paused. Then " you know, back in my day, you just got on with it. If you were happy, it was a bonus."

So it is. Get on with shaping your life. Not every moment has to be happy!

[gem-boy-g]

I must admit there is a large amount of happiness derived from watching a good movie with a bottle of aged red wine and a lump of ripe camembert chese.