Things you THINK will make you happy...

[jkapp]

Discuss amongst yourselves...I will give you yet another topic:


10 Things You Think Will Make You Happy – But Won't

Known as 'The Happiest Man in the World,' celebrated Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard reveals 10 common paradoxes that keep us from living our best lives.

Avoid the impulses below, says scholar-healer Matthieu Ricard, and you'll be primed for lifelong happiness.

1. Becoming rich, powerful and famous.

2. Treating the universe as if it were a mail-order catalog by expecting it to gratify our every desire.

3. Yearning for the "freedom" to achieve every last wish. This is not freedom, but being the slave of your own thoughts.

4. Seeking too much pleasure. Pleasurable sensations soon become dull, and often become unpleasant.

5. Maliciously taking revenge on someone who has hurt you. By doing so, you become like them and poison your own mind.

6. Assuming that any one thing will make you happy. Such predictions usually don't turn out to be true.

7. Expecting all praise and no criticism. Without criticism, you won't progress.

8. To vanquish all your enemies. Animosity never brings happiness.

9. To never face adversity. Refraining from doing so will make you weak and vulnerable.

10. Expending all your effort on taking care of yourself alone. Altruism and compassion are the roots of genuine happiness.


Editor's Note: Former geneticist Matthieu Ricard is a Buddhist monk, humanitarian and international bestselling author. His new book, Why Meditate: Working with Thoughts and Emotions, was just published by Hay House.

->>Now with number one, I agree all three of those probably won't necessarily lead to happiness...but I'm pretty sure I could be happy with the first item at least

I've never agreed that money doesn't lead to happiness...it's all in what you do with it

[Deleted]

I thought the research showed that money does buy happiness up to about $75k per year. After that, more money doesn't make you more happy.

But I agree - rich, powerful and famous holds no appeal for me. Now, rich, powerful and anonymous...

[billisonboard]

Researching on Google and finding out that Chuck Norris eating back fat make me happy.

[Deleted]

like, pig back fat? or chubby human back fat?

[zibazinski]

Eating chocolate makes me happy. I didn't see that on the list.

[dancinmama]

I THINK getting DH retired this year, but then I'm not used to having him around 24/7. Hmmmm....... Good thing there is a golf course less than a mile away. I can banish him to the driving range.

[floridayankee]

1. Becoming rich, powerful and famous.
Rich would be nice. I have no desire for power and/or fame.

2. Treating the universe as if it were a mail-order catalog by expecting it to gratify our every desire.
We're but a infinitesimal speck in the universal sense so I really have no clue what 'the universe' can offer.

3. Yearning for the "freedom" to achieve every last wish. This is not freedom, but being the slave of your own thoughts.
The 'rich' part would take care of a few wishes.

4. Seeking too much pleasure. Pleasurable sensations soon become dull, and often become unpleasant.
Too much pleasure is like too much money or too much fun. It'll never happen. If it does, I sure as hell haven't hit that apex yet.

5. Maliciously taking revenge on someone who has hurt you. By doing so, you become like them and poison your own mind.

6. Assuming that any one thing will make you happy. Such predictions usually don't turn out to be true.

7. Expecting all praise and no criticism. Without criticism, you won't progress.
Those I can agree with.

8. To vanquish all your enemies. Animosity never brings happiness.
That one makes no sense. If all your enemies have been vanquished, there's no one left to feel bitterness and hatred for.

9. To never face adversity. Refraining from doing so will make you weak and vulnerable.
'weak and vulnerable' isn't an issue once your enemies have been vanquished.

10. Expending all your effort on taking care of yourself alone. Altruism and compassion are the roots of genuine happiness.
True altruism / selflessness in putting the welfare of others first may be detrimental and harmful to the self.

[zibazinski]

Actually, it's kind of fun to plot revenge on someone who has hurt you as long as you don't really do it! Oddly enough, the people that have done me dirty over the years, except for my EX (and I'm sure his is coming ) have all succumbed to at least one, if not multiple bad things. Worse than I could ever have dreamed up.

[djAdvocate]

money only correlates to happiness up to about $75k/yr. above that, there is no correlation.

i think this list is largely correct.

[floridayankee]

Feb 16, 2012 10:51:09 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

Actually, it's kind of fun to plot revenge on someone who has hurt you as long as you don't really do it! Oddly enough, the people that have done me dirty over the years, except for my EX (and I'm sure his is coming ) have all succumbed to at least one, if not multiple bad things. Worse than I could ever have dreamed up.

I usually pray for those that do me wrong.

I haven't been to church since I don't remember when
Things were going great til they fell apart again
So I listened to the preacher as he told me what to do
He said you can't go hatin' others who have done wrong to you
Sometimes we get angry but we must not condemn
Let the good Lord do his job, you just pray for them

I pray your brakes go out runnin' down a hill
I pray a flower pot falls from a window sill
And knocks you in the head like I'd like to
I pray your birthday comes and nobody calls
I pray you're flyin' high when your engine stalls
I pray all your dreams never come true
Just know wherever you are, honey, I pray for you

lyrics.wikia.com/Jaron_And_The_Long_Road_To_Love:Pray_For_You

[mmhmm]

Reading the list, and thinking about each point, I agree with all of them. When it comes right down to it, only you can make you happy. Things can't do it. Others can't do it. You, alone, are responsible for your happiness.

[thyme4change]

You know what makes me happy? The music video for "I'm Sexy and I Know it." Those guys are so stupid. When he rips off his speedo, and has another speedo on below it - I nearly peed my pants. LOL.

[cme1201]

Feb 16, 2012 11:29:35 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

You know what makes me happy? The music video for "I'm Sexy and I Know it." Those guys are so stupid. When he rips off his speedo, and has another speedo on below it - I nearly peed my pants. LOL.

My wife let my 7 yo watch this video, he then showed it to me. MY GAWD how utterly stupid.

[billisonboard]

Happiness is fleeting. It is so fleet that if you pursue it, it will flee much faster than you can ever go. It, however, is fascinated by a life well lived. Pursue that and you will discover that happiness comes to you.

[jkapp]

2. Treating the universe as if it were a mail-order catalog by expecting it to gratify our every desire.
We're but a infinitesimal speck in the universal sense so I really have no clue what 'the universe' can offer.

If the universe offered a species of hot alien women who needed human men to help breed their species back from the brink of extinction...that would make me happy

But currently that is only within the fictional realm of adult movies

[jkapp]

Feb 16, 2012 11:27:33 GMT -5 @lonewolf said:

I thought the research showed that money does buy happiness up to about $75k per year. After that, more money doesn't make you more happy.

I look at the lives of people like Elvis, M. Monroe and Whitney and believe this to be true.
More money simply complicates things and creates stress.

OP, thanks for the thread. I totally agree with the author.

IMO, that shows more a problem with fame, and less to do with money. Money only made their self destruction easier. That's why I think I would be happy with just the money, but pass on the fame and power.

[Tennesseer]

Feb 16, 2012 11:38:50 GMT -5 jkapp said:

2. Treating the universe as if it were a mail-order catalog by expecting it to gratify our every desire.
We're but a infinitesimal speck in the universal sense so I really have no clue what 'the universe' can offer.

If the universe offered a species of hot alien women who needed human men to help breed their species back from the brink of extinction...that would make me happy

But currently that is only within the fictional realm of adult movies

"Capt. Patterson jkapp and his space crew crash land on Venus and are captured. They learn the planet is under the dictatorship of cruel Queen Yllana, a masked woman who has banished men from the planet. In the palace, the astronauts are aided by a beautiful courtier named Talleah (Zsa Zsa Gabor) and her friends. The women long for the love of men again and plot to overthrow the evil Queen. When Patterson jkapp has the opportunity to remove the Queen's mask, he discovers she has been horribly disfigured by radiation burns caused by men and their wars. In a fury, the Queen decides to destroy Earth and its warlike peoples but she dies in the attempt. The Venusians are free again to enjoy the love of men."

[jkapp]

Feb 16, 2012 11:50:19 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Feb 16, 2012 11:38:50 GMT -5 jkapp said:

If the universe offered a species of hot alien women who needed human men to help breed their species back from the brink of extinction...that would make me happy

But currently that is only within the fictional realm of adult movies

"Capt. Patterson jkapp and his space crew crash land on Venus and are captured. They learn the planet is under the dictatorship of cruel Queen Yllana, a masked woman who has banished men from the planet. In the palace, the astronauts are aided by a beautiful courtier named Talleah (Zsa Zsa Gabor) and her friends. The women long for the love of men again and plot to overthrow the evil Queen. When Patterson jkapp has the opportunity to remove the Queen's mask, he discovers she has been horribly disfigured by radiation burns caused by men and their wars. In a fury, the Queen decides to destroy Earth and its warlike peoples but she dies in the attempt. The Venusians are free again to enjoy the love of men."

Sweeeeeet...

[thyme4change]

What I will say is that there have definately been very specific things that I thought would make me happy and did. For example, I thought marrying my husband would make me happy - and I underestimated how happy that would make me. I thought I would be happy when there was a change in management at my company - and that person "left" the company, and my world got so much better. Is it perfect - no. But it is now normal.

[floridayankee]

Feb 16, 2012 11:50:19 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

"Capt. Patterson jkapp and his space crew crash land on Venus and are captured. They learn the planet is under the dictatorship of cruel Queen Yllana, a masked woman who has banished men from the planet. In the palace, the astronauts are aided by a beautiful courtier named Talleah (Zsa Zsa Gabor) and her friends. The women long for the love of men again and plot to overthrow the evil Queen. When Patterson jkapp has the opportunity to remove the Queen's mask, he discovers she has been horribly disfigured by radiation burns caused by men and their wars. In a fury, the Queen decides to destroy Earth and its warlike peoples but she dies in the attempt. The Venusians are free again to enjoy the love of men."

Now that Captain jkapp has vanquished the evil queen, I can swoop in and reap the rewards.

MWAHAHAHAHAHA

[jkapp]

Feb 16, 2012 12:04:31 GMT -5 floridayankee said:

Feb 16, 2012 11:50:19 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

"Capt. Patterson jkapp and his space crew crash land on Venus and are captured. They learn the planet is under the dictatorship of cruel Queen Yllana, a masked woman who has banished men from the planet. In the palace, the astronauts are aided by a beautiful courtier named Talleah (Zsa Zsa Gabor) and her friends. The women long for the love of men again and plot to overthrow the evil Queen. When Patterson jkapp has the opportunity to remove the Queen's mask, he discovers she has been horribly disfigured by radiation burns caused by men and their wars. In a fury, the Queen decides to destroy Earth and its warlike peoples but she dies in the attempt. The Venusians are free again to enjoy the love of men."

Now that Captain jkapp has vanquished the evil queen, I can swoop in and reap the rewards.

MWAHAHAHAHAHA

NEVER! These are my busty Venusian women!!

[workpublic]

strive for or find contentment and happiness will follow

[vandalshandle]

I have been unhappy ever since reporters stopped following Palin around. Every time one of her quotes appeared on my home page of my computer, it made my day! Now, all I have is Newt, Mitt, and that other nut whose name I can not remember how to spell. None of those guys are even amusing.

[Deleted]

Feb 16, 2012 13:27:59 GMT -5 vandalshandle said:

I have been unhappy ever since reporters stopped following Palin around. Every time one of her quotes appeared on my home page of my computer, it made my day! Now, all I have is Newt, Mitt, and that other nut whose name I can not remember how to spell. None of those guys are even amusing.

Really? Gingrich is taking policy advice from Chuck Norris - and billisonboard gave me my very own thread in which to giggle about it.

That made me happy.

[resolution]

Feb 16, 2012 13:27:59 GMT -5 vandalshandle said:

I have been unhappy ever since reporters stopped following Palin around. Every time one of her quotes appeared on my home page of my computer, it made my day! Now, all I have is Newt, Mitt, and that other nut whose name I can not remember how to spell. None of those guys are even amusing.

Maybe a little Michele Bachmann will brighten your day.

[vandalshandle]

Michele has left the building as well, or yes, you would have been right. Michele always reminded me of the couple of years that I lived next to Oral Roberts University in Tulsa. That place should have been made into a tourist attraction. The whole thing looks just like a scene from the Jetson's cartoon show. I was told when I moved there that I was now in the middle of the buckle of the Bible belt. They sure had that right!

[jkapp]

Feb 16, 2012 13:50:22 GMT -5 vandalshandle said:

Michele has left the building as well, or yes, you would have been right. Michele always reminded me of the couple of years that I lived next to Oral Roberts University in Tulsa. That place should have been made into a tourist attraction. The whole thing looks just like a scene from the Jetson's cartoon show. I was told when I moved there that I was now in the middle of the buckle of the Bible belt. They sure had that right!

How about Maxine Waters? She's still in politics and she left the sane train a LONG time ago...

Granted, all she does is spout hate towards everyone that disagrees with her, so maybe that's not your cup of tea

[vandalshandle]

Since I canceled my Cable service, I am a little behind on political weirdness, so I had not heard about Newt and Chuck Norris. I'll have to Google that. It is bound to raise my spirits!

[djAdvocate]

Feb 16, 2012 11:27:33 GMT -5 @lonewolf said:

I thought the research showed that money does buy happiness up to about $75k per year. After that, more money doesn't make you more happy.

I look at the lives of people like Elvis, M. Monroe and Whitney and believe this to be true.
More money simply complicates things and creates stress.

OP, thanks for the thread. I totally agree with the author.

OMG!!! I AGREED WITH LONE TWICE IN A WEEK!!!! (faints)

[floridayankee]

Feb 16, 2012 13:27:59 GMT -5 vandalshandle said:

I have been unhappy ever since reporters stopped following Palin around. Every time one of her quotes appeared on my home page of my computer, it made my day! Now, all I have is Newt, Mitt, and that other nut whose name I can not remember how to spell. None of those guys are even amusing.

Good thing we still have Nancy "Unemployment benefits are creating jobs faster than practically any other program" Pelosi.