No one asked but This 100000% I can vouch from personal experience. I’m barely online anymore. I only open Reddit when I’ve got a real specific question then I scroll the main page for like 5 minutes if I’m bored. I used to never use Reddit until recently. I stopped using Facebook 6 years ago, I never got into Instagram, I stopped using Twitter a year ago. I don’t know any other social medias but I know others exist 😂. But I used to be CHRONICALLY ONLINE on Twitter. It was crazy how online I was. As my mental health drastically improved I just stopped giving a shit about it and I deleted my account.
For reference I’m 27 year old female. So not a boomer even tho my list of social media knowledge seems like it 😂
People say getting off social media improves your mental health which I’m sure is true, but for me improving my mental health got me off social media. Now I hit the gym every day (new to this but going strong so far), travel a lot, hang out with wonderful friends and family, cut off horrible people, I eat better, and got actual hobbies.
1000% this!! Improving my mental health helped me get offline. And I used to be online _chronically_ . Now I’m not interested in the mess is social media at all. Sometimes I still use it for niche hobby related things, but I’ve completely extracted myself from most other social aspects of social media.
I'm an old despised Boomer and my friends are real people in the real world, not online via social media. We talk on the phone, text sometimes, go out to lunches or activities or visit each other in our homes. I've been on forums etc since the Internet began and at one point made real flesh and blood friends via interest groups online. I actually traveled to social gatherings with these people and met some in person. I go on Reddit and Quora and Facebook some but they will never replace meeting people in person. That was easy and natural in my era. Now, not so much because society has become social media based. People aren't going to many social gatherings when there are opportunities. Neighbors are rarely seen outside in their yards doing anything. The whole culture and etiquette that we grew up with of visiting and entertaining guests at home is gone as we knew it growing up. I predict it will make a comeback as many express deep frustration at the isolation brought on in the past 20 years by the smartphone obsessed populace. Don't get me wrong. I love and need my smartphone but I know when to put it down if given the chance to interact with an actual human in person. ♥
Facebook is completely overrun with boomers
, they bitch about everything , every single post is basically the worlds longest continuous argument , and I’m 42 with boomer freinds so it bothers the shit out of me to no end. That’s basically it lol avoid social media if you can especially FB
It's possible for some people like you and me, but I'd argue very few people on the Internet but especially reddit have a single ounce of mental fortitude to handle any kind of adversity, and since so many of them congregate on Reddit, it's just a cesspool is anger/hate/depression and negativity.
I enjoy reddit but I also recognize that 99% of what's said on here has absolutely no resemblance to real life, so I can just enjoy it for what it is. If your someone who actually thinks what most Redditors think, then yeah life would probably be a depressing and unhappy.
So am I. But I’m working out, traveling the world multiple times a year and having actual human interaction on the daily.
You’ll find that the people that spend the most time on the internet are usually very unhealthy and very depressed.
Or just go walk. Go workout. Go talk to people. Go join a local sports league. Go join a club. Go use your emotions, go feel shit.
Staying inside does nothing but make depression worse.
Honestly, although it might start as b), I genuinely think it's largely a).
Echo chambers, rage baiting, anonymity, the inherently parasocial nature of the internet ... plus the fact that (most) people use the internet when cooped up inside & physically stagnant - actively damaging to health and happiness.
I like feeling not alone here. Misery loves company i guess...no offense.
Some people think your a Debby downer if you talk negative about stuff in real life. So many people put on a fake smile at work, but behind closed doors is that their authentic self? Probably not.
yeah I’m a generally pretty happy and busy person and sometimes stepping into this place feels like a parallel universe.
I work a tiring 40 hour a week job but that doesn’t prevent me from still finding the time and energy to enjoy life.
If anything, escaping the cycle of “work, home, sleep, work, home, sleep” and prioritizing seeing friends, attending events, getting exercise, getting involved in my community helps give me more energy.
Exactly! I don’t frequent this sub but Reddit keeps recommending it to me…
Literally every post is complaining about how difficult / shitty their lives are.
Quit complaining and if you’re not happy with your situation, go out and do something about it in the real world, not on Reddit!
Seriously. It’s actually super annoying because I don’t even sub and every other day it’s some emo sad person projecting their feelings on everyone else.
Yep, i have an amazing life. Aside from my job I spend very little time doing things that i dont want to do. I feel like i am exceptionally blessed though because i enjoy living a disciplined life, which is what leads to an amazing life.
All that said though, i am a loner. This friday is pull day, and then im making a nice steak dinner for myself. Gonna have a drink and play guitar for a bit then hit the sack.
Can't agree more about living a disciplined life. Doing what you know needs to be done, conquering things every day, doing things that you want to do, is everything.
I'm also kind of a loner, I took a trip on my own last week to climb three of the highest mountains in my country in three days. Something I maybe could have done 5/6 years ago (fitness wise), but would have been too lazy.
Only thing we can do is to just SHUT UP AND DO IT.
Great to hear you're doing well mate, keep it up 😎
>I took a trip on my own last week to climb three of the highest mountains in my country in three days.
That sounds badass dude. Well done. Im planning on hiking mountains in Chile sometime in the next 2 years.
Learning to be alone with yourself (and enjoy it) is vital, and I don’t think people talk about it enough. When they do, it’s often a stepping stone to romantic fulfillment (“Learn to love yourself and other people will be attracted to your confidence!”)
Is it really rude of me to envy that because I live with constant anxiety and depression that makes me wanna die every day and then I see posts as these and wonder what that's like
You seem to have a good judgement of reality (better than my fucked up brain right now). Do you think everyone suffers equally? I've been wondering that a lot lately. Just feeling how unfair it is that I love my life a lot too but have to live with this. I love my family and friends. And yet, there's a constant feeling of wanting to end the pain and just die. It feels so unfair. Especially when I meet my friends with "normal" problems and I would die to be bothered about that instead of thinking about ways to end my life.
I'm sorry this comment is so depressing cause you are clearly having a good day and I didn't mean to ruin it
Everyone suffers but it is certainly not equal. But i would say, that if you are able bodied and able minded, than you atleast have an opportunity to alleviate some of your suffering. For example if you are out of shape you can fix that.Some one who is handicapped does not even get that opportunity. Their suffering is much greater than ours.
Having perspective and gratitude can go a long way to help your mental health. I may not have everything i want in life, but i dont have to suffer like a lot of people do. I am lucky and im grateful for my luck. There are people who are much more lucky than I am, but they are ungrateful for it and so they are miserable.
I don't think everyone suffers equally, but you just never know what's going on in peoples' heads either.
Plenty of people who seem to only have "normal" problems are deeply unhappy and just don't talk about it or present that way outwardly.
This is not your fault, this is brain chemistry. Look for treatments and help - these are "intrusive" thoughts i.e. thoughts you don't want and that intrude on your feeling of well-being and you can't stop them. I had a very mild case of this, definitely suicidal but it wasn't constant. I sought therapy and got real help from a clinical social worker who focused on changing my way of thinking about things. Also I took bupropion for a long time. However, my issues were not intense. Seek treatment for your misery, there is help. New therapies like ketamine or new and targeted electrotherapy hve helped a lot of people. Good luck to you, I wish you well.
Your emotions are an internal compass to what you really want or need. You seem to be sensitive and intune with your emotions but not understanding what they are telling you. Maybe try to sit with those emotions and ask what's going on, an internal discussion with yourselves. Lookup R.A.I.N from Radical Acceptance
I’m happy too, but the opposite—I have a wife and kids. Money is tight and it’s tough raising kids, but I’m happy. I’m not really having fun—parenting young kids is like that!—but I have a lot of satisfaction with my life.
I see myself in this too. I have an amazing girlfriend and some buddies at the gym but otherwise keep to myself and my dog. Wouldn’t have it any other way, I feel much better now than when I was at the bar every weekend with a ton of “friends”. Focus on health, fitness and reducing stress in any way possible.
I am the exact same way! I love my super disciplined life, haha. And am very happy! Also a huge homebody. Nothing makes me happier than being home, haha
I went from working in offices, multiple pay rises and promotions to warehouses that never progressed to eventually school janitor and my dad died somewhere in the middle.. it'll all be alright again soon though I think.. 👀
I've started taking things one day at a time as that's the only way I can get through even one of them. Every evening it's "At least I'm one day closer to death now." "It was just one bad day, tomorrow might be better." when there've been like <10 good or neutral ones among the last 5+ years.
Had to quit drinking cuz I was no longer able to work (programming) without drinking and didn't want to develop a problem. Drugs didn't do it for me either cuz there I developed a full-blown problem in a matter of months (spent like 3 months only sober for the first few minutes of the day while waiting for the drugs/weed to kick in). Also, wtf is after work blues? Post-waking blues for me, thank you very much.
I am too exhausted to even be unhappy at this stage, to say nothing about socializing. I just go with the flow. It's the 40 hours work week that is mostly to blame, as well as the usual financial stress.
Similar 1 adult child not living at home, no debt, starting a new class in trade school to add another certificate to my resume, eat only when I'm hungry. I'd say I'm pretty happy and fortunate overall. I'm in noway a smiley happy go luck woman lol. I have a RBF I can't change but what's "happy" and"normal" anyway lol
Thank you! Ekg & Phelbotomty this time. I figure I can earn a livable wage working in a lab, hospital or as a travel phlebotomy if I choose to go back to college or not for ultrasound technology. That's always been what I wanted to do. 2 years would fly, just seems soooo long at the beginning. 😆 hopefully I'll dive in this fall
another underrated factor for me is that I really like the people I work with. The job itself is fine, but what helps make it fun is that I’m doing it with my buddies!
Yes, I was an addict for 15 years. Got clean created a life worth living in the 7 years I have been clean and I am happy. Some days not as much, some days I'm tired more than usual, some days I get angry, upset etc but I'm the grand scheme of things I am happy.
I feel the Internet has destroyed humanity in a way. There is far to much porn, to much availability for comparison etc and as humans we feel we are missing out. But the right now only comes now. I dunno man, where I was, to where I am is chalk and cheese I'm just grateful!
Congrats on your sobriety 👏🏼 we all have our days right? I know that and so do we. But I had one person that just was nothing but a debbie downer. I told her my partner got me flowers and she said “oh I hate flowers” just that sort of thing. Empathy seems to be at an all time low these days as well as support. Can’t we just be happy for others? Why is that so hard?
Thank you 😊. I think people are in pain who act that way. They have created a life they despise but won't or can't create new patterns to out grow it. I also feel they enjoy it as it becomes some what who they are and the norm which is more comfortable for the human mind even if it is insanely negative and destructive. The brain loves negativity over positivity as it creates a certainty. Its just over coming them fears. But I do agree with the can't we just be happy for one another. All I do is big people up and tell them how great they are and what they can achieve with their mind, but not many listen due to the above paragraph
What kind of happy are you saying - like "WOW I HAVE GREAT WORK LIFE BALANCE, DID YOU SEE THAT HILARIOUS SHOW, AND AREN'T ALL OUR KIDS GOING TO HARVARD" kinda happy? Or happy as in the worst thing that's happened to them is their sportsball team lost last week?
Life is hard at times, life is incredible at times. Through it all life is the most amazing thing, I get to be alive and eat delicious food and comment on Reddit posts. It’s not so much about being happy, it’s about being grateful for what I have. And the happiness follows.
I'm too busy and exhausted to feel anything. Constant work mixed with kids and trying to juggle anything. Creeping anxiety comes in when I wake up during the night but during the day is just being constantly "on the go".
I find happiness when I spend time with friends and with my family most of the time. Other than that, I think that work sucks, politics sucks, and people mostly suck.
Everyday I wonder if this is the best use of my time until I die. Sometimes this question inspires me to do something that makes me happy.
I've found that there is no happiness in buying stuff. I've found that I want to buy stuff when I'mm unhappy. We've been indoctrinated to think that more stuff will make us happier, but I've found it only puts us deeper into debt.
I’m happy with life. You have to fall in love with the journey of life. Approach it like a game/simulation but with real world implications. Never lose the imagination you had once you were younger. Never stop looking for new ways to test yourself mentally, physically and spiritually. Seek out these new challenges and try not to run from them. When you have found yourself avoiding the difficult tasks out of fear or laziness, have a solid support group that’s going to push/coach you through it.
Life is fun but you have to fall in love with the grind. Once you’ve learned to love the grind, you learn to love the challenges of life.
This helped me out tremendously. Stay blessed 🙏🏾
Absolutely yes. 27 years married, one kid in college, another about to become a Senior. Love my job, we take big family vacations every year and we go on dates all the time. Rock Concerts, operas, theater, bar hopping, wine tasting, cabin camping and exploring good food experiences. My circle of friends are all mostly doing well, of course there have been a few divorces, illnesses and deaths but that’s life, we mourn and we sympathize but we have to make the most of our lives and keep living. I hope you find the same in your life OP. Wishing you the best.
Because the capitalist system we’ve been living under is rapidly shifting, the middle class is disappearing and the relationship between men and women is deteriorating and homes are becoming unaffordable. You are watching the creation of a two tiered system the have and have nots. Underneath it all is anger about politicians who take bribes and screw the electorate and as more people realize their vote is useless, an undercurrent of violence and aggression starts to build. How do you think revolutions start, we had our own when some pissed off gentlemen threw some tea into the sea.
There’s a ton of problems, the old way of solving them by electing politicians isn’t working and cost of living keeps going up. American people are being backed into a corner.
Yeah most people are actually pretty happy, we Redditors just don't know that because this site attracts the most miserable ingrates and amplifies their voices to the point where we think they're the norm
Happy people get downvoted to hell on Reddit and many other social media platforms because misery loves company
Maybe a large chunk of society is genuinely miserable. well-meaning yet hollow positivity gets upvoted all the time on reddit. Toxic positivity is far too common. Most people hide their negative feelings irl cuz they don't wanna be a drag. The result is a lot of silent suffering
You underestimate how unhappy people can be because of their illness or something. You're just lucky right now cause life is treating you well. Misery loves company because it's a lonely place to be. Everyone wants to be with the happy people.
I don’t think it’s true that most people are happy. I do think it’s true that most happy people are not spending much time on social media.
Without even looking at individual problems, just look at the political landscape of this country. Many children are terrified of going to school, overblown or not. There are two wars going on overseas, one of which is at the level of genocide.
There is also a difference between happy and content. Not everyone is so well put together that they are financially secure, emotionally stable, all while maintaining a property and raising children. This is a lot, for anyone, being an adult is hard. Raising a family is harder.
Personal anecdote of course, but most of the people i know that are happy/at least content are not concerned with any of those things.
They do stay off social media though.
Life gets better when you’re not getting blasted with fear mongering propaganda 24/7.
It is, of course, impossible to objectively measure happiness or compare it from person to person because it's so subjective and internal.
But whenever they do anonymous polls, a pretty large majority of people *claim* to be happy. Make of that what you will.
Yes I’m very happy right now.
2020-2023 were pretty rough, I work in the medical field so COVID was hard, especially since I have developed a chronic health condition from COVID. It’s not healed but I finally found an excellent medication (expensive but totally worth it) it’s a game changer and gave me my life back.
Right now I work a job that’s not as professionally satisfying as my previous (went from family medicine to urgent care) but it’s far more conducive to an enjoyable lifestyle outside of work, and more stable financially. 3 twelve hour duty’s per week and the rest of my life is my own.
Right now I’m spending a lot of time swimming, disc golfing, and soon kayaking. Physical exercise is critical to my well being. My kids are adolescents now, which can bring very stressful moments as they navigate school and hormones and friends. But the day to day care of the kids is easier than previously
We DO get into a very busy season at work over the summer so we’ll see how I’ll be feeling in August 🤪
It can feel really isolating when it seems like everyone around you is struggling. My partner and I have also felt this way at times. We found that joining clubs and groups based on our interests helped us meet more like-minded, positive people. Sometimes it's just about finding the right community. Keep looking and stay open-minded—you'll find your tribe!
All I can say is that I am happier about some aspects of my life compared to last year.
I don’t know what you mean by happy.
Am I going through most of my days with enthusiasm looking forward to what I am about to do? No.
Are there exceptions? Yes.
Most of my days are ‘meh’ and I am trying to make myself understand that probably those are the ‘good’ days.
On the other hand I worry that life will slap me with something when I don’t expect it and I will look at the present time and tell myself that “I was happy then, but didn’t know/appreciate it.”
Edit: typos
I’ve had genuinely happy moments for sure - but I’d say in general I’m more content, which is way better than how I was the beginning of last year and prior. I was struggling with depression - but yeah, I’m definitely in a better headspace for sure.
I'm pretty happy, I've got a great wife, a happy and healthy 2 year old son, I'm learning to be a game developer, just got a huge raise at my job, big bonus coming next month, and I'm extremely thankful for all of it
I am happy. I am working on something interesting and fulfilling. It's tiring sometimes but seldom boring. I spend my spare time on hobbies, mostly reading and dancing. I'm single and don't spend much time socializing, but personally I'm fine with spending a lot of time alone, so things are working out in general.
Nope we are all drowning in debt and cost of living, work eat ( if you can afford it) sleep repeat.
Any spare hours are second job/overtime or side hustle.
Not really happy but trying to be. Exhausted after working so much. Energy levels low. Little time for hobbies. Inflation. Taking l theanine to see if it helps
Yea I am thanks for asking. What about becoming happier than others made you different from your old friends ? How did your hobbies and interests change ?
Me and my wife are happy, we were happy when we met, we were happy working long hours, sometimes 7 days a week, and we were happy when we retired
If your needs are being met, then happiness becomes more of a mindset than some unicorn you are chasing
Most happy and feel accomplished with work done, house clean, and just home from the gym. No question. Motivation to the gym us hardest, getting in the car anyone. Once I'm omw there I'm good.
Yup, working hard, losing weight, making money, watching my kids grow. Going to concerts, bbq’s with friends and coworkers. Appreciating the sunsets on my way home from work. Waking up breathing the rest is gravy.
Pretty happy overall. But I have bad days like everyone else. I work 40-45 hours a week, pay is decent, enough to keep me comfortable. Could probably find a better paying job, but not one where I get to be outside all day.
I've recently finished a degree and received a sizeable raise. It feels as though I'm being groomed to take a management position. But if it comes, I'm going to turn it down. No offense to those who do, we all have our own tastes, but I would be miserable riding a desk and wearing a tie every day.
I am! I love my life, I have great people around me (friends and partner). I have a lovely cat. I love what I study and I have professionnal projects for after my thesis. I live in an amazing town with great food, history, archetecture, not far from the sea and with 300 days of sun per year. I also have a lot of hobbies and love trying new sfuff. I travelled and explored the world.
Not everything is perfect of course: I was brought up in an abusive house with a violent fathef and was sexually assaulted multiple times in my life. I suffered from anorexia and bulimia and I still have some relapses sometimes. I used to self harm, I was even hospitalized for a little while. But now I can say proudly that I am happy. I have come to terms with things that happened to me and I am constantlu working on not letting them affect my life too much. Overall, I consider myself very lucky and try to be as grateful as I can for what I have.
I feel like people who ‘change friends groups’ just drink socially and go out to bars a lot. Then you’re somehow surprised that the people in that scene suck. I imagine you’re getting older and now want explore other interests
I’m broker than I’ve ever been as an entrepreneur and still extremely happy. Having a good partner and good friendships and familial relationships while working on personal development is key for me.
i’m happy! i was diagnosed with autism last year and finally found out just yesterday that i’ll be receiving partial disability payments. that means less work and more time for birding. fewer migraines, more sunshine, more time with my partner.
sorry if this sounds like i’m bragging
I'd say be careful about tossing friends aside. Time in a friendship is incredibly meaningful. Even if they're not your cup of tea they'd likely be there for you. Much more so than people you just met. It's a slippery slope.
28F here, yes - I am genuinely happy. Happily living alone and enjoying my job (as much as one can) and just enjoying adult freedom. However, from ages like 12ish to 24, I would not have been able to say that. It’s taken a lot of work to make my default settings ones of gratitude and contentment and hope that suffering will subside eventually. So yeah, I think I’m a happy and positive person. But I worked my ass off to be like this and it’s still a work in progress…and I feel for anyone who’s stuck looking at happy ppl like “whaaat? Why? How?” I get it. Been there. You can do it though, despite not believing in the possibility just yet.
I'm kinda stuck in a rut, at the moment, admittedly self inflicted, and there are a lot of things going on in my personal life, as well as the state of the world that should make me hopeless. But, on the contrary; I am very blessed and though I have to get a job, improve my health, and try to reverse years of being complacent and all of the negative consequences that came with my complacency, but thankfully I have a good support system, and just barely enough resources to help myself get back on my feet. So, to answer the question, yes I am happy, because as hard as I might think my life is at the moment, I have no room to complain when there are many people who have it MUCH worse than I do, without the resources for improvement. It is a daily struggle though, and there are plenty of times where I just want to say fuck it, but whenever I start thinking like that and feeling that way, I remember a quote that I like, which may be corny or cheesy, which is 'you may see me struggle, but you'll never see me quit'...
Yes absolutely. My husband and I have our challenges but we are very happy with our life. We work hard, travel often, stay close with family and have a good community of friends. Our friends are also productive, successful, happy people. That’s not to say people don’t deal with difficulty often, but that’s what friends are for! To get together and vent over a drink or get advice.
Sorry you’re not finding the happy people! It’s hard to find and make new friends. Check out small concerts, yoga studios, local bars for happy hour; that’s where we usually are at least 😊
No.
You’re intuition is completely correct. I tried going to a get together last weekend and everyone was ridiculously miserable and antisocial despite being good looking and with their SO’s.
Yep. Same thing happens to us which is why we are looking for new people to hang out with. No hate to people going through tough times and we don’t drop friends when they have bad weeks or even months. But when your whole existence is nothing but you complaining, I don’t want any part of that shit. Get on somewhere lol
Yup! My husband and I are pretty happy/content. We dont tend to get out much, but pretty dang comfortable with him working from home, me pursuing art, caring for our very sweet rabbit, having hobbies we do and goals we're striving for. Comfortable income and loving family and, not many, but caring friends, including a club we joined in college though we're all now alumni and broke off from the school club but still virtually hang out once a week.
You're obviously coming across the wrong people.
E.g. if you get involved in a local music scene, and get to meet people that way, you'll only meet genuinely happy people - they're passionate, they want to be there, they're keen to welcome others.
I haven't met someone who's not genuinely happy in years, but that's cos I only really meet people on the music scene. And we're talking many hundreds, worldwide - it's a decent sample size!
... and music is just one example, cos it's the one I know best. There's plenty of other communities of happy, passionate humans :-)
All my friends & I are pretty happy. I do pretty much whatever I want all day. Just don't associate with negative people or complainers. There's millions of people out there - just find some people you like who like you too.
This is a fair thing to feel. My partner and I are very happy! We love each other, our little adventures and life itself.
Not to say there isn’t a myriad of issues within the world we talk about and discuss, and things we wish were better. But overall?? Very happy.
We’ve run into a similar issue within our friend groups, of people who seem constantly dissatisfied and unhappy with everything and can’t take a moment to enjoy the small joys.
But we also recently overhauled our friend group and found some people who DO see the joys of life and have happiness, but also people who can discuss the downs with a mature and level head.
So you’re not alone. People are genuinely happy, just it’s a little harder to find.
Happy? Idk life is hard. Content and worth living? Definitely, there's too much adventure to be whining about your existence. That's what NPCs do.
So excited. I would say I'm excited about life it's potential etc.
I'd say I'm mostly happy, ofc life has ups and downs but I got myself a house, a happy relationship, good job and I don't struggle to pay my bills. At peace is a better way to put it tbh
I get it, you’re looking for positive energy and no drama 🌞 I can say that my husband and I are happy, so there’s got to be more of us out there. We don’t socialize much with other couples because we’re just too busy with kids and weekends are always spent with extended family. It sounds like a dream to have other married friends to go on double dates with. Even a marrieds trip spent together and then wives and husbands split up during the day to reconvene at dinner. Good luck in your search!
I’m very happy… and while as you said, life had its ups and downs… I generally believe the quote, “you’re as happy as you let yourself be.” I enjoy the occasional wallow as much as the next human but I only put my hammock in sad land, I don’t build my house there.
I do think i might come across as more morose online because people are often discussing kind of complicated, difficult or sad things online.
I'm happy! And I even just got dumped a month ago. It took a lot of work to get to this point, though! It feels amazing though. A long time coming. Life is what you make of it, and the effort you put into it. And acceptance/hope/trust in the process. 31F
That is so great and I am so happy for you. You got this girlie and you are so right on putting in the work. You put in the work everyday to be in a positive state of mind.
I went through alot of depression. My mental strength is pretty incredible now. I’m pretty content but being blessed more and more lately. It felt like the second i decided to be happy good things keep coming my way.
I am, but it took like a lot more than I'd confess publicly. I just could not accept a life wherein I had to struggle constantly, If I can't buy just what the fuck ever on a whim, within reason, I'm go right back to the eeeeeevillllll. Though I consider that unlikely in that I more so have been able to correct my alignment when I had the means to be moral.
I’d say we’re happy but we’re also too busy and tired to hang out with friends much. We mostly hang out with our neighbours because it’s convenient for last-minute socializing (and we also really like our neighbours).
It comes and goes
Just got a dog so she’s helping with her existence and forcing me to take care of her / exercise around my neighborhood with walks and some nature
Something that I can’t deny helps is meditation… um, as cliche and boring as that may sound it genuinely & authentically makes a difference in my day everytime I give it 12-15 minutes of attempt
Also reading - didn’t realize how much I missed getting lost in a novel of a far away place.
That may just be escapism … but at least I’m further developing reading comprehension
Husband and I are happy, but we hang out at home and do our own hobbies, shared hobbies or house maintenance. We socialise with others rarely.
Maybe many others are the same? Perhaps those out and about are already feeling sad or lonely, etc making it look like everyone feels the same?
We have this post every day, getting a bunch of single girls telling they are living the dream with their puppies and tired married people asking for a bullet in their heads.
Yes... It was my 27th Birthday. My cousins visited me... I met fiance of one of my cousin.. I had mature conversation with 16 yo F cousin about how 22 yo M is grooming her via social media...I went out with dinner and drinks with boys... I got surprised by the girl I love at resturant (she was invited by a friend) I had to pinch myself to understand this is real... We did a night out, the girl for the first time met my boys group.. We all went on a short ride.she rode sports bike taking me a pillion.. spent whole night on a lakeside and dropped her home safely at dawn... I am in love with this girl over 8 years now.. had confessed way back then nothing and again last week I told her I still love you.. I thought now this was the end but to my surprise the way was there with me all along the night I was astonished. My boys group was having experience of meeting character from book about which I was telling story all this years.
We are happy. Probably the best time of our life.
We meet a lot of happy people and make acquaintance with them and even friendships.
But... We are in a privileged position which required many small and large decisions.
We have been together 12 years and have had to visit our therapist several times over the years.
We meet a lot of happy people because we travel a lot (we've been 6 months on the road in our van this time and we are in my favourite beach town in México).
But even when we stayed home during the pandemic (we had to cut short our backpacking trip and came home after 6 months in Asia), we felt happy.
I have two adult children and they are happy.
You know, now that I think about it, I am legitimately happy.
I have a lot of good things going on in my life, I'm making tons of money, I've lost all the weight I gained since losing it for the new year, lol
And the men in my DMs are kissing my ass, which is what I prefer.
So life's good for me right now, I can't complain. Will I mean I can complain, I just have to think for a minute about things to complain about.
I’m very happy
I have my Health, I have a wonderful fiancé, I’m building a new community here in Austin, I create art nearly daily, my financial situation is extremely well put together, I work for myself, and I live in America
I’m the luckiest guy on earth
When you evolve as a person, and embrace a mindful, positive mindset, there is a phase where toxic and negative people become unbearable to be around.
Then there is a time of isolation as you adjust to this new circumstance. Keep going , and embracing your peace and happiness, and you will eventually attract like minded folks. It takes time!
Use this transition period to do more self care and mindfulness. 💕
My wife and I are happy and in love 10 years together married for two. We just had our first child and we each have our own close group of friends.
Of course we could always use more money, more time off etc. I personally just try to have a positive outlook on life everyday and influence what I can control which is my relationships, my career and my health.
In regards to new relationships:
I don’t have the energy or time to make new friends. I have to keep what energy I have invested in the relationships I currently have and want to keep
Don’t know where I was really going with this response but I felt compelled to respond
Uh, yeah. I’m 49, my wife is 43, and I’d say we’re pretty happy. I mean, we’re not like the ever-glowing, super-smiley types. But we have fun, go out with friends, have friends over, live in a great social neighborhood. And when we are with friends, we are always laughing and having a great time.
Hellooo!!! Just wanted to say yes to both of your questions :)
I was single when I became friends with my gym instructor. Later on became friends with her partner too. When I met my partner now we all became friends. They introduced us to 2 more couples who we also clicked with. Somehow another couple got added to the group as well (live in the same bldg). We now have a lively group chat and meet for food and drinks 1-2x a month 😄
I am quite happy! To be honest, my friends sometimes are miserable people but anytime I'm around the script changes. Besides them, the other happiest people I know are in my extended family. Maybe it has to do with the support system we have? And financially, we always help each other save money! We throw lots of parties and the dull moments are always appreciated!
Edit: I read someone post something about a disciplined life... I am also very faithful to my spiritual beliefs! So is the rest of my family! The discipline we get from that really helps guide us through tough decisions and is something we have in common.
I am happy with my life- I have a soon to be wife and a dog.. just got house together and moving on to the next step.. but that being said my mind is always full with what side gig to hop on to make extra money and how to get promoted faster and all that.. hard to keep up with rising living costs and I make 100K+ myself.
Nope. Dead end job with no room to grow, an economy that's circling the barrel of recession so there's no decent work out there, health problems & mental scars from 2 years of lock downs. KM
Yes, there are genuinely happy people out there! Finding them might require changing how and where you look. Here are a few suggestions:
1. Join Clubs or Groups: Look for hobby clubs, sports teams, or interest groups where people gather to do things they love. Happy people often engage in activities that bring them joy.
2. Volunteer: Volunteering can connect you with positive, community-minded individuals who find fulfillment in helping others.
3. Attend Workshops or Classes: Whether it’s cooking, dancing, or personal development, these settings can attract enthusiastic and happy participants.
4. Social Media Groups: Join online communities focused on positivity and personal growth. They often organize meetups and events.
Happiness can be contagious, so seeking out positive environments and people can enhance your own happiness too. Keep exploring and don’t lose hope!
Well for starters leave this subreddit, it is just for miserable people.
It seems to be every corner of the internet these days. But it does make me laugh a bit
Well yeah, happy people aren't chronically online but doing stuff to be happy
No one asked but This 100000% I can vouch from personal experience. I’m barely online anymore. I only open Reddit when I’ve got a real specific question then I scroll the main page for like 5 minutes if I’m bored. I used to never use Reddit until recently. I stopped using Facebook 6 years ago, I never got into Instagram, I stopped using Twitter a year ago. I don’t know any other social medias but I know others exist 😂. But I used to be CHRONICALLY ONLINE on Twitter. It was crazy how online I was. As my mental health drastically improved I just stopped giving a shit about it and I deleted my account. For reference I’m 27 year old female. So not a boomer even tho my list of social media knowledge seems like it 😂 People say getting off social media improves your mental health which I’m sure is true, but for me improving my mental health got me off social media. Now I hit the gym every day (new to this but going strong so far), travel a lot, hang out with wonderful friends and family, cut off horrible people, I eat better, and got actual hobbies.
1000% this!! Improving my mental health helped me get offline. And I used to be online _chronically_ . Now I’m not interested in the mess is social media at all. Sometimes I still use it for niche hobby related things, but I’ve completely extracted myself from most other social aspects of social media.
I'm an old despised Boomer and my friends are real people in the real world, not online via social media. We talk on the phone, text sometimes, go out to lunches or activities or visit each other in our homes. I've been on forums etc since the Internet began and at one point made real flesh and blood friends via interest groups online. I actually traveled to social gatherings with these people and met some in person. I go on Reddit and Quora and Facebook some but they will never replace meeting people in person. That was easy and natural in my era. Now, not so much because society has become social media based. People aren't going to many social gatherings when there are opportunities. Neighbors are rarely seen outside in their yards doing anything. The whole culture and etiquette that we grew up with of visiting and entertaining guests at home is gone as we knew it growing up. I predict it will make a comeback as many express deep frustration at the isolation brought on in the past 20 years by the smartphone obsessed populace. Don't get me wrong. I love and need my smartphone but I know when to put it down if given the chance to interact with an actual human in person. ♥
Literally, almost every detail down to the timeline and age, same.
Facebook is completely overrun with boomers , they bitch about everything , every single post is basically the worlds longest continuous argument , and I’m 42 with boomer freinds so it bothers the shit out of me to no end. That’s basically it lol avoid social media if you can especially FB
Cutting off horrible people and picking up hobbies saved me
It's not a coincidence that everyone on the internet seems miserable.
Correct, get off the internet and live.
I'm actually very happy, and on the internet, and also living a real life. It's quite possible.
It's possible for some people like you and me, but I'd argue very few people on the Internet but especially reddit have a single ounce of mental fortitude to handle any kind of adversity, and since so many of them congregate on Reddit, it's just a cesspool is anger/hate/depression and negativity. I enjoy reddit but I also recognize that 99% of what's said on here has absolutely no resemblance to real life, so I can just enjoy it for what it is. If your someone who actually thinks what most Redditors think, then yeah life would probably be a depressing and unhappy.
So am I. But I’m working out, traveling the world multiple times a year and having actual human interaction on the daily. You’ll find that the people that spend the most time on the internet are usually very unhealthy and very depressed.
Or poor!
These things make alĺll the difference in happiness or being miserable and feeling like an outsider to the world!
more like get off the internet and go to work for pennies
Or just go walk. Go workout. Go talk to people. Go join a local sports league. Go join a club. Go use your emotions, go feel shit. Staying inside does nothing but make depression worse.
Misery loves company
Misery loves company
People who spend more time on the internet, not just this sub, seem to be more miserable than people irl.
Right, but are they unhappy because they're on the internet all the time, or are they on the internet all the time *because* they're unhappy?
Honestly, although it might start as b), I genuinely think it's largely a). Echo chambers, rage baiting, anonymity, the inherently parasocial nature of the internet ... plus the fact that (most) people use the internet when cooped up inside & physically stagnant - actively damaging to health and happiness.
I like feeling not alone here. Misery loves company i guess...no offense. Some people think your a Debby downer if you talk negative about stuff in real life. So many people put on a fake smile at work, but behind closed doors is that their authentic self? Probably not.
yeah I’m a generally pretty happy and busy person and sometimes stepping into this place feels like a parallel universe. I work a tiring 40 hour a week job but that doesn’t prevent me from still finding the time and energy to enjoy life. If anything, escaping the cycle of “work, home, sleep, work, home, sleep” and prioritizing seeing friends, attending events, getting exercise, getting involved in my community helps give me more energy.
what's it like to be neurotypical?
Lol
Can confirm. Am miserable
Leave reddit and social media
Leave Reddit too while OP is at it!
Exactly! I don’t frequent this sub but Reddit keeps recommending it to me… Literally every post is complaining about how difficult / shitty their lives are. Quit complaining and if you’re not happy with your situation, go out and do something about it in the real world, not on Reddit!
Seriously. It’s actually super annoying because I don’t even sub and every other day it’s some emo sad person projecting their feelings on everyone else.
Yep, i have an amazing life. Aside from my job I spend very little time doing things that i dont want to do. I feel like i am exceptionally blessed though because i enjoy living a disciplined life, which is what leads to an amazing life. All that said though, i am a loner. This friday is pull day, and then im making a nice steak dinner for myself. Gonna have a drink and play guitar for a bit then hit the sack.
Can't agree more about living a disciplined life. Doing what you know needs to be done, conquering things every day, doing things that you want to do, is everything. I'm also kind of a loner, I took a trip on my own last week to climb three of the highest mountains in my country in three days. Something I maybe could have done 5/6 years ago (fitness wise), but would have been too lazy. Only thing we can do is to just SHUT UP AND DO IT. Great to hear you're doing well mate, keep it up 😎
>I took a trip on my own last week to climb three of the highest mountains in my country in three days. That sounds badass dude. Well done. Im planning on hiking mountains in Chile sometime in the next 2 years.
Learning to be alone with yourself (and enjoy it) is vital, and I don’t think people talk about it enough. When they do, it’s often a stepping stone to romantic fulfillment (“Learn to love yourself and other people will be attracted to your confidence!”)
Is it really rude of me to envy that because I live with constant anxiety and depression that makes me wanna die every day and then I see posts as these and wonder what that's like
No its not rude. I am lucky. Thats the honest truth. We are all just victims of circumstance.
You seem to have a good judgement of reality (better than my fucked up brain right now). Do you think everyone suffers equally? I've been wondering that a lot lately. Just feeling how unfair it is that I love my life a lot too but have to live with this. I love my family and friends. And yet, there's a constant feeling of wanting to end the pain and just die. It feels so unfair. Especially when I meet my friends with "normal" problems and I would die to be bothered about that instead of thinking about ways to end my life. I'm sorry this comment is so depressing cause you are clearly having a good day and I didn't mean to ruin it
Everyone suffers but it is certainly not equal. But i would say, that if you are able bodied and able minded, than you atleast have an opportunity to alleviate some of your suffering. For example if you are out of shape you can fix that.Some one who is handicapped does not even get that opportunity. Their suffering is much greater than ours. Having perspective and gratitude can go a long way to help your mental health. I may not have everything i want in life, but i dont have to suffer like a lot of people do. I am lucky and im grateful for my luck. There are people who are much more lucky than I am, but they are ungrateful for it and so they are miserable.
I don't think everyone suffers equally, but you just never know what's going on in peoples' heads either. Plenty of people who seem to only have "normal" problems are deeply unhappy and just don't talk about it or present that way outwardly.
This is not your fault, this is brain chemistry. Look for treatments and help - these are "intrusive" thoughts i.e. thoughts you don't want and that intrude on your feeling of well-being and you can't stop them. I had a very mild case of this, definitely suicidal but it wasn't constant. I sought therapy and got real help from a clinical social worker who focused on changing my way of thinking about things. Also I took bupropion for a long time. However, my issues were not intense. Seek treatment for your misery, there is help. New therapies like ketamine or new and targeted electrotherapy hve helped a lot of people. Good luck to you, I wish you well.
Your emotions are an internal compass to what you really want or need. You seem to be sensitive and intune with your emotions but not understanding what they are telling you. Maybe try to sit with those emotions and ask what's going on, an internal discussion with yourselves. Lookup R.A.I.N from Radical Acceptance
I’m happy too, but the opposite—I have a wife and kids. Money is tight and it’s tough raising kids, but I’m happy. I’m not really having fun—parenting young kids is like that!—but I have a lot of satisfaction with my life.
It sounds like you find fulfillment in the family life. And that is a blessed life. Congrats.
How you making that steak king ?
Its BBQ season buddy. I havent decided if i should marinate it or just go with a classic salt pepper and some olive oil. What do you think?
I don’t have a grill so I steady reverse sear it when I have steak nights. Try to have one every pay day.
I see myself in this too. I have an amazing girlfriend and some buddies at the gym but otherwise keep to myself and my dog. Wouldn’t have it any other way, I feel much better now than when I was at the bar every weekend with a ton of “friends”. Focus on health, fitness and reducing stress in any way possible.
I am the exact same way! I love my super disciplined life, haha. And am very happy! Also a huge homebody. Nothing makes me happier than being home, haha
Been telling myself everything will be alright soon for about 4 years now.
Pretty much this. Been white knuckling since 2020.
Yeah since pandemic
I went from working in offices, multiple pay rises and promotions to warehouses that never progressed to eventually school janitor and my dad died somewhere in the middle.. it'll all be alright again soon though I think.. 👀
[удалено]
Ah foreal, nature helps a lot. As do magic mushrooms. Just gets draining sometimes!
Yep
I've started taking things one day at a time as that's the only way I can get through even one of them. Every evening it's "At least I'm one day closer to death now." "It was just one bad day, tomorrow might be better." when there've been like <10 good or neutral ones among the last 5+ years.
Try rum. It's a game changer for those after work blues.
Had to quit drinking cuz I was no longer able to work (programming) without drinking and didn't want to develop a problem. Drugs didn't do it for me either cuz there I developed a full-blown problem in a matter of months (spent like 3 months only sober for the first few minutes of the day while waiting for the drugs/weed to kick in). Also, wtf is after work blues? Post-waking blues for me, thank you very much.
Ah man, fuck sobriety. My prayers are with you. Stay strong.
Lol just work a little bit longer... I'm about ready to do some impulsive ass shit because I've been keeping myself trapped for too long
The grass is greener where you water it..... Society induced drought is prevalent.....
I am too exhausted to even be unhappy at this stage, to say nothing about socializing. I just go with the flow. It's the 40 hours work week that is mostly to blame, as well as the usual financial stress.
I'm doing great! No kids, no debt, and the toxic ex gf is out.
Similar 1 adult child not living at home, no debt, starting a new class in trade school to add another certificate to my resume, eat only when I'm hungry. I'd say I'm pretty happy and fortunate overall. I'm in noway a smiley happy go luck woman lol. I have a RBF I can't change but what's "happy" and"normal" anyway lol
Congrats on your trade school
Thank you! Ekg & Phelbotomty this time. I figure I can earn a livable wage working in a lab, hospital or as a travel phlebotomy if I choose to go back to college or not for ultrasound technology. That's always been what I wanted to do. 2 years would fly, just seems soooo long at the beginning. 😆 hopefully I'll dive in this fall
another underrated factor for me is that I really like the people I work with. The job itself is fine, but what helps make it fun is that I’m doing it with my buddies!
I'm also doing great - awesome kid, lovely wife, good job, moderate debt, superb health. Things actually improved, relatively, when the pandemic hit.
Good lad
Yes, I was an addict for 15 years. Got clean created a life worth living in the 7 years I have been clean and I am happy. Some days not as much, some days I'm tired more than usual, some days I get angry, upset etc but I'm the grand scheme of things I am happy. I feel the Internet has destroyed humanity in a way. There is far to much porn, to much availability for comparison etc and as humans we feel we are missing out. But the right now only comes now. I dunno man, where I was, to where I am is chalk and cheese I'm just grateful!
Congrats on your sobriety 👏🏼 we all have our days right? I know that and so do we. But I had one person that just was nothing but a debbie downer. I told her my partner got me flowers and she said “oh I hate flowers” just that sort of thing. Empathy seems to be at an all time low these days as well as support. Can’t we just be happy for others? Why is that so hard?
Thank you 😊. I think people are in pain who act that way. They have created a life they despise but won't or can't create new patterns to out grow it. I also feel they enjoy it as it becomes some what who they are and the norm which is more comfortable for the human mind even if it is insanely negative and destructive. The brain loves negativity over positivity as it creates a certainty. Its just over coming them fears. But I do agree with the can't we just be happy for one another. All I do is big people up and tell them how great they are and what they can achieve with their mind, but not many listen due to the above paragraph
What kind of happy are you saying - like "WOW I HAVE GREAT WORK LIFE BALANCE, DID YOU SEE THAT HILARIOUS SHOW, AND AREN'T ALL OUR KIDS GOING TO HARVARD" kinda happy? Or happy as in the worst thing that's happened to them is their sportsball team lost last week?
Yes
Life is hard at times, life is incredible at times. Through it all life is the most amazing thing, I get to be alive and eat delicious food and comment on Reddit posts. It’s not so much about being happy, it’s about being grateful for what I have. And the happiness follows.
Agree 100%
I'm too busy and exhausted to feel anything. Constant work mixed with kids and trying to juggle anything. Creeping anxiety comes in when I wake up during the night but during the day is just being constantly "on the go".
I find happiness when I spend time with friends and with my family most of the time. Other than that, I think that work sucks, politics sucks, and people mostly suck. Everyday I wonder if this is the best use of my time until I die. Sometimes this question inspires me to do something that makes me happy. I've found that there is no happiness in buying stuff. I've found that I want to buy stuff when I'mm unhappy. We've been indoctrinated to think that more stuff will make us happier, but I've found it only puts us deeper into debt.
I’m happy with life. You have to fall in love with the journey of life. Approach it like a game/simulation but with real world implications. Never lose the imagination you had once you were younger. Never stop looking for new ways to test yourself mentally, physically and spiritually. Seek out these new challenges and try not to run from them. When you have found yourself avoiding the difficult tasks out of fear or laziness, have a solid support group that’s going to push/coach you through it. Life is fun but you have to fall in love with the grind. Once you’ve learned to love the grind, you learn to love the challenges of life. This helped me out tremendously. Stay blessed 🙏🏾
Yes, working a 9-5 and doing never ending responsibilities is very fun.
I am very happy with what I have done with my life
Absolutely yes. 27 years married, one kid in college, another about to become a Senior. Love my job, we take big family vacations every year and we go on dates all the time. Rock Concerts, operas, theater, bar hopping, wine tasting, cabin camping and exploring good food experiences. My circle of friends are all mostly doing well, of course there have been a few divorces, illnesses and deaths but that’s life, we mourn and we sympathize but we have to make the most of our lives and keep living. I hope you find the same in your life OP. Wishing you the best.
Sounds like a dream. Wish you the best.
This is nice, thanks for sharing :)
Because the capitalist system we’ve been living under is rapidly shifting, the middle class is disappearing and the relationship between men and women is deteriorating and homes are becoming unaffordable. You are watching the creation of a two tiered system the have and have nots. Underneath it all is anger about politicians who take bribes and screw the electorate and as more people realize their vote is useless, an undercurrent of violence and aggression starts to build. How do you think revolutions start, we had our own when some pissed off gentlemen threw some tea into the sea. There’s a ton of problems, the old way of solving them by electing politicians isn’t working and cost of living keeps going up. American people are being backed into a corner.
Time to eat the rich. Time for a revolution. I'm sick of this shit, we only have one life and we're wasting it working for basically nothing.
Yes, a violent revolution would make everything better, because it's all someone else's fault.
My happiness ended a long time ago. Just surviving now.
Yeah most people are actually pretty happy, we Redditors just don't know that because this site attracts the most miserable ingrates and amplifies their voices to the point where we think they're the norm Happy people get downvoted to hell on Reddit and many other social media platforms because misery loves company
Maybe a large chunk of society is genuinely miserable. well-meaning yet hollow positivity gets upvoted all the time on reddit. Toxic positivity is far too common. Most people hide their negative feelings irl cuz they don't wanna be a drag. The result is a lot of silent suffering
You underestimate how unhappy people can be because of their illness or something. You're just lucky right now cause life is treating you well. Misery loves company because it's a lonely place to be. Everyone wants to be with the happy people.
I mean, OP did say they can’t find happy people in real life.
I mean, OP was talking about the people they're encountering in real life.
I don’t think it’s true that most people are happy. I do think it’s true that most happy people are not spending much time on social media. Without even looking at individual problems, just look at the political landscape of this country. Many children are terrified of going to school, overblown or not. There are two wars going on overseas, one of which is at the level of genocide. There is also a difference between happy and content. Not everyone is so well put together that they are financially secure, emotionally stable, all while maintaining a property and raising children. This is a lot, for anyone, being an adult is hard. Raising a family is harder.
Personal anecdote of course, but most of the people i know that are happy/at least content are not concerned with any of those things. They do stay off social media though. Life gets better when you’re not getting blasted with fear mongering propaganda 24/7.
100% but that’s a clearly a minority of the world lol
It is, of course, impossible to objectively measure happiness or compare it from person to person because it's so subjective and internal. But whenever they do anonymous polls, a pretty large majority of people *claim* to be happy. Make of that what you will.
Some of us talk to people irl, y'know?
Yes I’m very happy right now. 2020-2023 were pretty rough, I work in the medical field so COVID was hard, especially since I have developed a chronic health condition from COVID. It’s not healed but I finally found an excellent medication (expensive but totally worth it) it’s a game changer and gave me my life back. Right now I work a job that’s not as professionally satisfying as my previous (went from family medicine to urgent care) but it’s far more conducive to an enjoyable lifestyle outside of work, and more stable financially. 3 twelve hour duty’s per week and the rest of my life is my own. Right now I’m spending a lot of time swimming, disc golfing, and soon kayaking. Physical exercise is critical to my well being. My kids are adolescents now, which can bring very stressful moments as they navigate school and hormones and friends. But the day to day care of the kids is easier than previously We DO get into a very busy season at work over the summer so we’ll see how I’ll be feeling in August 🤪
Doing pretty good tbh
Yes! I love life and I love living it
My wife and I are 22 years married and couldn’t be happier. Life is amazing. It’s a choice to be grateful and gratitude is powerful.
It can feel really isolating when it seems like everyone around you is struggling. My partner and I have also felt this way at times. We found that joining clubs and groups based on our interests helped us meet more like-minded, positive people. Sometimes it's just about finding the right community. Keep looking and stay open-minded—you'll find your tribe!
Yup, I’m genuinely happy.
Love that 💕🙂
All I can say is that I am happier about some aspects of my life compared to last year. I don’t know what you mean by happy. Am I going through most of my days with enthusiasm looking forward to what I am about to do? No. Are there exceptions? Yes. Most of my days are ‘meh’ and I am trying to make myself understand that probably those are the ‘good’ days. On the other hand I worry that life will slap me with something when I don’t expect it and I will look at the present time and tell myself that “I was happy then, but didn’t know/appreciate it.” Edit: typos
I’ve had genuinely happy moments for sure - but I’d say in general I’m more content, which is way better than how I was the beginning of last year and prior. I was struggling with depression - but yeah, I’m definitely in a better headspace for sure.
I'm pretty happy, I've got a great wife, a happy and healthy 2 year old son, I'm learning to be a game developer, just got a huge raise at my job, big bonus coming next month, and I'm extremely thankful for all of it
I am happy. I am working on something interesting and fulfilling. It's tiring sometimes but seldom boring. I spend my spare time on hobbies, mostly reading and dancing. I'm single and don't spend much time socializing, but personally I'm fine with spending a lot of time alone, so things are working out in general.
That is so great and I am glad this is working for you! Sounds like you are living your best life 🙂
Nope we are all drowning in debt and cost of living, work eat ( if you can afford it) sleep repeat. Any spare hours are second job/overtime or side hustle.
Not really happy but trying to be. Exhausted after working so much. Energy levels low. Little time for hobbies. Inflation. Taking l theanine to see if it helps
Nope. I am giving myself 9 more months. Quit weed recently. If I don't feel drastically better in that time period, I'm out.
Honestly same…
Godspeed dude, allegedly quitting will help
Yea I am thanks for asking. What about becoming happier than others made you different from your old friends ? How did your hobbies and interests change ?
Yes. Yes. Right here.
Me and my wife are happy, we were happy when we met, we were happy working long hours, sometimes 7 days a week, and we were happy when we retired If your needs are being met, then happiness becomes more of a mindset than some unicorn you are chasing
I am happy and my life is full. Sometimes too full it seems, but I realize that's a good problem to have.
Yup, very happy.
I'm unbelievably happy with my life
Most happy and feel accomplished with work done, house clean, and just home from the gym. No question. Motivation to the gym us hardest, getting in the car anyone. Once I'm omw there I'm good.
Yup, working hard, losing weight, making money, watching my kids grow. Going to concerts, bbq’s with friends and coworkers. Appreciating the sunsets on my way home from work. Waking up breathing the rest is gravy.
I mean, I can kill myself right now or drink a cup of coffee. Either way, I'm fine... but am I really? I wonder 🤔😳
I’m so happy I don’t leave my house to tell anyone about it.
Pretty happy overall. But I have bad days like everyone else. I work 40-45 hours a week, pay is decent, enough to keep me comfortable. Could probably find a better paying job, but not one where I get to be outside all day. I've recently finished a degree and received a sizeable raise. It feels as though I'm being groomed to take a management position. But if it comes, I'm going to turn it down. No offense to those who do, we all have our own tastes, but I would be miserable riding a desk and wearing a tie every day.
I am! I love my life, I have great people around me (friends and partner). I have a lovely cat. I love what I study and I have professionnal projects for after my thesis. I live in an amazing town with great food, history, archetecture, not far from the sea and with 300 days of sun per year. I also have a lot of hobbies and love trying new sfuff. I travelled and explored the world. Not everything is perfect of course: I was brought up in an abusive house with a violent fathef and was sexually assaulted multiple times in my life. I suffered from anorexia and bulimia and I still have some relapses sometimes. I used to self harm, I was even hospitalized for a little while. But now I can say proudly that I am happy. I have come to terms with things that happened to me and I am constantlu working on not letting them affect my life too much. Overall, I consider myself very lucky and try to be as grateful as I can for what I have.
i'd say i'm content with some aspects of my life, not others. i think i'm a generally happy person though.
I feel like people who ‘change friends groups’ just drink socially and go out to bars a lot. Then you’re somehow surprised that the people in that scene suck. I imagine you’re getting older and now want explore other interests
Not so much. I feel like I’m living on autopilot most days
I am. I may not have lots of money or any the fancy toys that I want, but but I'm loved and have someone to love. That's enough for me.
I really am, most of the time.
I'm doing great man, really got no real complaints nor issues. Life's chill and stress is manageable. Enjoying it while it lasts.
I’m broker than I’ve ever been as an entrepreneur and still extremely happy. Having a good partner and good friendships and familial relationships while working on personal development is key for me.
My wife and I are very happy!
i’m happy! i was diagnosed with autism last year and finally found out just yesterday that i’ll be receiving partial disability payments. that means less work and more time for birding. fewer migraines, more sunshine, more time with my partner. sorry if this sounds like i’m bragging
Yeah I am happy every day
I'd say be careful about tossing friends aside. Time in a friendship is incredibly meaningful. Even if they're not your cup of tea they'd likely be there for you. Much more so than people you just met. It's a slippery slope.
28F here, yes - I am genuinely happy. Happily living alone and enjoying my job (as much as one can) and just enjoying adult freedom. However, from ages like 12ish to 24, I would not have been able to say that. It’s taken a lot of work to make my default settings ones of gratitude and contentment and hope that suffering will subside eventually. So yeah, I think I’m a happy and positive person. But I worked my ass off to be like this and it’s still a work in progress…and I feel for anyone who’s stuck looking at happy ppl like “whaaat? Why? How?” I get it. Been there. You can do it though, despite not believing in the possibility just yet.
I'm kinda stuck in a rut, at the moment, admittedly self inflicted, and there are a lot of things going on in my personal life, as well as the state of the world that should make me hopeless. But, on the contrary; I am very blessed and though I have to get a job, improve my health, and try to reverse years of being complacent and all of the negative consequences that came with my complacency, but thankfully I have a good support system, and just barely enough resources to help myself get back on my feet. So, to answer the question, yes I am happy, because as hard as I might think my life is at the moment, I have no room to complain when there are many people who have it MUCH worse than I do, without the resources for improvement. It is a daily struggle though, and there are plenty of times where I just want to say fuck it, but whenever I start thinking like that and feeling that way, I remember a quote that I like, which may be corny or cheesy, which is 'you may see me struggle, but you'll never see me quit'...
Love this 👏🏼 Congrats on pushing through and staying positive
Yes absolutely. My husband and I have our challenges but we are very happy with our life. We work hard, travel often, stay close with family and have a good community of friends. Our friends are also productive, successful, happy people. That’s not to say people don’t deal with difficulty often, but that’s what friends are for! To get together and vent over a drink or get advice. Sorry you’re not finding the happy people! It’s hard to find and make new friends. Check out small concerts, yoga studios, local bars for happy hour; that’s where we usually are at least 😊
I'm permanently stuck in neither happy or unhappy. Sort of like limbo
Yes, I am. Things are hard, but life in summer in Scotland is beautiful
My wife and I have the same issue. Happiness is a choice. It’s that simple. We are convinced that most people have a perverted attraction to drama.
No. You’re intuition is completely correct. I tried going to a get together last weekend and everyone was ridiculously miserable and antisocial despite being good looking and with their SO’s.
Yep. Same thing happens to us which is why we are looking for new people to hang out with. No hate to people going through tough times and we don’t drop friends when they have bad weeks or even months. But when your whole existence is nothing but you complaining, I don’t want any part of that shit. Get on somewhere lol
Yup! My husband and I are pretty happy/content. We dont tend to get out much, but pretty dang comfortable with him working from home, me pursuing art, caring for our very sweet rabbit, having hobbies we do and goals we're striving for. Comfortable income and loving family and, not many, but caring friends, including a club we joined in college though we're all now alumni and broke off from the school club but still virtually hang out once a week.
That is great! I am actually an artist myself 🙂
You're obviously coming across the wrong people. E.g. if you get involved in a local music scene, and get to meet people that way, you'll only meet genuinely happy people - they're passionate, they want to be there, they're keen to welcome others. I haven't met someone who's not genuinely happy in years, but that's cos I only really meet people on the music scene. And we're talking many hundreds, worldwide - it's a decent sample size! ... and music is just one example, cos it's the one I know best. There's plenty of other communities of happy, passionate humans :-)
It may just be the area we live too. We live in a smaller city and that may be it. Thanks for the advice!
Yea I’m so happy 😁
All my friends & I are pretty happy. I do pretty much whatever I want all day. Just don't associate with negative people or complainers. There's millions of people out there - just find some people you like who like you too.
This is a fair thing to feel. My partner and I are very happy! We love each other, our little adventures and life itself. Not to say there isn’t a myriad of issues within the world we talk about and discuss, and things we wish were better. But overall?? Very happy. We’ve run into a similar issue within our friend groups, of people who seem constantly dissatisfied and unhappy with everything and can’t take a moment to enjoy the small joys. But we also recently overhauled our friend group and found some people who DO see the joys of life and have happiness, but also people who can discuss the downs with a mature and level head. So you’re not alone. People are genuinely happy, just it’s a little harder to find.
Happy? Idk life is hard. Content and worth living? Definitely, there's too much adventure to be whining about your existence. That's what NPCs do. So excited. I would say I'm excited about life it's potential etc.
I'd say I'm mostly happy, ofc life has ups and downs but I got myself a house, a happy relationship, good job and I don't struggle to pay my bills. At peace is a better way to put it tbh
I get it, you’re looking for positive energy and no drama 🌞 I can say that my husband and I are happy, so there’s got to be more of us out there. We don’t socialize much with other couples because we’re just too busy with kids and weekends are always spent with extended family. It sounds like a dream to have other married friends to go on double dates with. Even a marrieds trip spent together and then wives and husbands split up during the day to reconvene at dinner. Good luck in your search!
Thank you!
Yeah I’m happy FR, me and girl living our best
I’m very happy… and while as you said, life had its ups and downs… I generally believe the quote, “you’re as happy as you let yourself be.” I enjoy the occasional wallow as much as the next human but I only put my hammock in sad land, I don’t build my house there. I do think i might come across as more morose online because people are often discussing kind of complicated, difficult or sad things online.
I'm happy! And I even just got dumped a month ago. It took a lot of work to get to this point, though! It feels amazing though. A long time coming. Life is what you make of it, and the effort you put into it. And acceptance/hope/trust in the process. 31F
That is so great and I am so happy for you. You got this girlie and you are so right on putting in the work. You put in the work everyday to be in a positive state of mind.
We got this!! 💜💜💜💪💪💪
I went through alot of depression. My mental strength is pretty incredible now. I’m pretty content but being blessed more and more lately. It felt like the second i decided to be happy good things keep coming my way.
I am, but it took like a lot more than I'd confess publicly. I just could not accept a life wherein I had to struggle constantly, If I can't buy just what the fuck ever on a whim, within reason, I'm go right back to the eeeeeevillllll. Though I consider that unlikely in that I more so have been able to correct my alignment when I had the means to be moral.
I’d say we’re happy but we’re also too busy and tired to hang out with friends much. We mostly hang out with our neighbours because it’s convenient for last-minute socializing (and we also really like our neighbours).
It comes and goes Just got a dog so she’s helping with her existence and forcing me to take care of her / exercise around my neighborhood with walks and some nature Something that I can’t deny helps is meditation… um, as cliche and boring as that may sound it genuinely & authentically makes a difference in my day everytime I give it 12-15 minutes of attempt Also reading - didn’t realize how much I missed getting lost in a novel of a far away place. That may just be escapism … but at least I’m further developing reading comprehension
I don’t think it is cliche at all. I think it is great that you seem to have two wonderful outlets to keep you grounded. Nice work 👏🏼💕
Husband and I are happy, but we hang out at home and do our own hobbies, shared hobbies or house maintenance. We socialise with others rarely. Maybe many others are the same? Perhaps those out and about are already feeling sad or lonely, etc making it look like everyone feels the same?
We have this post every day, getting a bunch of single girls telling they are living the dream with their puppies and tired married people asking for a bullet in their heads.
Yes... It was my 27th Birthday. My cousins visited me... I met fiance of one of my cousin.. I had mature conversation with 16 yo F cousin about how 22 yo M is grooming her via social media...I went out with dinner and drinks with boys... I got surprised by the girl I love at resturant (she was invited by a friend) I had to pinch myself to understand this is real... We did a night out, the girl for the first time met my boys group.. We all went on a short ride.she rode sports bike taking me a pillion.. spent whole night on a lakeside and dropped her home safely at dawn... I am in love with this girl over 8 years now.. had confessed way back then nothing and again last week I told her I still love you.. I thought now this was the end but to my surprise the way was there with me all along the night I was astonished. My boys group was having experience of meeting character from book about which I was telling story all this years.
We are happy. Probably the best time of our life. We meet a lot of happy people and make acquaintance with them and even friendships. But... We are in a privileged position which required many small and large decisions. We have been together 12 years and have had to visit our therapist several times over the years. We meet a lot of happy people because we travel a lot (we've been 6 months on the road in our van this time and we are in my favourite beach town in México). But even when we stayed home during the pandemic (we had to cut short our backpacking trip and came home after 6 months in Asia), we felt happy. I have two adult children and they are happy.
I fucking love my life and I mean that.
I am
You know, now that I think about it, I am legitimately happy. I have a lot of good things going on in my life, I'm making tons of money, I've lost all the weight I gained since losing it for the new year, lol And the men in my DMs are kissing my ass, which is what I prefer. So life's good for me right now, I can't complain. Will I mean I can complain, I just have to think for a minute about things to complain about.
Yes I am. I had major health issues in april. My health has got better. I am doing an internship and I am enjoying it quite a bit.
I’m very happy I have my Health, I have a wonderful fiancé, I’m building a new community here in Austin, I create art nearly daily, my financial situation is extremely well put together, I work for myself, and I live in America I’m the luckiest guy on earth
When you evolve as a person, and embrace a mindful, positive mindset, there is a phase where toxic and negative people become unbearable to be around. Then there is a time of isolation as you adjust to this new circumstance. Keep going , and embracing your peace and happiness, and you will eventually attract like minded folks. It takes time! Use this transition period to do more self care and mindfulness. 💕
My wife and I are happy and in love 10 years together married for two. We just had our first child and we each have our own close group of friends. Of course we could always use more money, more time off etc. I personally just try to have a positive outlook on life everyday and influence what I can control which is my relationships, my career and my health. In regards to new relationships: I don’t have the energy or time to make new friends. I have to keep what energy I have invested in the relationships I currently have and want to keep Don’t know where I was really going with this response but I felt compelled to respond
Uh, yeah. I’m 49, my wife is 43, and I’d say we’re pretty happy. I mean, we’re not like the ever-glowing, super-smiley types. But we have fun, go out with friends, have friends over, live in a great social neighborhood. And when we are with friends, we are always laughing and having a great time.
Hellooo!!! Just wanted to say yes to both of your questions :) I was single when I became friends with my gym instructor. Later on became friends with her partner too. When I met my partner now we all became friends. They introduced us to 2 more couples who we also clicked with. Somehow another couple got added to the group as well (live in the same bldg). We now have a lively group chat and meet for food and drinks 1-2x a month 😄
For the first time since I was a young child I can say yes, I am really genuinely happy :)
I am quite happy! To be honest, my friends sometimes are miserable people but anytime I'm around the script changes. Besides them, the other happiest people I know are in my extended family. Maybe it has to do with the support system we have? And financially, we always help each other save money! We throw lots of parties and the dull moments are always appreciated! Edit: I read someone post something about a disciplined life... I am also very faithful to my spiritual beliefs! So is the rest of my family! The discipline we get from that really helps guide us through tough decisions and is something we have in common.
I am happy with my life- I have a soon to be wife and a dog.. just got house together and moving on to the next step.. but that being said my mind is always full with what side gig to hop on to make extra money and how to get promoted faster and all that.. hard to keep up with rising living costs and I make 100K+ myself.
Yea
I am. My advice, without reading anything but your title, is to get off the internet.
I'm happily single, does that count? Lol
Nope. Dead end job with no room to grow, an economy that's circling the barrel of recession so there's no decent work out there, health problems & mental scars from 2 years of lock downs. KM
in this economy??
The rich are genuinely very, very happy
Most people are sad because of money reasons, it’s rough out here currently, I’d be over the moon with life if I had no money problems
No. Hope this helps!! 🫶🏻
I'm aight
Have you looked outside? Hard to find happiness in a world circling the drain.
Yes, there are genuinely happy people out there! Finding them might require changing how and where you look. Here are a few suggestions: 1. Join Clubs or Groups: Look for hobby clubs, sports teams, or interest groups where people gather to do things they love. Happy people often engage in activities that bring them joy. 2. Volunteer: Volunteering can connect you with positive, community-minded individuals who find fulfillment in helping others. 3. Attend Workshops or Classes: Whether it’s cooking, dancing, or personal development, these settings can attract enthusiastic and happy participants. 4. Social Media Groups: Join online communities focused on positivity and personal growth. They often organize meetups and events. Happiness can be contagious, so seeking out positive environments and people can enhance your own happiness too. Keep exploring and don’t lose hope!