Is Happiness Based on the Circumstances of the Material World?

[Someone here]

I have been thinking about this today and wondering about how the material circumstances in which each person lives contribute to happiness or well being. It may come down to the material conditions of finance or physical health. I am aware that I have previously had a thread on attachments and that there have been threads on meaning, relating to subjective and objective aspects of life. I don't think that anyone has raised this specific question though.

The trigger for me thinking about this was when the boy who lives in the room next to mine remarked how my room was such a mess. He showed me his and I saw how neat and tidy it was. For example, mine has a torn curtain provided by the landlord while he has put up net curtains. I have chaotic heaps of clothes on the floor because my drawers are full of papers and he definitely doesn't have piles of books all over. It lead me to think of the way rooms or homes may be symbolic of mental states. I think that my neighbour was trying to help as he offered to help me organize mine. The point of my little funny story is how material circumstances relate to inner states of mind. Do the circumstances affect happiness or vice versa?

It is likely that Maslow's hierarchy of needs which range from the physiological to the social and those of self actualisation come into play. Each person is unique but everyone has certain basic needs. I don't know how people who are homeless manage to endure and it must involve a lot of resilience. Also, aspects of mental health are affected by physical health and factors such as poverty. It is likely that a person who is depressed but in better material circumstances can endure suffering more 'comfortably' than an impoverished person.

The cognitive behavioral school of psychology suggests that human beings do not simply experience emotional distress on the basis of experience but on how they think about it. There is some truth in that but material factors impinge on this. For example, a person with poor physical health may experience an event differently from someone in good health. Also, the experience of one's own body plays a part in psychology. In particular, how one sees oneself physically when looking in the mirror is likely to influence the tone of one's experience of reality.

I am not wishing to see this question as simply being one of social psychology but as one with far reaching implications, such as poverty and political factors. Climate change does come into it too because extreme environmental factors of weather impact on wellbeing, just like being without food affects the mind and cognitive processes.

So, I am raising the question of material circumstances in relation to happiness. The basis of this is because happiness is sometimes seen more in terms of being able to transcend the physical as a philosophical state of mind. I am wondering about this and how it may be negotiated in the worst conditions and how it relates to pleasure and lack of it. Any thoughts on the topic and the main questions raises here

[VictorB02]

@Someone here to me this is basically the essence of LOA or Manifestation.

It's not that your circumstances will somehow magically make you happy, its that the more happy you become, the more higher vibrational energy you send out into the cosmos, the more it harmonizes your life - hence attracting that same frequency back into your experience.

It's like with your room. It is quite literally a reflection of the inside of your mind. The same with your life as a whole. There is no disconnect.

So to me it's not that things inherently make you happy - we all know of the super famous and rich that hate their lives and commit suicide. But if you're happy you may just end up with some things, and if not - that's okay. 

The emotion comes first, always.

[Gesundheit2]

It's not very much about the circumstances themselves, but how much stress they place on you. So there's always a subjective component in how you perceive the circumstances, which is big, but still doesn't always invalidate the objective component.

Although, the objective component is flexible and can expand and contract to a large extent through adaptation. It's like you can keep on decreasing it to become very insignificant, but you can't really get rid of it entirely, which is not necessarily a bad thing, imo.

[Someone here]

@VictorB02 @Gesundheit2 Thanks for your reply. The idea of how important are material possessions is probably the basic area of questioning. My own view is that ideally it would be better if they were kept to a minimum. However, in some ways they can be important props for human life in coping with forms of suffering. But this may be the 'trap' because as the Buddha suggested it may be going down the spiral of craving, creating more and more suffering ultimately. My own story about my room being a mess may have been an unhelpful diversion in the post really but the way it seemed worth including was in relation to the misery of having to live in the chaos of the physical world. I guess I also was wondering if my next door neighbour wishing to change my room was based on his illusion. Even though he means well I feel that he doesn't understand my private world of reading and music at all and really far more concerned about appearances in the outer material world which can be illusory. I am not sure that my introduction conveyed properly, but what I was trying to do was ask about the underlying issues of human sentience too.

[SgtPepper]

Its based on the love and meaning you have in your life.

Otherwise, the richest people would be the happiest people.

[Someone here]

@SgtPepper isn't meaning a construction?  Life objectiobjectively has no inherent meaning. We make up whatever meaning that suits us .

As for love..I can't say because I need Awakening to the nature of love .I'm lacking in this area. 

[SgtPepper]

23 minutes ago, Someone here said:

@SgtPepper isn't meaning a construction?  Life objectiobjectively has no inherent meaning. We make up whatever meaning that suits us .

As for love..I can't say because I need Awakening to the nature of love .I'm lacking in this area. 

Here is my understanding:

Love happens when 'you' know Yourself and then see that you are an artwork of God/ God living through his artwork.

This is pure love. It is speechless. The love devours any negative thoughts because thoughts are part of creation and subservient to the uncreated. The love feels like pure light. 

Love brings about the meaning into the imagined world. 

If you know God, then you will know love, and if you know love, then you love the world as God loves you. 

Mind you, this whole post is a construction.

Edited February 23, 2022 by SgtPepper

[BipolarGrowth]

Basic needs being met will make happiness easier in theory. You can be happy in plenty of bad circumstances, but that ability might be harder to develop if survival needs take too much of your time. 

[Nadosa]

Nothing makes you happy. It's really the yes saying to the moment which creates the illusion of happiness. Happiness is already there when thought isn't believed.

Verified via direct experience. Takes some time tho.

[Someone here]

We are not really looking for happiness, because that inherently involves and inevitabely brings sadness on the other side of the spectrum - When that happines if over, which it always is, then emptiness naturally 'takes its place' - and emptiness compared to happiness is kind of sad, right?

What we are really looking for is familiarity and non-change.

[Breakingthewall]

pure happiness is what you are, but the walls of the ego prevent you from flowing. the best way i have found so far to break them is a good vape of 5 meo dmt. once broken, the pure happiness that you are will flow, until it stops. 4 weeks, 6... depends. The ego is stubborn. if the happiness that you are flows, you will be happy in the hospice ward of a hospital in the congo, if it doesn't flow, you will be unhappy in the best possible context. when pure happiness manifests, there are no questions because it itself is the answer. who wants to know the mechanics of reality? love and that's it, give yourself totally, surrender to the present moment is the answer

Edited February 23, 2022 by Breakingthewall

[Someone here]

During a period of self reflection I decided to be very honest with myself and pursue my own inner truth. At the time I believed that it was always better to pick truth over happiness.

As I kept digging eventually I discovered that this preference was a lie and even somewhat of a paradox. As a general heuristic picking truth over happiness is close to optimal. If you choose truth you may be able to add happiness and retain the truth. If you choose happiness the truth will likely later destroy that happiness.

But if you keep digging you eventually come to the last treasure chest containing the final truths. You open the box and you discover a choice where you can take one additional truth and that truth is such that if you accept it no being will ever have happiness again. Do you choose it simply because it is true?

I would not. Initially that created discomfort for me as it implies that I may have already made such a choice. But that itself is a truth I am still willing to accept. If you still think you would choose otherwise I am left wondering whether you left one more thing in the box than I did.

[Breakingthewall]

11 minutes ago, Someone here said:

But if you keep digging you eventually come to the last treasure chest containing the final truths. You open the box and you discover a choice where you can take one additional truth and that truth is such that if you accept it no being will ever have happiness again. Do you choose it simply because it is true?

the matter is much simpler. There is only one truth and that is unity. reality is one. the more you move away from the unit, that is, the more you fragment, the less happy. the closer you get to unity, the happier. if you are in a pure non-dual state, pure bliss. If you are in a fragmented state, you can be a great person, have great relationships, have the best job, the best sex, and be a millionaire, there will be little happiness in you.

[Preety_India]

 

          <my personal logo >

 

Practice Daily Gratitude

Expressing gratitude has been shown to do more than improve your mood. People who write down a few positive things about their day are healthier, more energetic, less stressed and anxious, and get better sleep.

The key is to make this a regular habit and to do it with intention. Think about creating a small gratitude ritual. For example, every morning when you have your coffee, try thinking of three things that you appreciate about the previous day. Or make it a habit to jot down three positive things about your day before you go to bed at night. Your three things can be seemingly small (a beautiful flower you saw during a walk) or big (the fact that you're healthy). In fact, science shows that it's the small everyday experiences that make us happier, compared to big life events.

Surround Yourself With Positive People

Happiness is contagious. If you're feeling down, reach out to a friend who generally has a more positive attitude. Your brains have mirror neurons that will literally mimic what another person is expressing so when you need a bit of positive infusion, connect with those who share it.

Practice Regular Acts of Kindness

spending money on others makes us happier than spending money on ourselves and doing small acts of kindness increases life satisfaction. Even the smallest nice gesture can make someone's day. Here are easy ways to show kindness:

Hold the door open for someone behind you.

Say thank you and mean it when you pick up your next cup of coffee.

Donate clothes to a local shelter.

Help an elderly neighbor with yard work.

Bake a dessert to share with your coworkers.

Spend More Time With Family and Friends

Friendships can be one of the keys to longevity. Low social interaction-and in turn, loneliness-can be as bad for you as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and is twice as bad for your health as obesity.

Use your lunch break as an opportunity to call a friend or, if possible, take a walk together. If you're busy during the week, consider inviting your friend to do some errands together on the weekend.

Invest in Experiences, Not Objects

People feel happier when they spend their money on experiences rather than objects. We remember experiences for a longer period of time and our brains can re-live them, making our positive emotions last longer. So instead of that new pair of jeans consider trying a new yoga class or inviting a friend to the movies with you.

While these ways to increase happiness may come easily to some people, if you're coping with depression, chronic stress, or other psychological illnesses, it can be difficult to see the bright side. Remember that every day is different and that these are practices to work on daily. If you continue to have difficulty coping, consider talking to a friend or family member for support, or contact your doctor for advice on next steps.

 

Edited February 24, 2022 by Preety_India