Happiness

[poliphilo]

Happiness is when you don't know you're happy- when you're absorbed in whatever you're doing and things just flow. If you start to think, "this is happiness" you've distanced yourself from the pure state and the happiness is already in the past.

Comments

[balirus.livejournal.com]

I think like you that happiness lives mostly in our attempts to fulfill our motivations. I'd add though that it doesn't matter whether those motivations or goals are joyful in nature. So many people's happiness is inextricably bound to their conflicts and their frustrations. My behaviorist leanings are about to show, but if people didn't receive an emotional benefit from the attempt itself then their motivations would change. As The Mamas & The Papas put it so well, some of us are glad to be unhappy.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Creative people are often manic-depressive. Happiness is a fairly uncreative state I think. Creativity comes out of extreme experience- whether despairing or joyful.