Comments on: The Secret of Happiness

By: ankit.c

ankit.c — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 09:17:30 +0000

Hey Shalini, I completely agree that happiness is subjective, but it isn’t ephemeral. Are you trying to see happiness as absence of sufering? That will be a mistake. Moreover, I believe once you recognize happiness in its true sense, it will stay with you forever. Thus, the first step is to become conscious of what is it that keeps you happy, irrespective of the situation you are in.

By: Pragya

Pragya — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 07:17:12 +0000

Hi Ankit. That was really a positive thought. I second it.

By: Priya

Priya — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 04:37:30 +0000

Shalini, I do not agree with your statement “we should accept the fact that happiness is never long lasting.” Is there anything more long lasting than happiness?

By: Piyush

Piyush — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 20:31:00 +0000

Hey Shalini – welcome to The HOB!
Totally agree with you on the fact that life has its happy moments and the not so happy moments and the cycle continues. The essential thing is to pursue it consistently.

By: Shalini

Shalini — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 17:28:11 +0000

hey i am new to this site! nice effort guys!
in my opinion, happiness is a highly subjective state.. and ephemeral.. we should accept the fact that happiness is never long lasting.. it is the preceding suffering which makes a joyous moment even more sweeter! sometimes we squash our short term happiness to gain long term happiness and vice versa.. in the end it depends on the individual’s outlook!

By: Arunesh

Arunesh — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:31:16 +0000

Wow! Talk about multiplying happiness, I just got married and had a baby.
Now here’s my 2 bit attempt at spreading happiness:
God told the amoeba, ‘Go forth and multiply.’
The amoeba said in unision, ‘Nay; we shall divide!’
So then God said, ‘Go forth and multiply by division.’
And so it was.

By: Piyush Nigam

Piyush Nigam — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 20:47:23 +0000

Hey Remi – would like to add a little more to Ankit’s thoughts here:
The secret is always simple; the route to discover it is often complex. Things always look complex on the way there and that is what brings in the challenge – if you are not happy and you recognize it then that is an interesting place to be in, because this is where the journey begins. Dig deep within yourself and understand the universe that you live in to find what will make you happy and that is where the work begins to bring happiness into your life.
Happiness is not the means to an end but an end in itself. Do not look for reasons to be happy – justify actions in your life with the reason for them being the pursuit of happiness!

By: ankit.c

ankit.c — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 20:35:29 +0000

Your comment has enriched my post. Thank you so much.
The Prince identified the cause of suffering, not unhappiness. I believe that people know it when they suffer or when they are elated. However, they let go millions of moments that do not belong to either of these extreme categories. It is here that my idea of being conscious comes in.
I did not even try to define happiness as I feel it is useless to do so. I neither have the right nor the power to take away the fun of exploring the meaning of this wonderful feeling from anybody.
Once again, thanks for all the encouragement. I promise to keep provoking you to think with my posts in future.

By: ankit.c

ankit.c — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 13:35:21 +0000

Yes, after all, our being is in the present. The idea is to fill the present moment with happiness, be it by reliving the past, enjoying what we are doing right now or making sure that we have a happy future.

By: ankit.c

ankit.c — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 13:33:25 +0000

A pure feeling like happiness can only be simple. Human beings, or for that matter all forms of life, are meant to be happy. You are trying to take my post as a formula. It is not. We all have our own secrets of happiness and only you can find yours. Not being conscious of your happiness is the cause of its absence. Once you become conscious of it, it will just grow.