A lot of people talk about how they found their “happiness”. There are motivational speeches, books and even films about how you can reach the ever elusive goal to “be happy”. But if you ask someone about how they are and they state that they’re “happy”, it’s probably not the case. At times, we tend to forget that happiness is just an emotion and not a state of being. Which brings us to the bold and arguably controversial point that: Happy people are lying! When we see or hear that someone is happy, it’s probably more to do with what we see at face value and less to do with how they actually are. Here are a few reasons why we should rethink everything when it comes to these so-called happy people:
1. We Don’t Really See Everything
When you reach the decision on whether or not someone is truly happy, it’s usually based off on two things: what you see and what you hear. If you ask someone how they’re doing and they say they’re happy, it might not be the case. Real people can’t just be happy all the time; everyone is burdened with problems and things that affect them. And in that sense happiness isn’t synonymous with constant smiling and joyfulness. So when someone says they’re happy, rethink what they said before you start thinking of how great their life must be. Another way you might find out whether someone’s supposedly happy is through observation; you might see a photo on social media or spot the person in public. But appearances can truly be deceiving, so be careful of making assumptions about people without getting their full story.
2. Our perception of Happiness Varies
You need to really sit down and think about what happiness means to you. For some, it might mean a stable relationship, a fulfilling job or a lot of money and possessions. It might even be the whole package! But the truth is, someone might have the whole package and still not be happy. As said before, everyone has troubles and problems that only they can see and owning or having material things might not be affecting their happiness level in the slightest. At the end of the day, our perception of what it takes to be happy varies from person to person.
3. Our Perceptions Are Constructed
When you think about it, our ideas on what we need to be happy are constructed by society and the media. Society has told us that all happy people are married for example, and the media has shown us that we need certain material goods to be as happy as the people in an advertisement or poster. Happiness has become a construct that has made people believe they need certain things in order to feel truly fulfilled. But we need to realize that all these things aren’t the doorway to happiness, and that there’s more to it than that.
