Happiness, and our ideas

There are lots of ways we get in the way of our own happiness.

• We make specific requirements for our happiness. If the conditions aren’t met, we can’t be happy.
• We overlook opportunities for happiness that are already here. This is made worse by the requirements thing.
• We don’t believe we can have happiness and sadness at the same time. It seems like a paradox.

Another handy angle on this is mudita, sympathetic joy, happiness from other people’s happiness. Noticing all the happiness in the world, in the people around us, can be fill us with happiness.

Added 2024-04-05, last updated 2024-04-07.