# Are you happy? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 16, 2011, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy/606419 "2011-12-16T16:01:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy/606419/1 "2011-12-16T16:01:30Z")
Let’s see if I can make the poll options varied enough to keep people, um, happy. ---
**Author:** ![SecondJudith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@SecondJudith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecondJudith)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy/606419/2 "2011-12-16T16:23:54Z")
I’m incredibly happy right now: I have a wonderful marriage, a well-paying job I enjoy, a flat we love and own with not too much debt, good health and hobbies that I enjoy and find fulfilling. I expect to live another 60-70 years barring accidents, and I am extremely concerned that global climate change will significantly affect my quality of life (along with everyone else on the planet, but the poll ain’t asking about them!) in the next 20+ years. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy/606419/3 "2011-12-16T16:24:39Z")
My job is stress-free, well-paid, and entirely meaningless; I go to sleep most nights feeling like a professional failure. My personal life is a mess, and I badly botched what may well have been my best chance at happiness several months ago. I go to sleep alone, and certain I’ll continue to do so for a long, long time to come. I’m not an absolute sad-sack. I have good friends, I do volunteer work, and so on; I try to keep busy. I’m also trying to make my life better; applying for jobs, looking at (additional) graduate education, the odd bit of Internet dating. But whenever I step back and look at my life, I find I really don’t care for what I see. Happy holidays, all. ETA: And the best bit (reminded of this by **SecondJudith** ) is that things may well continue in this vein for decades to come. I’m only 28. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy/606419/4 "2011-12-16T16:25:04Z")
At this moment, I am content. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy/606419/5 "2011-12-16T16:30:29Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > At this moment, I am content. Pretty much sums it up for me as well. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy/606419/6 "2011-12-16T16:44:50Z")
I am generally very happy, but at this moment I have a cold and am not quite as happy because my throat really hurts. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy/606419/7 "2011-12-16T16:47:10Z")
Fucking ecstatic; nor listed, though. Which makes me sad. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy/606419/8 "2011-12-16T16:51:25Z")
I also define myself as content. For me, happiness is an occasional emotion in the same way unhappiness is. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy/606419/9 "2011-12-16T16:57:58Z")
I define it as “reasonably okay”. I’ve said this in these sorts of polls in the past. I know what happy is, I’ve been there before, and I hope to be there again. Right now, I’m okay, sometimes content even. But happy is something I’d like to have again. ---
**Author:** ![JoThrive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@JoThrive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoThrive)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy/606419/10 "2011-12-16T17:00:39Z")
I am one of the contented ones. I think contented is a better word than happy. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy/606419/11 "2011-12-16T17:09:05Z")
I was expecting to have a better job by this point, and to have my own place, but overall I’m happy, especially since it seems my depression isn’t going to come back any time soon. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy/606419/12 "2011-12-16T17:11:53Z")
> [@sandra\_nz](#): > > I also define myself as content. For me, happiness is an occasional emotion in the same way unhappiness is. This. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy/606419/13 "2011-12-16T17:15:03Z")
I am quite content. I don’t get paid very well, which is probably the biggest annoyance, but I enjoy my job and have a wonderful home life. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy/606419/14 "2011-12-16T17:15:07Z")
It’s been a rough year. I’m generally unhappy in any given moment, but overall when I look at the course of my life, I am satisfied. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy/606419/15 "2011-12-16T18:16:50Z")
I think it’s obvious to anyone who knows anything about me my life is a mess and has been for some time now. I just registered for school so I have hope things will improve. I’m on meds now for anxiety so I’m not as panicked all the time, so I’m not as sad as I’ve been, but I still just feel so damned hopeless. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy/606419/16 "2011-12-16T18:22:14Z")
I was happy in Life until I met my wife. Since then I’ve been ecstatic. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy/606419/17 "2011-12-16T18:23:43Z")
I am happy. Being married to a kind, affectionate and handsome man is the #1 factor in that. Having a healthy baby is the #2. We have enough money, a comfortable house, good cars, and a very snuggly kitty. When I feel unhappy, it is because I’m failing to live up to my own expectations. I have problems with my weight and with spending too much money. There aren’t any external factors in my life to make me unhappy. ---
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy/606419/18 "2011-12-16T18:33:10Z")
Hard to say. Comfortable, but disatisfied and periodically frustrated I guess. ---
**Author:** ![papergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aca169/32.png) [@papergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papergirl)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy/606419/19 "2011-12-16T18:46:10Z")
I’m kind of poor. Beyond that, I’m the happiest person I know irl. It’s been implied(by very unhappy people) that there is something wrong with me, as if my circumstances are so horrible I must be deluding myself. But you know…I have food and a roof, great kids, a satisfying personal life, good friends who stop by to visit, and just enough money to squeak by most months. I consider that happy-making. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy/606419/20 "2011-12-16T18:51:07Z")
> [@Rushgeekgirl](#): > > I think it’s obvious to anyone who knows anything about me my life is a mess and has been for some time now. I just registered for school so I have hope things will improve. I’m on meds now for anxiety so I’m not as panicked all the time, so I’m not as sad as I’ve been, but I still just feel so damned hopeless. {{ Rushgeekgirl }} [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy/606419.md?page=2)