# Secrets to happiness **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 3, 2022, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secrets-to-happiness/969034 "2022-08-03T16:15:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2022, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secrets-to-happiness/969034/1 "2022-08-03T16:15:32Z")
No, 14 Don’t lose your ability to be amazed. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2022, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secrets-to-happiness/969034/2 "2022-08-03T16:57:13Z")
So far, so good. [cite](https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/stsci-01g8jzq6gwxhex15pyy60wdrsk.png?itok=1gQYAKHT) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2022, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secrets-to-happiness/969034/3 "2022-08-03T22:46:23Z")
1. Happiness should be shared, not kept secret. “Shared pain is lessened. Shared joy is increased. Thus we refute entropy.” ― Spider Robinson ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2022, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secrets-to-happiness/969034/4 "2022-08-03T23:43:34Z")
“The secret to life is enjoying the passage of time. There ain’t nothing to it, any fool can do it.” (James Taylor) For me it’s the, ‘any fool can do it’, bit that really hits home. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2022, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secrets-to-happiness/969034/5 "2022-08-03T23:51:43Z")
Taking your shoes and socks off, rolling up the pants and dipping your toes in the cool running water of a brook. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2022, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secrets-to-happiness/969034/6 "2022-08-04T00:04:58Z")
As baseball pitcher Satchel Paige once said: > [@](#): > > Don’t look back. Something might be gaining on you. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2022, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secrets-to-happiness/969034/7 "2022-08-04T17:06:45Z")
Stop worrying about things you have no control over. It’s a waste of your precious time. ---
**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:** [August 4, 2022, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secrets-to-happiness/969034/8 "2022-08-04T17:12:01Z")
It’s a secret! ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2022, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secrets-to-happiness/969034/9 "2022-08-04T17:19:09Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > Stop worrying about things you have no control over. It’s a waste of your precious time. But what if the thing I’m worrying about is that I DON’T HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER ANYTHING? ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2022, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secrets-to-happiness/969034/10 "2022-08-04T17:34:16Z")
I assume you’re joking, but in case you’re not and you really feel you don’t have control over ANYTHING you may want to talk to someone about it. ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2022, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secrets-to-happiness/969034/11 "2022-08-04T17:50:18Z")
Don’t attempt to eat any fire trucks. Don’t slap any comedians on TV. Don’t invade other countries or storm state capitols (unless absolutely necessary). Do not tease, annoy or bother large predatory animals that could rend your flesh in a matter of seconds. Stay reasonably informed – and err on the side of inclusion - about events close and far that might affect your life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. Be aware that happiness doesn’t last indefinitely. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2022, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secrets-to-happiness/969034/12 "2022-08-04T17:53:04Z")
> [@Dropo](#): > > Do not tease, annoy or bother large predatory animals that could rend your flesh in a matter of seconds. And, for that matter, treat large, strong, irritable herbivores (e.g., bison) with a similar degree of caution and respect. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2022, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secrets-to-happiness/969034/13 "2022-08-04T18:33:50Z")
You can’t wait for life to be perfect before you decide to enjoy it. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2022, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secrets-to-happiness/969034/14 "2022-08-04T19:06:13Z")
Yes, it’s a joke riffing on the weak internal logic of that aphorism. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2022, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secrets-to-happiness/969034/15 "2022-08-05T02:27:14Z")
There was a study, once, surveying families’ happiness and comparing it to their houses. They did not find a correlation between square footage and happiness or high price and happiness. They did find a correlation between having enough bathrooms and happiness. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2022, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secrets-to-happiness/969034/16 "2022-08-05T02:43:43Z")
Lower your expectations. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2022, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secrets-to-happiness/969034/17 "2022-08-05T02:54:59Z")
[![](https://morbotron.com/meme/S08E01/948156.jpg?b64lines=IEkgcmVmdXNlIHRvCiBiZWxpZXZlIGFueW9uZSBpcwogaGFwcHkh) ](https://morbotron.com/meme/S08E01/948156.jpg?b64lines=IEkgcmVmdXNlIHRvCiBiZWxpZXZlIGFueW9uZSBpcwogaGFwcHkh) ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2022, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secrets-to-happiness/969034/18 "2022-08-05T03:47:02Z")
Happiness comes from wanting what you have. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2022, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secrets-to-happiness/969034/19 "2022-08-05T04:13:54Z")
Never shut down or deny your happiness by assuming that you’re not wealthy enough, attractive enough, successful enough, etc. to “qualify” for happiness. There are no tests you have to pass. ---
**Author:** ![Kedikat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed655f/32.png) [@Kedikat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kedikat)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2022, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secrets-to-happiness/969034/20 "2022-08-05T04:40:54Z")
I am a news junkie, in depth. Which can be depressing. But i always try to take note of even the most common things, that are fantastic. Clean, safe, hot and cold water comes out of my tap anytime. Reliable electricity. My nice heating system. The stunning variety of food available to me. My health care system. Not perfect but amazing. A nice day. In whatever season. Not so long ago in history. My everyday life would be the envy of Kings and Queens. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secrets-to-happiness/969034.md?page=2)