# What makes you happy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 1, 2009, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901 "2009-03-01T19:16:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![I\_Have\_Hippos\_In\_My\_Garden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4491bb/32.png) [@I\_Have\_Hippos\_In\_My\_Garden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Have_Hippos_In_My_Garden)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/1 "2009-03-01T19:16:37Z")
If you had to name one thing, activity, person etc that makes you extremely happy, what is it and why? ---
**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/2 "2009-03-01T19:19:21Z")
My favourite part of any day is sitting in my easy chair with my kids watching a movie. If I have my ipod so I don’t have to listen to Finding Nemo for the zillionth time that’s even better. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/3 "2009-03-01T19:21:02Z")
If I had to name an activity it would probably have to be fishing. But lots of things can make me happy. Heck, I make myself laugh all the time. People to look at me kind of weird when I do though. Or if the main character of a TV show gets some sort of victory that they’ve been working on all season long. The most trivial things can make me happy. I’m very rarely depressed or not happy. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/4 "2009-03-01T20:02:22Z")
Surprise visit to my nieces… Niece the elder \, talktalktalktalktalk Niece the middle \, talktalktalktalktalk Niece the younger \, x-box x-box x-box. Two out of three aint bad. ETA: Learning/Solving problems. Walking in the countryside in sunshine. Well-made TV. ---
**Author:** ![turner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@turner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turner)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/5 "2009-03-01T20:12:34Z")
Camping with my family. Pitch a tent, start a fire and just go aahhhhhhhh. Look up at the stars and see thousands (vs 10s at home). I feel closer to both God and my family and all the daily pressures and worries just seem so far away. ---
**Author:** ![Karyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/fbc32d/32.png) [@Karyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karyn)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/6 "2009-03-01T20:13:39Z")
If I had to choose one, my partner, but after that is working in my garden. Or my pets. This is too hard for me and I don’t want to have to give up any of them. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/7 "2009-03-01T20:42:40Z")
Spending time with my family makes me happiest. I love that benign chaos when everyone is together during the holidays. Second is the satisfaction of working outside, preferably in my own section of the garden. Though I do enjoy doing the maintenance stuff with my son and husband. ---
**Author:** ![vandal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/858c86/32.png) [@vandal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vandal)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/8 "2009-03-01T20:48:15Z")
Great sex. ---
**Author:** ![Mahna\_Mahna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Mahna\_Mahna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahna_Mahna)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/9 "2009-03-01T22:06:51Z")
Puttering around the kitchen fixing a nice homemade meal, and then feeding it to people. Yeah, I know… how Martha Sodding Stewart of me. 🙂 I’m terminally domestic like that. ---
**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:** [March 1, 2009, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/10 "2009-03-01T22:14:33Z")
Golf on a hot summer day with a cold beer. Luxury! ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/11 "2009-03-01T22:23:15Z")
I like **Mahna** ’s answer. It makes me happy to make good food, and feed people good food. My dogs make me joyful a lot of the time. They are so sweet and loving. I feel happiest on a Saturday morning, with a cup of coffee and the whole weekend looming in front of me, with no major plans. Being a slug makes me happy! ---
**Author:** ![Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sticks_and_scones/32/16951_2.png) [@Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sticks_and_Scones)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/12 "2009-03-01T22:55:14Z")
Silly jokes, puns, or comics. I’m always printing out the daily comics that I find particularly bizarre and twisted to share with my friends and family. And as far as puns go, my dad is picking me up today because I sprained my toes, so I sent him a text saying ‘sorry to put you in a (toe) jam.’ Yes, sometimes I crack myself up.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kayeby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de0a6/32.png) [@Kayeby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kayeby)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/13 "2009-03-01T23:07:11Z")
Making people laugh, especially if it’s a really surprised laugh. A sparkling clean home and choc chip cookies baking in the oven. ---
**Author:** ![BrassyPhrase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@BrassyPhrase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrassyPhrase)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/14 "2009-03-02T03:09:48Z")
My Fella. I thought I’d never find someone that got me. Or turn into Crazy Cat Lady. (My sister has two cats and it turns out I can’t be crazy cat lady b/c I can’t breathe. Dammit! I hates having the new allergy. ---
**Author:** ![MissIntent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/97f17d/32.png) [@MissIntent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissIntent)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/15 "2009-03-02T03:24:22Z")
My horses. When I have the time, just spending time with them, playing with them, grooming them and just being around them. Their personalities, all their little nuances, they make me happy. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/16 "2009-03-02T03:37:50Z")
I’m sitting at the computer at 10:30. Tomorrow’s a snow day, so I’ll go into work, but the kids won’t be there, so I can go in late. Best of all, my wonderful wife is sound asleep upstairs, and my crazybeautiful 2-month-old daughter is asleep in a carrier on my chest, every now and then letting out a soft baby sigh. THIS is what makes me happy. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/17 "2009-03-02T04:24:49Z")
Sitting out in the countryside having a picnic with my wife, by a clear, freshwater stream. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/57b2e6/32.png) [@Quasimodal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodal)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/18 "2009-03-02T05:18:50Z")
I just like good conversation with a friend. ---
**Author:** ![Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bites_when_provoked/32/18073_2.png) [@Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bites_When_Provoked)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/19 "2009-03-02T05:44:05Z")
The OP’s username. It doesn’t matter what the topic of a thread is, it’s username/topic combo that never fails to entertain me! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/20 "2009-03-02T13:13:04Z")
Sunshine. I’ve noticed that “I’m happy today” is almost synonymous with “it’s sunny out today” and my funks are universally cold-weather ones. No matter how crappy my life gets, I can always find something beautiful when the shining. As soon as I’m finished here, I’m moving to some sunny desert somewhere. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901.md?page=2)