# 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:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/41 "2009-03-03T22:07:06Z")
Life in general. ---
**Author:** ![melodyharmonius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/melodyharmonius/32/21310_2.png) [@melodyharmonius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melodyharmonius)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/42 "2009-03-03T22:23:17Z")
How can you pick just one? But one of my favorite things is on a weekend night, when my bf and I are together, and we are watching TV and I massage his back with lotion. Something about feeling the lotion under my hands, feeling my fingers easing out the knots in his back, hearing his happy sighs, and just being together without pressure that is so nice. Sometimes, I’m not sure who relaxes more - I really enjoy doing it. It’s just a very comfortable, intimate time. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/43 "2009-03-03T22:25:41Z")
Waking up slowly on Saturday morning, curled up with my SO, and drifting along half asleep, with nothing demanding that we get up and get going. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/44 "2009-03-03T23:05:24Z")
Some examples:[ul][_]The awesome beauty of nature. [_]My friends.[_]Playing with my friends’ kids.[_]The feeling of finishing a workout.[_]Sinking into a task and merging with it, so that you and the work and the goal are one seamless whole. I call this ‘the art state of mind’, and it’s uncommon and difficult to achieve.[_]Mashed potatoes.[_]Intense pure colour, as of lasers or prisms.[_]Cold, dry, sunny winter days when the snow squeaks under your boots and glitters beside the path and the world is brilliant blue and white and grey-brown.[_]Human touch, as in hugs or massage or play or sex.[_]A really good science-fiction book, one that transports you to another world and gives you the feel of living there.And how could I forget music?[/ul] ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/45 "2009-03-03T23:23:25Z")
I wish I could remember what makes me extremely happy. ---
**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/46 "2009-03-04T00:33:04Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > I wish I could remember what makes me extremely happy. That’s never a good feeling, maybe some of the ideas in the previous posts can help. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/47 "2009-03-04T00:47:44Z")
> [@I\_Have\_Hippos\_In\_My\_Garden](#): > > If you had to name one thing, activity, person etc that makes you extremely happy, what is it and why? **SWMBO**. Just because. ---
**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/48 "2009-03-04T01:00:46Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > **SWMBO**. Just because. Hey, I like Swinging With Mexican Bongo Orchestras too. ---
**Author:** ![carlotta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@carlotta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlotta)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/49 "2009-03-04T01:11:14Z")
Lots of things make me happy. I am easy to please. Most of the things posters have mentioned make me happy (though not the crushing enemies/lamentations thingy, and not the cooking either, bleah). But if I had to say just one it would be **reading**. I love my husband and my kids and my parents and siblings and my friends and I am really really lucky to have the wonderful people in my life, but I think I could live without them if I had to (I have already had to say goodbye to one child and one brother), but I’m not sure how I would even get through one day without reading. Whew! Glad I don’t have to choose. and don’t show this post to my family. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/50 "2009-03-04T02:20:52Z")
Going up to my place up north, stepping out the door, and seeing…no-one. Nobody. Not a soul. And I can see at least half a mile in each direction. _sigh_ No street lights. No airplane noise. No sirens. No jackhammers. No billboards. Nada. Just the river, the creek, and the occasional eagle. Deer, maybe. Yeah, that’ll do. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/51 "2009-03-04T13:16:08Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > Sitting out in the countryside having a picnic with my wife, by a clear, freshwater stream. Originally I thought of just sitting by a stream. But then I thought wouldn’t it be better if my wife was there too, and then wouldn’t it be even better if we were having a picnic? Then I thought that this thing could really escalate. I mean, thinking about it now, wouldn’t it be even better if, after lunch, when the wife had gone off to the bathroom (located 20 mins walk away) on the small country road nearby there was a huge, non-fatal, collision between a Columbian coke smuggler van and a bus full of Russian strippers? Oh what joy. ---
**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 4, 2009, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/52 "2009-03-04T19:02:11Z")
Last time I answered this thread I hadn’t read the OP properly. I know what one thing _would_ make me happy - Not having to worry about anything. ---
**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 5, 2009, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/53 "2009-03-05T00:43:15Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > Originally I thought of just sitting by a stream. > > But then I thought wouldn’t it be better if my wife was there too, and then wouldn’t it be even better if we were having a picnic? > > Then I thought that this thing could really escalate. I mean, thinking about it now, wouldn’t it be even better if, after lunch, when the wife had gone off to the bathroom (located 20 mins walk away) on the small country road nearby there was a huge, non-fatal, collision between a Columbian coke smuggler van and a bus full of Russian strippers? Oh what joy. You know, you’re right! It just keeps getting better and better! You’re good at this game. Answering the question seriously, I’d have to say that the thing that always makes me happy and contented is being snuggled at night. My husband’s a world-class snuggler - if I roll over onto my side he’ll scoot all the way across the bed and cuddle in. We’re a good match; he’d be hopeless teamed with someone who likes their sleeping space, and I’d be sad teamed with someone who wasn’t a sleep-cuddler. He also starts most days that way, by snuggling in as I roll over to turn off the alarm. It’s a nice way to start the morning. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Dunawake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dunawake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunawake)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2009, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/54 "2009-03-05T22:33:56Z")
A Terry Pratchett book. Guaranteed to improve my mood every time. 🙂 ---
**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 7, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901/55 "2009-03-07T17:35:30Z")
> [@Dunawake](#): > > A Terry Pratchett book. Guaranteed to improve my mood every time. 🙂 Agreed. Lately I’ve been having some shitty days, full of worry. Then I get to escape into a TP book (in this case the Truggers/Diggers/Wings trilogy) A Massive shame his mind is going. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-happy/487901.md?page=2)