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Contentment and Happiness

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Not sure if this is the right section or not.....if not, feel free to move it to the appropriate section.

Is being content a "good" thing? Is being content necessary for happiness? Is contentment something we should strive for? If so, what's stopping us? If so, shouldn't we simply be content with where we are?

If not, can one be happy without being content? Is happiness only achieved by never being fully content?

In my opinion one cannot be both truly happy and fully content. For often times the happiness arises from overcoming obstacles/the journey toward something. Once that thing has been achieved our happiness begins to fade until we eventually find something else to achieve.

@Amperage,

Amperage;128217 wrote:

Is being content a "good" thing? Is being content necessary for happiness? Is contentment something we should strive for? If so, what's stopping us? If so, shouldn't we simply be content with where we are?

If not, can one be happy without being content? Is happiness only achieved by never being fully content?

In my opinion one cannot be both truly happy and fully content. For often times the happiness arises from overcoming obstacles/the journey toward something. Once that thing has been achieved our happiness begins to fade until we eventually find something else to achieve.

There's a lot here. Contentment and Happiness are related, to be sure, but may have completely divergent meanings. To me, they're one-and-the-same (as related to our lives, viewed in a broad sense); that one who is happy, is also content and vice-versa.

But i sense that perhaps you might be viewing contentment as "settling"; as one who settles for what is, content and therefor unmoving and unmotivated - neither striving nor struggling. And yes, it's true that if we're content, we're also generally-satisfied.

But...

If we view these concepts on a whole-life/full life or broad sense, we're talking necessarily about the long passage of time in which there are likely struggles, needs to fulfill, desires to pursue and so on (the very things in life that give us that contrast with which to even recognize happiness - that, ("...there must needs be opposition in all things") Within this setting, might someone be able to look back - over both trials and tribulations, peak experiences and ignomonies - and say "Yes, I was and am content?".

So in light of this, I suppose clarification is in order: Are we talking short term or long? Single contrasting experiences or general feelings?

In short - and to the extent that in your view Contentment differs - how do you define happiness>

Thanks

@Khethil,

Khethil;128229 wrote:

how do you define happiness>

I'll edit this after I think about it for a bit.

Just without really thinking about it I want to say happiness is living. Or I want to say happiness is pursing what we desire or having a clear purpose.

I need to think about it to come up with a good definition without using the word content or some conjugate of it or without using some other synonym for happy.

Perhaps happiness is simply recognizing and seeking the good in every situation. Or perhaps happiness is a confidence/peace to make the most out of every moment while staying true to ones self. Or perhaps it's the excitement of searching for something better, while not letting setbacks effect you negatively.

Or perhaps happiness comes when one recognizes what one has rather than on what one wants.

Or perhaps it's pursing what one wants while not devaluing or forgetting what one has, so that if one achieves what one wants, it's simply gravy.

Also everywhere I'm talking about happiness, I'm really talking about joy. In terms of, joy is not circumstance dependent whereas emotional happiness is. So just bear that in mind...I'm speaking of joy, not happiness in terms of that.

@Amperage,

'Is happiness only achieved by never being fully content?'
There are two types of happiness (if not more) one that you fulfil and one that fulfils you.
Only one is ever able to be sustained and that is of a giving, you do it.
People seem to think that happiness is soemthing that can be sustained, because we all want to get all of the time, it is not, it is constant work.
You can be happy when contented and contented when happy, happiness is never reached for it is striving it is working it is doing. Or unselfish happiness.
Contentment can be reached can be fulfilled, because it means that all your work is done. You in effect become selfless, do away with the self an dneed to be what other would have you be.
Contentment is being prepared for the storm but not expecting it.
Happiness is expecting the sunshine.
It rains and it shines, never just one all the time.
Happiness being a motion an action a consequence means you may finish the chores for one day but you will have to do it all over again tomorrow.
Happiness is fleeting, you cant stay happy always.
Happy is a drug we think we should be taking all the time.
Contenment is a condition.
Happiness is a symptom.
If you let go of happiness you can become contented quicker and for longer. Your work is done.
Contenment is usually all giving.
Happiness is usually all getting.
But contenment can be dangerous becaus ein a way you can also not appreciate the sunshine when it arrives.
But if you go by the modle, contentment is being prepared for the storm but not expectiing it, you must also be prepared for the sunshine but not expect it either. Which to a degree means because you are ready for soemthing you are more likely not to waste it.
Happiness is wasted on the happy.

@Amperage,

just for a little background info about what made me think about this, I was watching an episode of House M.D. yesterday in which House was talking to Foreman and this was the conversation:

Quote:

Foreman: Why are you doing this to me? I was happy!

House: You were aspiring to be content.

Foreman: Don't give me a semantic argument. I was content with the way things were! That's what happiness is!

House: Yeah, if we're all just satisfied with what we have, what a beautiful world it would be. We'd all slowly starve to death in our own filth, but at least we'd be happy. Listen, I need your self-worth to hang on this job. I need you kicking ass here to be all that lets you rise above being miserable, if waking up in the morning is enough, I don't need you.

Foreman: I can live with that.

House: No you can't. Not anymore.

@Amperage,

Amperage;128236 wrote:

just for a little background info about what made me think about this, I was watching an episode of House M.D. yesterday in which House was talking to Foreman and this was the conversation:

Foreman is right on an individual level, even though as House says, we wouldn't have very many top doctors if they weren't driven to it despite not needing it to be happy. We would be worse off collectively if people were more content, that's why we evolved with the drives we have. Does that mean we shouldn't sit back and be happy with our life as is? I don't think so.

@Amperage,

Happiness is being content with what you have, being content means attaining happiness.

Semantics, my dear Watson.

@Amperage,

Amperage;128217 wrote:

Not sure if this is the right section or not.....if not, feel free to move it to the appropriate section.

Is being content a "good" thing? Is being content necessary for happiness? Is contentment something we should strive for? If so, what's stopping us? If so, shouldn't we simply be content with where we are?

If not, can one be happy without being content? Is happiness only achieved by never being fully content?

In my opinion one cannot be both truly happy and fully content. For often times the happiness arises from overcoming obstacles/the journey toward something. Once that thing has been achieved our happiness begins to fade until we eventually find something else to achieve.

Some belive in suffering as a redeeming feature for life, which gives them a content feeling, but not happiness. Flaggelants, fakirs, SM slaves ..etc.

People who doesn't chases unrealistic goals, may achive both content and true happyness.

It's all about which goals for life you have.

@Amperage,

Amperage;128217 wrote:

Not sure if this is the right section or not.....if not, feel free to move it to the appropriate section.

Is being content a "good" thing? Is being content necessary for happiness? Is contentment something we should strive for? If so, what's stopping us? If so, shouldn't we simply be content with where we are?

If not, can one be happy without being content? Is happiness only achieved by never being fully content?

In my opinion one cannot be both truly happy and fully content. For often times the happiness arises from overcoming obstacles/the journey toward something. Once that thing has been achieved our happiness begins to fade until we eventually find something else to achieve.

Happiness seems to be a sort of habit. Contentment appears to be something else.

Often times a lack of contentment seems to come from a failure to have achieved something. There seems to be a general cultural expectation that people should achieve. So perhaps being content is living up to expectations.

@PappasNick,

I am completely on board with Hex and Nick here. In order to concieve of contentedness we must define also its opposite or that which allows us to differentiate contentedness from non contentedness, which I would designate as frustration. We become frustrated when our expectations are unmet. We are content when they are.

Our contentedness can be managed by proper setting of goals and proper levels of expectation. This is not to say that we cannot aim high if there is a goal we wish to attain. It is simply to say that the risk of being uncontent is higher. This however is where happiness enters the picture. Under normal life conditions, i.e. war/slavery/extreme tradgedies, we make happiness a habit, we attempt to minimize the frustration caused by unmet expectations by realizing that unmet expectations are a part of life (roll with the punches) sort of philosophy.

So in essence I am saying that contentedness is a function of happiness. The state of being content is facilitated by the choice of being happy, which is in reality the realization that uncontentedness is a state that can normally be managed.

@GoshisDead,

It is...

... we're discussing interrelated yet very different concepts. I see in this discussion to pitfalls:[INDENT]I sense a propensity to equate contentment with "lack of action"; like the cow is content, chewing its cud. In a stereotypical sense, this works just fine. Unfortunately, people don't fit these neat pigeon holes. I've known a good number of high achievers who were overall quite content. Remember, its the alternating cycles of striving and achievement (or resolution) that can bring an overall state of content

Secondly is Jebediah's "We would be worse off collectively if people were more content". Though none of us can turn back the clock and re-do everything with the variables altered, I'd say at the least: This is defeating in that it fails to recognize that many achieve, invent and improve for reasons other than chronic misery -and- at the most, it's flat-out inaccurate. Even if the sum total of all that was good in human history were as a result of "overcoming adversity", those very people who achieved such things could well be called content.

In any case, I think we'd be much better of if people were more content. For an illustration of this, simply look to examples where "discontent" lead to pain, destruction, imperialism, genocide, greed (profit-taking), etc., etc.
[/INDENT]Remember, contentment doesn't mean ever feeling the need to do anything (at least not to me); that's two-dimensional thinking. To be called "content" in your life would necessarily include periods of striving (then achieving), problem solving (then finding solutions). There must needs be opposition in all things - to recognize one or the other.

Temporary or long-term, an emotional explosion of elation or peaceful feeling, a sense of satisfaction (with most things in your world) or peal experience. Although the two terms could be virtually synonymous (depending on context), these how I differentiate.

Thanks

@Amperage,

Does one need happiness before being content can come?
Does one need to be content before happiness can come?

Is there a difference between being content and being content with [a thing]?
Is there a difference between happiness and being happy with [a thing]?

Does one need to be happy with [a thing] before one can be content with [a thing]?
Does one need to be content with [a thing] before one can be happy with [a thing]?

@mister kitten,

I've definitely been happy without being content. I lost my home, my car broke down, business died at work (and i only made tips!). I lived out of my broken down Camaro, with my boyfriend (now husband), and we had to dispose of or give away any of our belongings which didn't fit in the car, and the few things I did have in storage at (what I thought was) a trustworthy persons' garage was stolen and pawned. We were picking change off of the street just so we could eat dry ramen, because neither one of us were about to beg for change. Plus, it was mid-July, and it was hot as balls!!! . . but my husband and I were still happy, tried to see that it must've happened for a reason, and that we would learn a valauble lesson from it.

So, for me, happiness does not always equal contentment, but now I happen to at least have a little bit of both! Laughing

@Twilight Siren,

Being content does indeed negate being happy and vice versa:

Contentedness is a passive state, when one is content, he contains, it is a state of being fulfilled. These nouns should be looked at from a physical persepctive rather than a metaphysical one to see what is meant here. A receptacle contains, it holds, it serves - it is passive. My linguistic terminology is quite rusty, so there are most likely better ways to describe this. But the passivity is crucial to being content; it is the opposite of want, of desire, of being uncontent. The content does not need anything, and thus cannot be affected when something passes upon it.

Happiness itself may lead to being content, happiness, in the above analogy, is a gradual act of filling, it is the actual accomplishment of a goal, the actual act of being 'filled', it implies that there is a form of immediacy where there was no happiness, where there was no fullfillment. It reflects the fact that there is a want, and that this want has materialized itself in the present.

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