Community Chat

[silentgirl]

151949 wrote:

The art of being happy is being content with what you have.

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If I'm really really reaching-The words might lean more toward having gratitude, but not happiness or contentment-

"Platitudes"  is a good word and its meaning to be trite, is more descriptive of the saying itself than any meaning it might have wished to give by the author.

Just mine though-

(corrected for spelling)

[spindlegirl]

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@dooBdoo wrote:

          I think some of us are struggling at least a tiny bit with the original quote because of the use of the word "content."   Content and happy are synonyms.   So "the art of being happy is being happy... " is sort of awkward, and not very meaningful or profound (in my opinion).   

          Also, it seems to say that there's only one component to the "art" of happiness.    Whether or not it was intended to be scriptural (and we can't discuss that) I think a more accurate statement would be something like:

"An essential key to being happy is to be grateful for what we have."

          It's easy to think contentment is the same as unmotivated or passive, or stagnant as other posters said.   The heartfelt stories on this thread about those who have little in the way of material things but who appreciate what they have, those people who rejoice in simple pleasures...  that's about gratitude.   Gratitude is powerful.

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@dooBdoo

Great points!

I agree with your analysis.

[itiswhatitis]

con·tent·ment

kənˈtentmənt/

noun

1. a state of happiness and satisfaction.

   "he found contentment in living a simple life in the country"

   synonyms:

   contentedness, content, satisfaction, gratification, fulfillment, happiness, pleasure, cheerfulness; ease, comfort, well-being, peace, equanimity, serenity, tranquility "finally being alone brought her a contentment she'd never known"

[silentgirl]

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@dooBdoo wrote:

          I think some of us are struggling at least a tiny bit with the original quote because of the use of the word "content."   Content and happy are synonyms.   So "the art of being happy is being happy... " is sort of awkward, and not very meaningful or profound (in my opinion).   

          Also, it seems to say that there's only one component to the "art" of happiness.    Whether or not it was intended to be scriptural (and we can't discuss that) I think a more accurate statement would be something like:

"An essential key to being happy is to be grateful for what we have."

          It's easy to think contentment is the same as unmotivated or passive, or stagnant as other posters said.   The heartfelt stories on this thread about those who have little in the way of material things but who appreciate what they have, those people who rejoice in simple pleasures...  that's about gratitude.   Gratitude is powerful.

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Ha!  Finally getting through the thread-Perfectly felt!

I believe to the depth of my soul, that gratitude is what ultimately saves me personally-

"I cried when I had no shoes, until I saw the man who had no feet." (proverb not biblical)

Sweet gratitude.

[Trinity11]

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@Elvita wrote:

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@Noel7 wrote:

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@151949 wrote:

The art of being happy is being content with what you have.

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How does that work for poor people struggling to make things better for their children?

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Do you honestly think a poor person can't be happy? Money does not bring happiness.

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When the basics in life like a roof over your head and food on the table are lacking, the concept of happiness is just speculative on the parts of any of us.

Bumper sticker phrases don't cut it in my world. It's so easy to speak platitudes behind my computer screen on a shopping channel board of all places. Spend 24 hours in the shoes of someone struggling to get food, meds and a roof over their head.. 

This thread reminds me of "The Secret." Saturday Night Live spoofed it so well...

[Noel7]

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@Northray wrote:

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@Noel7 wrote:

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@151949 wrote:

The art of being happy is being content with what you have.

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How does that work for poor people struggling to make things better for their children?

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Seriously?  You've never heard of people saying this?  Throughout history many poor have said they lacked in materials things but neverless they WERE HAPPY?  Grandmas and Grandpas have always claimed this anomaly.  At least mine have.  The art of being happy does not have anything to do with being poor or rich.

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@Northray

OMG. YOU DON't tell someone working hard, poor or not, not to work but rather to accept what they have and be content with that.  

I had no idea this would be a difficult concept foe some 😱

[Noel7]

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@Snowpuppy wrote:

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@Noel7 wrote:

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@151949 wrote:

The art of being happy is being content with what you have.

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How does that work for poor people struggling to make things better for their children?

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So true, girl!

Struggled as a single parent for years. Your child wants new shoes or a new jacket and it's out of the question.

Juggling food, rent, car repairs. Yep, don't fret. Just be happy!

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Thank you @Snowpuppy. !

Exactly, bless all those who work hard.  That's not rocket science.  Single moms work hard, you don't tell them to be content with what little they have and not try to make their life better.

[Zhills]

[Pook]

I don't see where anyone is saying not to work hard or want more out of life but during the process you can choose to be positive, happy and content as negativity works against you.  Those that realize their lives are not the horror they claim and that there are so many others that have more hardships make out better in the world rather than those who boo hoo about what they don't have and want more and more and if they don't get more wealth, better jobs, etc they  are doomed to never be happy and content.  Reality is  they are doomed to never have contentment or real happiness by their own attitudes about life!!

[silentgirl]

Cliches can do more harm for many than good-perhaps creating guilt for wanting something better or not feeling happy about living in a bad or undesirable situation-they seemingly degrade life into the most simplistic explanations-life is complicated, as are people.

I've known both wealthy and poor to the extreme; those who had very little seemed to find gratitude in what they had.  They did not pity themselves, but understood it could be less.  To that end, it did not mean they were happy, nor did it bring them contentedness-It did perhaps give them a kind of hope in their gratitude to pursue  a better life-

It seems limited and unfair to squelch the personal dreams, hopes or desires of another by expecting them to "accept" their lives by the standard of "one line" which tells them they should be happy and content with nothing or little.

No one can truly state with any certainty that someone who falls into any socio-economic class is actually happy or content, because to do that, we would need to understand that, they did not have dreams or desires or wish for something better or different-often times never realized.