Happiness

It's so nice. Isn't it? I mean, wouldn't you consider part of the definition of being happy nice? I think it is. I don't really have any idea where I'm going with this post, but I haven't posted in a bit so I figured I should say something about something and for some reason that something that came to my head was happiness.

Emotions are hard items to discuss. If there was anything that was subjective it would be emotions. Even though we all agree that to be happy involved certain behaviours, eg., smiling, cooing, purring, laughing, and the like, I think the reasons why we experience the emotion and the congruent behaviour don't nescessarily matter. What matters is the emotion, period, the behaviour is secondary. There are those that take neuronal evidence to disswade us from this conclusion, citing that there is a reaction in the brain which often preceds the emotional response and I don't deny that often it is the case that our emotions proceed the stimuli, however, it seems to me and my own experience, that there are many instances that emotions have been the instigators of my behaviour. It's a never ending ciclic argument, which has not real purpose to the discussion. Emotions exist and they are not subject to behaviour, nor is behaviour subject to emotion, as can be exemplified by my own personal experience again (and I would be very suspect if you didn't agree.)

Now, when talking about happiness (I've already got a grin on my face) I have a hard time narrowing it down. This is because of what I was talking about previously... what I might consider happy could very well have no effect whatsoever on another. Does this matter? no, not really, also because of what i was saying before. However, the emotion of happiness is not something that can be considered a point of perspective. When someone is happy, they are happy, period. There is no arguing that fact. Partly due to us being incapable of catching someone in a lie without expception when discussing mental states.

Now, what does it mean to be happy? This is where it becomes a bit more difficult, because when trying to describe happiness it requires me to talk from personal experience and my form of happiness is by definition not that of someone eleses. Happiness is that state in which you forget the many worries which constantly berrate you. It is the emotion which links a thought or event with what you consider to be a benefit to you or those you care about (this includes comdey, as when a comic makes a joke, the reason for it being funny, is because it has a resonance with you, under one of those two conditions).

Happiness can, of course, be congruent with almost any other emotion, including; fear, anger, joy, love, and the like. I suppose this should end up in a more general disscusion regarding emotions, but that's for another time. For the moment I am going to try and put happiness into words as I would experience it.

Happiness is: a grin which can become a smile, or a hearty laugh. It can be music, or a person's being, when they mix with my thoughts, in such a way as to create amusment. It can sneak up on me, or be something I work for. it can be unwanted or desperately needed. It can leave before I want it too, or last so long it hurts. One thing it is unequivicably, is a presence of peace within and sometimes, on those really lucky occasions, from without.