Happiness...

[The Riff-Raff Element]

One of the perks of my job is that guests sometimes leave English language magazines behind in the gites and I get to read them over my breakfast.

This morning it was "Men's Fitness," a pile of complete pants ( ) if there ever was one for the most part, but one tiny item caught my eye. It was about "happiness."

It seems that avarage household incomes in the UK have increased by 60% in real terms in the past 20 years, and a survey in 2007 revealed that 85% of the population were "satisfied" with their standard of living.

Pretty good, I'd say.

But the same question delivered in 1973 - a period I remember as being, materially at least, relatively deprived reported a 86% satisfaction rate.

OK, it's only one survey, but interesting that the impact of improved material wealth has made no impact on people's feelings of satisfaction.

[Odsox]

It's a case of "more" is not necessarily better.
Take TV, when I was 10 we bought our first (S/H) television which received one channel, BBC. A couple of years later ITV started and WOW we had TWO channels.
Now we have ten zillion channels on a 42 inch hi-def and I hardly watch anything.
But, would I go back to just one or two channels ? Unlikely.
It's a sad but true human condition that we always want more of everything, and when we get it, we want even more. (well most of us, I'm sure someone will disagree)

I well remember looking forward all week for the "Friday Western" usually The Lone Ranger or The Cisco Kid, on a very grainy, 405 line, black & white magical telly device.

[AXJ]

It's a case of "more" is not necessarily better.
Take TV, when I was 10 we bought our first (S/H) television which received one channel, BBC. A couple of years later ITV started and WOW we had TWO channels.
Now we have ten zillion channels on a 42 inch hi-def and I hardly watch anything.
But, would I go back to just one or two channels ? Unlikely.
It's a sad but true human condition that we always want more of everything, and when we get it, we want even more. (well most of us, I'm sure someone will disagree)

I well remember looking forward all week for the "Friday Western" usually The Lone Ranger or The Cisco Kid, on a very grainy, 405 line, black & white magical telly device.

Oh yes those were the days, even when colour came out, one still had to wait all week for some colour programmes, such as Top of the Pops, Star Trek and Lost in Space.

[shell]

yes the more we own the more it owns us, i`m happy with my lot

[Rod in Japan]

If somebody asked me about my happiness for a survey, I'd go into paroxysms of indecision.

"Am I happy?"
"How do I know?"
"Was I happier when I was 30?"
"What would make me happier now?"

Actually I have answers to some of these questions, but everything's still relative.

The question "What would make me happier?", I would say;
More time spent outside
More time spent with other people
More unequivocal social contribution
More time spent in spiritual pursuits (not one I would have anticipated even a couple of years back!)
More relevant and humane politics on the local, regional, national and international scales
More sex

Trying to achieve some of these happiness factors may also lead to drastically less happiness.

(I'm really glad my happiness doesn't depend in anyway on people leaving magazines behind. )

[LBR]

yes the more we own the more it owns us, i`m happy with my lot

So true, so true. I sometimes think about St. Francis, his one robe, and his legendary happiness.

Think I'll give some more things away today. Thanks for the reminder.

[hamster]

Has anyone read 'Affluenza' by Oliver James? In it, he compares various different societies and the relationship between levels of material affluence and happiness, and insofar as they're related, they correlate initially but after a certain point, having more money and stuff doesn't make you any happier. So getting your first car or indoor plumbing for the first time can really make you much happier, but afterwards getting a bigger, shinier car or redoing your bathroom just don't give you the same buzz.

[LBR]

My mother tells of getting their first indoor bathroom. Hot water, bathtub, flush toilet, sink and faucets. Her delight of many decades ago is still evident. Whereas her nifty new bathroom, convenient and helpful as it is, with roll-in access shower, grab bars, shower bench, and all, doesn't evoke the same thrill.

My own wee mobile home, tin can contraption that it is, is a wonderful place to me. Privacy is a wonderful thing. After decades of living in other people's buildings, having these boundaries is priceless.

I've got water, heat, cooling, lights, a good bed, food to eat, protection from the weather, pretty flowers, herbs and a few veggies. I've got ooooodles of books and this Macbook with a USB broadband card. Anything more falls into the dangerous vanity category for me.

I could get things much simpler, have more overview, and be, thereby, more content.

[joseph k]

I think that happiness is about having control. This would be knowledge, understanding and information. A roof, food drink and money are the basics, clean air is good too. The reverse is being out of control or bullied, where an individual's access to knowledge and information is impossible or beyond understanding. A happy child is one who has their questions answered.

[Green Aura]

I agree, having more control over your own life and decision-making is hugely important.

For me, leaving the NHS, where I was an extremely small cog in a huge machine, where I had to do as I was told without question (when I managed to keep my mouth shut!) and where everything I did had to be "defensible", increased my happiness levels no end. Now, living among fantastic scenery and dancing to my own tune I can truly say I'm very happy. My blood pressure has come down, I'm off all medication and even though our earnings have quartered, our quality of life has grown exponentially.

By the way, love the avatar. I fancy watching a David Lynch film this evening!

[joseph k]

I agree, having more control over your own life and decision-making is hugely important.
...
By the way, love the avatar. I fancy watching a David Lynch film this evening!

Thanks Green Aura, control is the thing. Poor Jack Nance (Eraser head) the man in my Avatar, died after buying a dough nut. He was in all of David Lynchs films and productions up to his death. I was surprised to find out that he was Pete the Saw Mill owner in Twin Peaks, you'd never know.

David Lynch makes me happy.

[Green Aura]

Me too, although his last film totally bewildered me. Will have another go though.
Are we getting off topic?
Maggie

[joseph k]

okay back on topic, I remember reading recently that Denmark is the happiest place in the world.

Here is a link to the world happiness map http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/p ... ss_map.pdf

and you can here test you own happiness, not the questions that rod has suggested.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/h ... 785402.stm

[StripyPixieSocks]

IMHO materialistic things are not what make you happy.

I went from a 2 bedroomed house with a partner who earned 'enough' but was so depressed it was unbelievable to a 1 bedroomed flat in London and almost no money and I have never been happier!

I mean there's obviously alot more to it than that but there was nothing I could purchase in my last life (before I met my now OH) that would have made me happy and if more people realised this they would perhaps quit the pursuit of happiness through retail and just be happy!

Sure, I dream about a lottery win but the things I would purchase would be extraordinarily different to most because I am happy in myself and I don't need a flash car or a huge mansion... I have a car I won for £10 on e-bay and he's 16 years old and I love him more than any flashy big price tag car...

... ok that was a bit of a ramble I know but I hope it gets what I'm thinking over... somehow

[Green Aura]

There was an item on the news the other night saying that Powys is the happiest pace in Britain!

Ditto StripyPixieSocks, although our house is a bit bigger than our previous one, it's essentially an old army barracks. No frills. The bathroom started to fall apart more or less as soon as we moved in (although we've got replacements when we find out which stopcock turns off the water - there are hundreds), and the kitchen's a shambles.

But my avatar is the loch 100yds from our house, the neighbours are fantastic, and I'm relearning/remembering the things I knew about nature when I was a child. I roll out of bed, open the shop, then have a wash and breakfast.

I'm even learning to be chilled about the occasional snotty comments about my carefully handmade products

Sorry if that all sounds a bit smug, but even after a year I still find it hard to believe what I've got.