Distorted

I think it's fair to say most people seek and actively try to achieve happiness; isn't that what life is about after all?

People want to have an enjoyable life, be fulfilled, to be heard, to love and be loved, to find success (whatever that looks and feels like to them) and generally have health and wellbeing; I think it's those things and the feelings they bring that, once attained, are what people might look upon as having found happiness.

I wonder though, are people chasing things that will never make them happy? Is people's view and perception of what will make them happy distorted? Do people even know if it is or not?

This is just my opinion, but I think so many people have a distorted view of what will make them happy and spend valuable time and energy pursuing those things which ultimately don't fulfill that need...and many delude themselves that those things are actually bringing the happiness they seek. Why? Well, I blame a lot of it on television, social media, marketing, consumerism, greed, hubris and selfishness among other things.

What is true happiness? That's something only each person can answer for themselves.

I have my own sense of it such as the feeling I get when I'm with nature, simplicity in life, being with my partner, the sense of achievement, the feeling I get when I help someone, eating a good pizza or other food, the smell of vanilla, cut grass, petrichor (the smell of the earth after rainfall), the feeling of being loved and desired, travelling, feeling healthy and fit and my niece and nephew make me happy too. There's other things, so many things, and I think it's important to know what they are, it's important to a person's life to be able to list and define them. I also believe it's important for those things to come from within and not be influenced by marketing and media or motivated by greed, selfishness, hubris and other such emotions. That's just me though.

I feel strongly that many people's view on happiness is distorted and they set out on and follow the wrong paths because of that distortion. I wonder what you think. Feel free to comment if you like.