Is anyone happy these days?

[Somanyllamas]

I probably just need to expand my circle and get away for a while but I haven’t met anybody who seemed happy in a long, long time now. My few friends are all stressed and depressed because they’re stuck in not-great situations. Most threads on here seem to be from those experiencing stress and uncertainty, same with the rest of the internet. Every time I leave the house I seem to overhear people complaining about things and being miserable. You always hear about how unhappy rich people are, even though they have money to throw at any problems so even that doesn’t seem like the ticket to happiness.

I’m well aware that my perception could just be skewed because I’m feeling down myself recently, so very happy to be told that it’s just me. But anyone else noticed this?

The UK is shit at the moment. Partly because people kept voting for this god awful government and partly because of the fall out of Covid.

I'm miserable, but a friend and I were just saying the same thing earlier. Every client I have at work is unhappy.

I was talking to a 92 year old yesterday, and she said she thinks it's the lack of hope. Even after the War, people had hope. I get what she means.

I'd say I'm really happy at the moment, probably 99% of the time. There's definitely lots of happy people about - most of my friends are in the same boat as me. Probably because we're all at fairly similar life stages I guess?

It sounds like perhaps you're all going through not so great things at the same time? Hopefully you'll be feeling happy soon 😊

What do you define as “happy” though?

I doubt anyone can be 100% happy about every aspect of their life, but I imagine they are still happy overall.

I've always been happy overall. I've had a shit few months health wise and 2 miscarriages, one at 20 weeks but I feel grateful for what I do have - DS, DH and a home and job I'm fairly happy with. I'm grateful to be alive and do appreciate that we're not on the breadline even though we're not loaded. Moaning about little things is pointless.

I'm happy! And I live in the UK. By choice! I moved here deliberately and have no intention of leaving! And I work in the NHS, and I'm a single mother, and I'm pushing middle age, and my friends are the same age and we all have the usual range of problems. But we enjoy life and we are basically happy

it's a great thing to be easily pleased

Moaning about little things is pointless.

That's true, actually. I always am so grateful to have my health. I've seen young people go through cancer and die before their time. So none of us can take tomorrow for granted.

General morale is low though. Sometimes, the daily grind of no longer being able to access routine healthcare can be annoying and expensive.

I’ve been happy overall since I got divorced 9 years ago. I’d been severely depressed before then but after that, I soared.

Not all the time but I’d say happy is my default.

There are plenty of deeper and wider macro issues that underlay these feelings. Climate change is the big one, right up next to it is the polarisation of the world into dictatorship s and democracies. The world just got a lot smaller and more restrictive.

Then we have a seismic slip in values in just a short period of time. To mention just a few. Porn is in fashion and if your half good looking you can make more money in Only Fans in 5 years than studying to be a surgeon. Spitting and strangulation during sex has replaced romance. Politicians are motivated by disaster capitalism and greed, gone are good people or at least they are fewer and further between. Respect in society is slipping away. Communities are disappearing. Villages in affluent areas are inhabited in the evening or weekends when black BMWs return from the towns.

I could go on. It’s hard to get positive about the longer term. The UK could turn things around but it needs a solid international backdrop of strong ethical values and trust to do that. But the world’s democracies are slowly eroding because people believe what they read on the side of a bus.

I’m happy :)

I am, generally. I have my moments, I moan about work and the increase in living costs, same as most people, but life is never perfect and no-one is ever happy all of the time.

I've had a really horrendous few years that has turned my life upside-down and culminating in a significant bereavement, but strangely, I'm still happy. I'm very grateful to have my health, my wonderful friends and family who have supported me through the really bad times, my child who brings me joy every day.

Very good points. The only fans culture is depressing. Even celebrities do it now because they earn so much doing it.

Good post. Articulates well how I feel. Thanks for writing that.

Yes I think I'm generally happy as are most of my close circle. That's not to say that we have lovely, problem-free lives...we don't by any means!

But we have lives that are also full of positive things and happy moments so I'd say happy on the whole.

I think I can say that as a family and individually we are very happy.

I have taken early retirement (57) and OH now only works 2-days a week, we are financially secure so no worries on that score.
OH has a long-term health issue but lives life to the full as you never know when it may be taken away from you.

Just the other day I was walking the dog on the hill behind our house (one of the advantages of not working is you take take the dog out on a whim), the sun was warm, we were watching the Swallows swooping & chattering away and up high the Red Kites were gliding. Our little dog was enjoying a good sniff (checking up on his weemails) and I remember thinking........ It doesn't get much better than this. 🙂