To ask whether you’re happy?

[bellinique]

Hello
Sorry if this has been covered before but I have been debating this a lot recently, both with my DH and internally.
My question is: If you were stopped on the street and asked whether you are happy, would you say yes or no?
Obviously this is not very nuanced but I would be really interested in your gut reaction to this question.
I don’t want to add more and make it a leading question because I having differing opinions to my DH but your answers would be very helpful in resolving our debate.
Thanks in advance.

Yes I am happy

Yes thank you, very happy. Gotta lovely dp, house, car, dgc, ddog, and enough money not to have to worry about the bills. We'll never be rich, but that's ok.

No. Not sad either though, just ‘meh’.

Yes! Happy and lucky.

Yep. Happy here.

I'm deeply unhappy.

Sometimes happy, sometimes not. I would say that I am content.

Yes I'm happy with my life, couldn't have imagined being so content and genuinely feel very lucky but it is tainted a hint of sadness and mourning a massive loss

Oh OldAndWornOut I’m sorry to hear that. I am unhappy too but DH thinks this is normal and that 80% of people would say they are generally unhappy.
It’s nice to hear that other people are generally happy.

I'm not sure tbh, I just plod along I think.

Sort of.
Day to day I feel fine, not mega happy but not depressed either. I’m getting counselling for anxiety/low self-confidence, but I’m mostly fine except when I get into an anxiety/low self esteem spiral and start catastrophising.
It’ll be interesting to see my response in, ooh, five or so years.

Happier than I have been for a while. Had a couple of shitty years, but this one is looking much better.

For those people who are happy, do you have any reasons why you think that’s the case? Any tips for how to be happier?

Very contended. Not always joyful. Don’t have much fun. But love each day. I appreciate what i have.

It's a really interesting question.
I've never been one to swing from the chandeliers with gay abandon, but I would say I have been quite content at times.
Now though, I'm unhappy, but it's situational, rather than my usual dour personality.

I used to be very sceptical of people who said they were happy. I just didn't believe it was really possible to feel good everyday. Looking back I think I was depressed and didnt even realise it because it was how I always felt. Since then a I've done a lot of work on myself and can actually say I'm happy most of the time. Even when I'm having hard times I can weather them better and bounce back to a more or less contented feeling. I now also look forward to things and get enjoyment out of life in a way I never did before.

Yes, mostly.

Very happy.
I think it’s a state of mind and I’m lucky to have a positive outlook on life.

My DM has cancer
My DH had an affair
My DS has a life limiting illness

I started being myself. Distanced myself mentally from toxic family. Built a nice home. Set myself up with a nice working life. Got off the booze. Walk dog alone for an hour every day. Go to zumba. Do as i please as in i used to be big party girl and now i don’t go out. People complain i am now boring but i am happy, whereas i was often unstable before. I also worked out my cycle and prepare for PMT which has blighted my life. I now feel in control.

i wouldnt be able to answer yes or no tbh. i am extremely happy that i have a beautiful miracle baby but generally i am unhappy with most aspects of my life. when i tell people this though they say i have no right as i have a lot more than some people.

I really appreciate everyone’s replies. I feel less happy now than I used to and felt it was unusual but now I’m wondering whether I was just lucky before. I’m not sure whether it’s depression or situational or I’m just now experiencing the average, where I was lucky before.

I would say yes. I have bad patches, but I don't think I have ever been really unhappy as I've never lost hope that things might get better - friends and family who have had depression have told me that losing hope is what marks out depression from merely being unhappy.

Happiness is not about being happy every day, but I think one thing that enables me to be quite a happy person is that I have no inclination to compare myself to other people - comparison is something that seems to cause a lot of people misery and I think I have dodged that bullet. Not from having some marvellous force of character to resist or anything, it just has never come naturally to me to compare myself to others.

Generally happy, if I fill my life with lots of projects that involve making noticeable progress - courses, fitness, etc. But the demons keep threatening to creep in and drag me down, and that's where I am right now. Trying to fight them off.

I’m happy and content yes. Love life.
But I’m not mad on people anymore lol
I’m happy in my job my home my marriage my relationship with my kids my hobbies
Outside of that I get down about situations with friends and family which I just run away from all the time.
I was sad a bit today over a comment made but I had a little cry and snapped out of it and have been enjoying my evening like it never happened.

I do think (in general, not depression or anything ) you can make yourself a more positive person and look at the best side of everything. It had to be a con joys effort to begin with but it then is just habitual.