Happiness is a complex topic. Why are some people happy in spite of bad circumstances, while others are always unhappy in spite of good circumstances?

What role does attitude play in happiness? Let’s take a look at 7 reasons why people can’t always be happy.

1. They Simply Choose not to Be

This is a tough one to swallow, but many people are unhappy because they simply have made the decision to be that way. Doesn’t everybody know at least one person who is always upset or angry, and who has a negative outlook? Until somebody like this changes their mind or attitude, they will never be meaningfully happy.

2. They Have Life Circumstances Beyond the Obvious That Impact Their Happiness

Some people choose not to be happy. On the other hand, there are people who, based on appearances should be happy with their lives, but they aren’t. This is because they are enduring inner struggles that interfere with their happiness. All too often, this isn’t easily noticed by others.

3. They Are in the State of Growth or Change That Challenges Their Balance

When people are going through periods of growth and change, their world views change. The result is a feeling of uncertainty and imbalance that can block feelings of happiness or joy until things balance out again.

4. They Are Struggling with Mental Illness

This is another situation where appearances contradict reality. If somebody is struggling with mental illness, their circumstances may appear as if they should be totally happy. In fact, they may not be dealing with any external struggles at all. Unfortunately, what they are dealing with are internal struggles due to depression or other issues.

5. They Have not Taken the Steps to Create Their Own Happiness

Another reason why people can’t always be happy is that some individuals are often in an in-between state. They haven’t decided to be unhappy, but they haven’t been able to get themselves to take the steps required to be truly happy.

6. Happiness Is Not an Entitlement

Some people have a point of view that happiness is something that is owed to them. In this case, it is not simply that they don’t work to find happiness, or that they have decided to become negative and sabotage their own happiness, these are people who are pathologically resentful that others do not actively work to make them happy.

7. They Have Yet to Recognize Their Blessings

Finally, there are people who aren’t lazy or ungrateful or entitled. These are simply the people who cannot see all of the reasons that they have for being happy. The good news is that if these people can see their blessings and get some perspective, they can almost always become generally happy people.

From these reasons why people can’t always be happy, we can see how happiness is impacted by circumstance and attitude. However, what may be most interesting is how eager people are to presume to know whether or not somebody should or should not be happy.


the power of misfits

This Post Has One Comment

  1. Turkeyduck

    All this proves is that people create words out of thin air and then design/apply psychology around it to explain it. Yes there are some real mental illnesses out there, that sadly without diagnoses go untreated but happiness or lack thereof isn’t one of them. If you are not happy, you are not happy there maybe some other fundamental force(s) at work to explain why you are not happy though.

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