How to find happiness

[bobhikes]

Watched a YouTube video. According to several studies one over 80 years. Happiness can be found through 2 things, physical wellness, exercise, eating right etc. and quality of friendships/relationships. Happiness will lead to a longer life. The biggest detriment to life expectancy is loneliness. While medical conditions are a factory loneliness accelerates the decline both mentally and physically and happiness extends the survival ability. Does this seem to be a big surprise or is it an of course moment. Most people seem to believe money will make them happier. Your thoughts.

 

[bahamut19]

I feel whenever happiness itself is the goal, it can never be reached. I'm not familiar with any written or oral scripture which teaches the spiritual journey includes seeking happiness. Instead, there are other things we should seek or practice, and those things will eventually lead to a condition of peace and contentment, two conditions which are more sustainable and powerful than happiness.

 

[JustGeorge]

Watched a YouTube video. According to several studies one over 80 years. Happiness can be found through 2 things, physical wellness, exercise, eating right etc. and quality of friendships/relationships. Happiness will lead to a longer life. The biggest detriment to life expectancy is loneliness. While medical conditions are a factory loneliness accelerates the decline both mentally and physically and happiness extends the survival ability. Does this seem to be a big surprise or is it an of course moment. Most people seem to believe money will make them happier. Your thoughts.

Its easier to be happy in a healthy body, but not impossible to find it without. Loneliness can be a mental state(I say this as a chronically lonely person).

I've met enough miserable rich people to feel money does not bring happiness. It can bring security, and I think security brings happiness for many.

I think 'happiness' is an individual thing, and you can't really pin it down to one formula.

 

[MikeF]

Watched a YouTube video. According to several studies one over 80 years. Happiness can be found through 2 things, physical wellness, exercise, eating right etc. and quality of friendships/relationships. Happiness will lead to a longer life. The biggest detriment to life expectancy is loneliness. While medical conditions are a factory loneliness accelerates the decline both mentally and physically and happiness extends the survival ability. Does this seem to be a big surprise or is it an of course moment. Most people seem to believe money will make them happier. Your thoughts.

There is the anecdotal observations that there are some people who are simply to mean to die, ie grumpy old folks who keep on ticking.

I would first suggest that not everyone has the same lifespan potential. Whatever the mechanisms involved in cellular aging, aging clocks for for each individual do not run at exactly the same rate.

I think it is fairly well established that physical wellness, if maintained, aids in reaching some theoretical maximum age (which will differ for everyone), whereas inactivity and excessive insults to the system such as alcohol, over-eating, high concentrations of salt, drug and tobacco use, can accelerate age-related deterioration or cause insurmountable non-age related damage and deterioration.

What I would be curious about, is whether quality of friendships/relationships alone has an impact, ie great friendships but maintain a very sedentary lifestyle still showing improved longevity over a lonely sedentary lifestyle, or is it simply that happy, socially active people tend to be more motivated in maintaining a healthy lifestyle such that the only real determining factor in maximizing longevity is a healthy lifestyle.