Do you know how to be happy? « Psychologies

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Do you know how to be happy?

Do you know how to be happy?

Anyone who has studied the human condition, from Aristotle to Freud, has pondered happiness, because when it comes to happiness, we all have different experiences.

How important is being happy? Do you do everything in your power to seek out pleasure? Answer the following questions to find out how much of a hedonist you are.

By Christophe André, psychiatrist and psychotherapist

1. To find happiness you need to:
Be spontaneous and go with the flow
Work out what makes you happy and make time for it
Make an effort to solve your problems – you will then feel you deserve to be happy
Think about the meaning of happiness before going in search of it
2. Should we teach children how to be happy?
No, happiness comes naturally to children
Yes, we should show them what it is like to be really happy
No, only to tell the difference between benign pleasures and those which might cause harm
It would be more useful to teach them the harsh realities of life
3. Which of the following makes you happiest?
Sex
Talking with friends
Trips to the great outdoors
Playing sport/looking after your body
4. Happiness is:
Having a chance to think
Breaking the rules
As essential as brushing your teeth
As essential as breathing
5. Happiness is
A state you don’t experience very often
A desirable state
Your natural state
A necessary state
6. One of the things that made you happiest as a child was:
Listening to the stories your grandparents told you
To lie back on the grass and watch the clouds pass overhead
Getting into freshly laundered pyjamas after your evening bath
Playing out with your cousins
7. What is happiness for? It’s there to:
Elevate the soul and the spirit
Make us healthier and make us feel good
Make us feel alive
Set us free
8. Are any of the things that make you happy in fact vices?
I’ve tried to give up those that are
If they make me happy, they can’t be doing any harm
Lots of them, unfortunately…
Some, but I’m in control of them
9. As a child you were:
Thoughtful
Prone to stress
Spontaneous
Well adjusted
10. You were on a diet but you had a bit of a binge last night. How do you feel today?
I feel guilty and I’ve fitted bolts to the kitchen cupboards
If I enjoyed it, it can’t have done any great harm
If I go on a diet I always stick to it
I never do diets - I like my body as is it
11. How would you describe your first sexual experiences? As:
A revelation
Delectable
Exciting
Purposeful
12. What would happen if you gave in to pleasure too often?
You’d become self obsessed
Your health would suffer
You’d end up being frivolous and superficial
You’d eventually get depressed and bored

Comments

Anonymous (June 3, 2010 at 2:34 pm) Reply | spam

Spot on. I’ve never looked at myself that way before.
Anonymous (June 3, 2010 at 12:12 pm) Reply | spam

This is so true! this category made me feel more normal too! I really do feel guilty about doing things for myself.
Anonymous (May 30, 2010 at 5:21 pm) Reply | spam

Very interesting…

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