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@jasonstahl73

Жыл бұрын

"Ignorance is bliss"

@VEVOJavier

Жыл бұрын

Damn that's basically the federal minimum wage for tipped workers

@mycelia_ow

Жыл бұрын

Nord is better

@fiusionmaster3241

Жыл бұрын

@@VEVOJavier Indeed

@piciaxel

Жыл бұрын

I was expecting at least a mention of the hedonic treadmill, but great video nonetheless

I never thought of happiness as a byproduct. It makes so much sense now! Happiness comes from living well, not the other way around. This video might have just changed my life. Thank you Kevin and everyone at Vsauce!

@SamuelSmith420

Жыл бұрын

i live unwell but im happy rn

@sourdface4709

Жыл бұрын

What does "living well" even mean?

@MrBigTimeChiller

Жыл бұрын

@@sourdface4709 I suppose it means you don’t want things to change. Or I suppose it’s that your “content” with your life. What ever that means. It’s subjective. But the point is you won’t get “contentness” from happiness but you will get happiness from being content with your life.

@stilth

Жыл бұрын

All emotions are byproducts of our interpretation of events in our lives. For example: Event > you receive a traffic ticket. Thought > “I can’t afford a ticket right now!” Behavior > you may feel anxious or angry. This inhibits your ability to perform effectively on the job. Understanding that our thoughts control our emotions can help develop self-awareness & ultimately make you a more resilient individual. In the example above, you can see that if you change the thought, you’ll change the behavior.

@PJ-oe6eu

Жыл бұрын

​@@stilthI sort of get the point but how do you not think about a traffic ticket you can't afford? Especially if the person is barely getting along on their pay as is. The traffic ticket could have large consequences outside the ticket itself if a solution isn't found. I also can't imagine how you get out from a concentration camp with your closest loved ones dead and come out the same let alone for the better? How can you describe such an event in a positive manner that you can convince yourself of? I could tell myself I am grateful thw ticket wasn't larger but I doubt I would actually believe that.

Wow Keven, you outdid yourself on this one. Marvelous content in here. The part about seeing a friend almost daily in childhood and youngest struck a cords. Society isn't designed to facilitate this anymore with divorces, highways, jobs, real estates prices, etc. Anyways, I'm glad you are doing well lately.

@Yogurt4655

Жыл бұрын

American* society

@stalkingyouisfun

Жыл бұрын

@@Yogurt4655 That's two whole continents.

@hanhong2267

Жыл бұрын

I agree with most of this, but I'd argue that divorce doesn't stop people from achieving happiness. If used wisely, divorce can allow couples to get out of marriages that are taking a wrong turn and aren't reconcilable. Unhappy marriages seem to be a fairly common thing, and if couple counselling doesn't help, then divorce might be the second best option.

@AXMIM

Жыл бұрын

@@hanhong2267 for the parents, yes it is probably good. For the children, they now have two houses. Usually, to see a friend almost daily, this friend have to be in the neighbourhood. Some divorce parents don't even live in the same city. This is why I suggested that divorce probably make its harder for children to see the same friend(s) on almost daily frequency. Assuming a shared childs custody.

@joshuashaw4573

Жыл бұрын

I agree with your point that this video is great content, as we have learned to expect from Vsauce. I think you missed a point, though, at 8:59. Living well given your own set of circumstances should transcend your complaints of modern society. Regardless of whether you adopt that philosophy, try looking through a different lens. For example, highways can enable people to be physically together, and some people get a lot of satisfaction from their jobs. Along with your other points, these are part of our present society that are valuable. I like the idea of living well given your circumstances, so I'm going to try to identify my own highways, jobs, and real estate prices to find ways of living well with them and appreciating the people and things around me. Just some food for thought.

A dog of wisdom once told me "You can not fetch happiness. Happy happens."

@LeChikapaw

Жыл бұрын

My exact same thoughts

@abandonedhhhv

Жыл бұрын

Happy has to happen?

@LeChikapaw

Жыл бұрын

@@abandonedhhhv yes, it has too

A while ago I realized trying to figure out how to become happier, which kinda just drove me crazy. Nowadays, I focus more on contentment. Happiness is fleeting, but when you can live a life or pursue a goal youre satisfied with, you feel content.

The problem is wanting curbs happiness. We are in a world that presses you to want.

@jeremiahbullfrog9288

Жыл бұрын

Unless you can learn to enjoy the "wanting" as much as the "having." Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

@XSilver_WaterX

Жыл бұрын

So, we have to win an alien invasion? That's what makes people happy, having a purposeful war.

@jeremiahbullfrog9288

Жыл бұрын

@@XSilver_WaterX Probably wouldn't make people happy, but it would curb all the left/right fighting real fast

@hungrymusicwolf

Жыл бұрын

The problem with happiness is that the brain is self-corrects back to a normal value. So if everything is always feeling good, then you soon that will become your base level and you're back to where you began. What people perceive as others being always happy is actually a result of others (for a lack of a better term) perspective on negative emotions. People seeking happiness consider not being happy a negative. When neutral becomes negative then baseline will cause you to feel miserable, and because you're miserable you aren't happy, and because you aren't happy you become more miserable. When you just take emotions as they are instead of them becoming a goal you actually stop that cycle and have the opportunity of reflecting on (once again for a lack of better terms) how you're responding to your emotions. Examples: When taking out the trash becomes a part of giving your partner a clean house to return to then it becomes a meaningful task, although taking out the trash may not be fun but it still feels positive without significantly affecting your baseline (taking out trash is unpleasant but benefitting your partner is a positive). When you feel like life is becoming routine you can either see that as an opportunity to change things up and have some fun, or you can see it as something miserable you have to do something about to be happy. Don't obligate yourself to feeling happy. Just take things moment by moment and one step at a time. If walking your dog is difficult, then walk your dog while struggling. If you fail? Be disappointed. If you succeed? Be proud of yourself for doing it. Don't strive to feel something, emotions aren't a goal stop looking for them.

@fubytv731

Жыл бұрын

After decades of chasing what I want and being miserable because I haven't reached any of them...I should agree that happiness is a state of mind. You may never get what you want, but why should you? You can be happy now by changing your mindset, instead of wasting decades of your life wanting things that are out of your control. If you accept everything as is, you will start to be able to "count your blessings". Having less doesn't mean you are less happy, as having more doesn't mean you are happier. Being happier is achieved when you manage to use what you have and what you can control correctly. That's why people who have a lot can be just as miserable as anyone, if not more so.

LOVED this one! I've always thought it was impossible for "happy" to be a base state... Happiness is defined by its contrast with sadness, so for us to feel joy we must also experience pain. Perspective is key. Some of the happiest people I know have been through some of the worst suffering.

@abandonedhhhv

Жыл бұрын

Wow, I actually didn't know that.

@nazurinn13

11 ай бұрын

I don't think one need to stub their toe to know what a pain-free life feels like, so much as I don't think someone need to be depressed at some point in their life to know what joy feels like. I think the key is simply to be content with what you have and not desire more... given you don't live under a bridge, of course.

@doodlegame8704

9 ай бұрын

@@nazurinn13 It makes you more content with normal day to day life because you have more perspective on what it’s like to be in pain. Ik I’m more grateful and content just being around people I feel comfortable with after feeling depressed and isolated for the last couple months.

@user-mn7ot9bf1u

8 ай бұрын

I see where you're coming from. I don't think misery gives happiness "meaning", though. Having a purpose and a goal to work towards leads to success, which is the most consistent form of happiness.

I stopped relentlessly chasing happiness a few years ago. Last year I made the decision to move to a larger city so that I could stop relying on cars. I still have a treatment done 2 or 3 times a month... every month. Despite that, I feel like this is the best I've ever done. I've started to think about education again, and I'm finding it easier to socialize despite crippling social anxiety. I have hope that things will continue getting better and, honestly, I don't know anything better too hope for.

Be content with what you have and your circumstances. But do not let that keep you comfortable in your place, do better if you have the choice to do so.

@fiusionmaster3241

Жыл бұрын

I will!

@sisa_james

Жыл бұрын

Why not be comfortable in your place? Can you be both content and want? I think we've been told so much to never stop, never settle on to bigger and better. Ultimately I believe both are good for different people

@MasterGhostf

Жыл бұрын

@@sisa_james This is the right advice, nothing works for everyone.

@Sekaro297

Жыл бұрын

@@sisa_james it would indeed be ridiculous to assume everyone reaches happiness the same way. I for one am rather content and happy just taking things slow and at my time. But I have a friend who almost feels like he has to do something as doing nothing reminds him of his depressive period. And now in uni studying and working hard he's got his life a lot more together and is a lot happier. We take very different approaches to life, and I do agree that doing "nothing" is a bit much. But for me it's less doing nothing, and more so having nothing forced upon me externally, being free to just do as I wish day to day. Me being very lazy and slow to start new things has lead to that lifestyle composing of a lot of games and media because that's comfortable. Though I do put effort into drawing as well as music at times as I do enjoy those things.

@BusierMold58

Жыл бұрын

I guess it makes sense that living even better would cause you to be even happier, at least in the long run. However, the actions that lead to better living can sometimes be very difficult to perform, which can cause temporary unhappiness. As a result, most people choose to simply stay where they are.

One of my favourite quotes of all time that I try to always remember is "Success is not the key to Happiness, Happiness is the key to Success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful". Like it was mentioned in the video, happiness is not an end goal but a state of being and "living well".

1:12 I'm from Poland and when you said about origin of word happiness I realized that in polish language we don't even have two words for happiness and luck. Word szczęście (in polish) means both luck and happiness. Lol

@cellina.starfire

Жыл бұрын

Same in German, Glück means both, too

@pyryzer5324

Жыл бұрын

This is the case in Finnish as well, "onni", the word for luck, also means happiness.

@jvliaaaaan

Жыл бұрын

@@cellina.starfire Glück alone only means luck, Glücklich means being happy, happiness alone would be Freude

@LavrentiEmirashvili

Жыл бұрын

Same in georgian lmao

@WreckedRectum

10 ай бұрын

⁠@@jvliaaaaanFreude is closer translated to “joy” than happiness.

I truly feel as if I am a happy person. I feel it most when I express/acknowledge gratitude throughout my day. Oddly, I've had people who have become "upset" with me because, as they have stated, "no one should be that happy."

Honestly, I think we were never meant to be isolated from each other the way we are in the modern world. We live secluded from each other in our homes and hardly interact with our neighbours, and that was even before the internet age. We've traditionally lived in small tribes who hunted together, ate together, defended ourselves together etc. Now there are no real threats that unite us in victory, be it hunting or chasing off rival tribes. We're numb, and it's because we're focussed on judging ourselves against each other based on monetary value and where we feel we should be at our given age. We are slaves to the things we own and the things we work towards owning Frankly I don't know if I'm talking utter nonsense but if i am, I'd like to be corrected but thats how it feels

@CallMeCarlos1

Жыл бұрын

This is exactly how it feels

@RoseJetExhaust

Жыл бұрын

I agree, we are bound by our evolutionary basis and frankly, the state of technology is creating the happiness-problem. That does not mean we should condemn the use of technology, but instead further our connections to people, wherever and whenever we can.

@drybeanburrito

Жыл бұрын

I believe nature knows what it’s doing (at least to some extent), and we don’t always know what we’re doing. The further we get from nature, the less happy we become.

@abandonedhhhv

Жыл бұрын

Yep.

@dh2032

11 ай бұрын

but it's still the same problem, rich poeple telling pore poeple about there problems

Yes, thank you for making this video! I vividly remember my first day of school, how I cried and how I hated it. And you know, these sort of things are normal, but for me, this lingering feeling kind of never went away. I simply did not want to be a part of the current system of society, it felt wrong. And yet, everyone was doing it and everyone around me was like "study hard, work hard, make a family - this is happiness, this is the meaning of life"! So I thought "maybe something is wrong with me, but I don't feel like this IS IT". I went through school thinking I was meant to be a failure and might end up homeless, because I had bad grades and couldn't focus while teachers were trying to force-feed me stuff I wouldn't even practically use in my everyday life. After school, my parents pressured me into uni - I lasted three years and quit - best decision I ever made. The environment was so incredibly toxic, but not as toxic as the corporate world. Still, I somehow I managed to bullshit my way through the system and kind of made it work for me, meaning I managed to get a well paying job that I don't completely hate. Is this what I want to do with my life? Hell no, but for now it's alright, because while I don't buy into the BS of the corporate entity I'm working for, I'm blessed to have a boss that is incredibly compassionate and on-point and I have the luck of working with literally my best friends. To get to this point, I also experienced what it's like to be a manager in a corporate environment... this almost broke me, but I am so grateful for that experience. At least it let me know that I do want to help people grow and not manage and treat them as disposable assets. And that I will never think of applying for a managerial position in a corporate environment, of course. At the end of the day, happiness is what you make it and I think this video nails the idea of it too - it's YOU, AS A HUMAN BEING THRIVING! I'm not there yet, but I do make my life manageable, by focusing on just enjoying myself and being thankful for the friends and family I am blessed to have. I don't need a career or anything like that and I'm really confused by people, who make this their end game. I mean if that what thriving is for you, by all means, but generally I don't think that's the answer. Ah, if only the world wasn't run by corporate propaganda and the majority of governments weren't into that shit, I think we as a species would be living in a literal utopia... and yet here we are, with technology that is meant to connect us more than ever, but we've never been more divided. It's the tragedy of our modern times and I only hope we all collectively awaken at some point and embrace the fact that we are ALL ONE and stop suffocating each other.

@troypropes1182

Жыл бұрын

I share some of your same thoughts and experiences. I think you must be way ahead of the game in your heart and mind. You are definitely not alone tho❤️

If this is the case then I’ll live forever

@Leftyotism

Жыл бұрын

Sad but true.

@mocerlaalacbaino

Жыл бұрын

27th September 2038 (lol)

@notjeff7833

Жыл бұрын

​@@mocerlaalacbainothat is the 76th most terrifying thing I've seen today

@danielkings2443

Жыл бұрын

Yikes friend. But possibly same

@jeremiahbullfrog9288

Жыл бұрын

That's a big "if" tbh

I have watched dozens of videos and read many articles trying to make sense of "happiness". This is, by far, my favorite explanation.

Happiness start when you stop hunting it. Just enjoy the moment or change if you want something different. But happiness should be a goal it self. As its a mental state. Its not something that just apear when you got everything you want. You have to think you have it all instead of having it all.

@zoltanbiro6388

Жыл бұрын

Happiness start or not when you stop hunting it. Happiness is luck :)

Happiness is an emotion, and like all emotions it’s fleeting…

@xenondestiny

Жыл бұрын

And like all emotions, I have none

@dio_Brando1888

Жыл бұрын

I really don't understand emotions I only show people what they want to see and mimic what around me because I know it's more likely to get me what I want.

@mam0lechinookclan607

Жыл бұрын

@@xenondestiny Damn you are a very "special" Edgelord ... aren´t you? If you feld angry by reading my mocking comment, or any other negative feeling, i have then proven you wrong in this, you do have emotions. What you feel is maybe some dullness, some sort of emotionally coldness. This could come from some sort of Depression, or Sociopathy, in any case, i can just give you the advice, of seeking psychological help.

@mam0lechinookclan607

Жыл бұрын

@@dio_Brando1888 But if you have desire, you already need emotions dont you? Or are youre desires truly just basic needs like Food and Water and so on? From your Name i would guess, you watch Jojos Bizarre Adventure, this doenst help you in any way to survive, so why watch it? Ask your self, If you would feel nothing whilst watching it, why would you watch it at all, why do you seem to like it then, how can you like something, when you dont have any feelings?

@fiusionmaster3241

Жыл бұрын

Same bro

Something I think about often on this subject is "meaning" and "purpose." I feel like they are the strongest tools we have to push through the hardships of our own life and allow us to not negatively fixate on the boons of others around us. Feeling that you are here for a reason helps you look at the bad times, even the worst of bad times, as just steps to a larger thing. This doesn't stop you from feeling sadness or hopelessness, but knowing that your problems are only temporary (or even that they're meant to help you grow) can really help you focus on living better with what you have.

I never really chased for “happiness” I've always just been miserable because I've never “lived well” and my entire life has been a sort of fight for my life and I've been miserable because somewhere along that struggle I gave up internally I realized that I will never truly be in a good position and that thing won't get better or at least they won't get as good as I want my life to be so I guess maybe that's why I'm still around- I don't have any real standards and I'm just “satisfied enough” to just be glad there's some food in the fridge 🙁 but I don't *feel* happy- I feel terrible- I'm starved and thin... I’m alone...

This is one of the best videos you made on this channel, Kevin. Thank you so much. I’ve always understood that expectation is what affects one’s happiness the most and it’s all relatively not absolute. But I’ve never thought about how the act of pursuing happiness is what’s thwarting it. Also, happiness being a byproduct? Wow, it’s so true but somehow I’ve never thought about it that way. Thank you so much for making this.

"Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle: Some things are within our control, and some things are not. It is only after you have faced up to this fundamental rule and learned to distinguish between what you can and can’t control that inner tranquility and outer effectiveness become possible." - Epictetus

A big part of what we're doing wrong is thinking about happiness in terms of the dopamine response. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with short-term thrills from things that are fun. The problem with that is the short-term nature of the response. It passes quickly and we are back where we started, left wanting more. You were onto something when you brought up "meaning." It's that sense of interconnection and purpose we're losing more and more to lifestyles based on the atomic family and online relationships. We need to bring back easy community interaction, but we've largely stopped talking to our neighbors in person. Volunteering and activism can help though, as can projects of personal growth to some degree.

It's hard to put into words how meaningful such a conclusion as this is, and how much this video means to me. Thank you Kevin, for pusuing education even when changes in algorithms discourage doing so. I hope this comment finds you well, and that you continue doing what you do best.

Thank you for this video! I've independently arrived at this conclusion a long time ago, but it's very difficult to convince people otherwise. When you tell people to not seek happiness, the image you present is not convincing, to say the least. By the time most people understand this, they've usually wasted a lot of time. But at least they realize it. What's truly sad is that some people never realize this at all.

Another beautiful video, I'm loving what vsauce 2 has become over the years

I literally love your work. I've been binging your content lol. So much fun. It's really cool to see how you grew as a creator over the years.

My Mom told me a story a long time ago about when she was young, maybe high school or college. She was struggling with depression and just couldn't see anything good in her life. So she started writing what good she could see down in a note book, not expecting her list to be very long. She surprised herself by turning the page to keep writing. It didn't Solve her depression, but she realized she had more to look forward to than she thought. I know that some people's lists might not be that long, but there might be more there than you realize.

Hey Kevin keep it up. I think your videos are so much better than they used to be.

Don't do things you think will bring you happiness. Do things that make you happy now. Life is short. Enjoy every second of it.

Probably one of the best KZread videos I've ever watched. Thank you for this!

"don't Happy, Be Worry" Ferrin McBobby

This is without a doubt the best video on the internet. I watched this when it came out and I keep thinking back to it and it’s meaning

True, happiness is a byproduct of a life well lived. To me I see a flourishing life as one where a person has freedom, money helps in setting one free but up to a certain level, the rest of the freedom comes from exercising our own hobbies, talents and passions.

@themacocko6311

Жыл бұрын

Look up the affects of "freedom" on happiness. It's not good. You can also look up "playground theory" and "paradox of choice".

I've realized in recent years how much perspective plays a role in a person's ability to even be open to happiness. Nothing has helped my ability to be happy more than changing my expectations in life, and expanding my idea of what can be a "good" life for myself. Truly enjoying the small things and realizing what I can and can't control. Removing toxic influences.

My life philosophy has always been one of solving problems head on, instead of drowning them in happiness. It just seemed obvious that whatever distractions I use to make myself happy, will inevitably be undercut by the fact that the problem still exists.

This is one of the best videos ive seen of yours. Thank you.

Thank you. This is one of the most truly useful and meaningful videos on KZread I’ve seen in a long time

Respectfully, because I'm sure it took a lot of work to put this together AND I thank you for spending the time on it, this seems like a semantic argument.

@Eppimedia

Жыл бұрын

Possibly, but it can still have a profound effect on someone that needs to hear it. It might depend on your own culture or personal experience. There are a lot of people who try to link their happiness and self-worth to goals, achievements and external factors. Modern marketing is designed to reinforce and exploit this. It's the complete opposite world view of what I think Kevin is talking about which is the concept of 'gratitude'.

Nice to see someone finally talking about something we should worry about. Keep it up. Support from Croatia.🙂

I need to watch this weekly. Thank you for a great video!

Really awesome video, gave me a lot to think about, well done on the information and production on this one. Long time Vsauce fan keep it up Kevin!

@PLAYERSLAYER_22

Жыл бұрын

i liked the video but i think i found a factual error. he said education doesnt matter but college educated are 20% less likely to divorce.

This video needs alot of spotlight, top shelf stuff

I am so glad someone is picking this topic back up. It is so important for people to realize you don't strive for happiness, or any emotion for that matter, but you decide what to strive for based on your emotions.

I'm happy to see Vsauce2 going to strong lately ❤ please keep up Kevin! We need your content and insight

Thank you for this, @Vsauce2

Thank you for teaching me about Vikor Frankl. Really puts your own worries into place and makes you think, atleast it does for me

lots to unpack... it's a solid start. good job.

This is the second video I've seen that says this and it leaves me with some doubts and questions. I suppose the main question is what is the happiness that people are seeking? Also what is the method of seeking it? There are several things that it's well known can improve how you feel: exercise, creative exercise, time with nature, novelty, social connection, etc. It might be that what this idea is really referring to when it talks about pursuing happiness is when you think "If I do this/get this then I will be happy" and use that as your motivation. It is true that when you expect the result of something to be a particular state of being you will almost never be satisfactorily correct as the building of your state of being involves way more than just that one thing. It's also true that going through something with the constant expectation of it making you happy will distract you from really engaging with it. However, it is also entirely possible to make the rational conclusion that doing something will make you feel better and then do it for that reason and ending up feeling better.

I don't know how or what the studies are done on, but I am pretty sure that a person who does not have to worry about how to get food, water, shelter and entertainment is consistently happier on more occassions than a person who has to worry about them often. Sounds like the studies were poorly done or were measuring something related to happiness and not the consistency of it.

@Lanium

Жыл бұрын

Actually, no, as humans, we are always in search of "doing" stuff. So, in our brains, we treat the need for shelter in the same way as someone who doesn't need to worry about it treats how they'll become more attractive. It isn't about what we thrive/need, it's about the fact that we thrive and need, regardless of what it is.

@Ali-cya

Жыл бұрын

@@Lanium Exactly, what you are describing is not happiness, it's satisfaction, complete satisfaction is unachievable because happiness is what our brains reward us with for satisfying our needs, but we always have needs so it's impossible to reach a constant state of happiness unless you are content, but if you are content you also might as well be dead or a rock. But in general a person who has their basic needs met are consistently happier than those who don't and I don't mean they have a higher spike in happiness I mean over the course of a given range of time, they display a higher accounts of happiness than otherwise.

@quappo

Жыл бұрын

@@Ali-cya theres is literally not one person in the us who has their “needs taken care of” as far as they’re concerned though and thats the issue. Even though we do mostly all have housing and food and all the necessities, in our sort of culture you are ingrained with the idea that you will always need a better paying job eventually to keep up with inflation, and alot of what you’d want to do for a career is locked off behind 100,000+ dollar schooling. So now we need more than just our basic needs met to be happy in a 1st world country compared to needing the basics to be content when you live a simpler life

@Ali-cya

Жыл бұрын

@@quappo Do you really have housing and food if tomorrow you decide to take an extensive break resulting in you losing you job thus scrambling to find a job so you don't lose your basic necessities ? Even more so that people with houses are less and less and the people that are renting or paying a mortgage is going higher ? Just because you have your needs met at a point doesn't mean you have them secured, if you meet your needs without a form of consistent security you might as well not have them. Also look at the studies on the happiness of people living on working minimum wage versus those who make hundreds of thousands a month. You will see a clear and extreme difference in happiness level and consistency of happiness levels.

@BunnyOnASnuman

Жыл бұрын

6:10

Kevin, Don’t ever stop, these make me happy

Great ep. Nice job.

Another fantastic video, congratulations Kevin! So many people need to watch this

Just wanted to say, This Video shook my very core. I don't know how else to describe the feeling at the end of the video. Thanks again.

Thank you for making this video ❤

These videos are criminally underrated

This was absolutely brilliant. Great video Kevin!

Never thought about happiness this way, and for years, it was something I didn't truly understand. Now, it's an understanding of perception. A state achievable through a few small, simple steps. A state that provides more than the sum of its parts. It's an amazing thing.

The only VSauce that regularly uploads. Thank you for staying in, Kevin!

love it ! it opened my eyes to many ideas I took for granted.

Great video Kevin. Very inspiring.

It seems like there's no way to untangle the correlation=/=causation issues here. Since it seems obvious that the people who are the happiest wouldn't be the one's actively trying to seek it, since already happy people don't have an impetus to seek happiness. This feels akin to concluding that therapy causes mental illness or that trying to find food causes hunger, the causal relationship here seems to be completely the opposite of what's being claimed.

Incredible video on very relevant topic, thank you

I've said this before to people many times. Is that you should not pursue happiness. Likewise how one does not pursue Sadness. These are uncapturable emotions, They are illusory and the only thing state of being we can cultivate the most; all a person can do in life is be content. Content meaning satisfied in the moment of their life not what has come before or after. If at the moment you are not Starving, Tired, or Dying you are doing quite well for yourself. Change comes as is the state of Nature as long as you are fine right now you can live to see another day, if you can live to see another day, then emotions in whatever form are a gift to flavor the mundane. This is what it means to live; to fully engage with life.

It feels a lot like the 'perfection is the enemy of good' kind of situation, where we obsess over happiness and spoil our own contentedness, another reason that more money doesn't have much effect, money doesn't buy happiness, but enough to fend off stress and worry can give you the space to be content etc

I'm so happy that you are back!

I'm reminded of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Nowhere on the pyramid is "happiness". And yet, I think that it's fair to say that the ultimate goal of charting out our needs and what we can do to fulfil them is achieving happiness. It tells us that we need to take care of our body, then of our surroundings, then of our social life, then of our self-image, and lastly of our personal aims and goals. I don't think Maslow's pyramid is the be all and end all of happiness, but it lays out a solid pathway for where we should look to improve our situation. And at a time when you're completely lost, any map will help, even a rough one.

Never get bored listening to your videos kevin.

Thats crazy, as soon as you mentioned “some people are born with less problems” I immediately thought about Viktor Frankl. I’m not much of a reader but in school they made us read some of his books and his idea of “suffering is realtive” just stuck with me for ever

Excellent video! And I can confirm that even in Arabic, the word for "happiness" (سعادة - saâda) comes from the root "سعد - saâd" which means "fortune". I've never noticed that before!

This is why philosophy is so important. It can help each of us find meaning and purpose in life, our position in the world, our beliefs And by understanding oneself and one's own circumstances can one live well

Thanks for this Kevin. A nice perspective gift for a Sunday.

What a master piece. Greetings from Santo Domingo, much love from the Caribbean!

I feel lucky to know about this channel, thank you kevin

Very nice video, thanks for making it :)

Good stuff, as always. Thanks Kevin, thanks Tabor.

This video is a must see. Such a shame the algo is not pushing it into people more.

I so needed to hear this today.

Happiness is a word, just like any other. Defining general happiness is impossible. I read Victor's book 5 years ago and it initiated my climb out of chronic depression, I am still climbing and will keep climbing until I die. There is no cure for sadness. As Frankl said, you have the freedom to choose your attitude if nothing else. Even though the voice in the depths of my sub/consciousness is telling me I am worthless and etc., I choose to ignore that ******* and keep doing what needs to be done. Making money won't make you happy, making friends or love won't make you happy. While that sounds depressing, it really is not. If you make bad friends, you will certainly not be happier, the same goes for love. If you make "blood money", it will not make you happier Of course that is if your life experiences gave you morals and opinions that go against it. However, if you are a psychopath or a completely normal "Viking" with high moral standards, "pacifying" other human beings is fun for you. Humanity should stop thinking so highly of ourselves, maybe then we will realize how great the gift of life that was given to us is. You can't control reality, reality affects you no matter what you do, feel or want, and my definition of reality in this psychological context is everything else that is not you, or is not under your control. I would also mention a certain manifesto that I partly agree with regarding relevant topics to this discussion, but I won't because I would personally be willing to execute the extremely intelligent person behind that manifesto. I am an animal, you are an animal, look at the dog whining while you are eating, he is definitely not happy, but you won't give him food because it is not for him. He is just not "blessed" with mental capacity as we are. Otherwise, at some point, he would shove those canines deep inside your throat, just like a human would if you did that to him constantly. But he is not human, or primate, he is a dog, an animal, we are not dogs, but we are animals. Accept that, and be "happy". Guys, dude, the world doesn't revolve around you, don't judge a book by its cover, don't cut the branch you are sitting on, don't dig a hole for yourself, etc., etc. There are many memorable phrases that we all know and agree with, but rarely does anyone really follow them. I believe that we all just feel sad when things don't go as planned at that certain moment, and we feel happy when things go how we want/expect them to. It is not that complicated, quantities and qualities are just a construct of society. Your stomach does not count the calories, it just does its job, but if there are no calories at all, that is an actual problem, and you won't be sad about it, you will do something about it. If you are sad, try something else. At this point I have no idea what I am talking about anymore, Elon Cunk is a **** and I wish you all a happy birthday as well as all days before and after. Chronic depression out

This reminds me of concepts from both Buddhism and Christianity. Buddhism teaches detachment while Christianity teaches to “store up your treasures in Heaven” rather than on earth. Minimalism then becomes a way of life, but it’s not so much the idea of lacking “things” so much as it is not basing your happiness in those things. It’s certainly still a lesson I’m trying very hard to learn, but it’s easier said than done. Simply “being” without having want for anything is not an easy thing to put into practice.

@johnnylucas1249

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It reminded me of the book of Ecclesiastes.

I promise you that ignorance can lead to total chaos, even tho knowledge may not correlate with happiness.

Can you please post this full on IG!

Insightful! Pursuing one's own happiness decreases happiness, but finding meaning increases it. Also the opposite is true, if i do something i think gives me meaning, but it doesn't give happiness, it's probably a way my brain tricks me into pursuing happiness again. Funny enough, most things that give me actual meaning (and thus happiness) are things i wouldn't expect to like, i.e. cleaning up my room, helping my mom wash the dishes, giving my own time to others

There is no chain of responsibility, there is no accountability, Politicians literally lead the way in pushing off problems.

Eudaimonia is a word we lost. But because of this, video had been found and will now flourish.

Incredible video, thank you Kevin!

Beautiful episode

Thank you so much for this, 😢 I cried a little, yet have faith ❤

“Call no man happy until he’s dead.” For happiness is a state on someone’s life. Pleasures like fame, money, knowledge is just that, pleasures. They can be taken away in a moment of pain or confusion easily. Paraphrasing my favorite happiness video essay aside. I very much agree the only way to happiness is self worth, purpose, and philosophy.

That was a beautiful video and an interesting topic

It's awesome that you use Frankl as the main source here. His book has - like many others that teach the same lessons - changed my life for the better and given me the strength to keep going in my darkest of times. Highly recommend reading it to everyone, especially if you forgot what you live for and lost some if not all of your hope that things might get better. ❤ Nevertheless, I wanna add that these ideas aren't young. Actually they have been written down for the first time around 3000 B.C.E. in East Asia by the Third Zen Patriarch Seng-Ts'an (The Hsin-Hsin Ming)*, whilst we will obviously never be able to tell if they have or haven't been around even earlier. I mean... Humans started to settle more frequently and in many cultures fully stopped being nomads around 12.000 years ago. "Homo Sapiens Sapiensis" exists and our brains haven't gained significantly more capabilities - following the concept - kinda since then and life's been rough since forever, arguably... So.... 🤷 Anyhow! Great Video! Y'all have a nice day! 😊

@fabianwolf6849

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*At least a reliable translation of this text is stating concepts that articulate similar thoughts. There is older religious stories and writings that for sure meant the same, but in the Hsin-Hsin Ming it is stated pretty directly imo.... I slowly realize this being a bit too big of a topic. Thank you for reading my neurodivergent brains fart until the point I decided to be embarrassed by myself. ❤

The national brigade of wine moms living laughing and loving is brilliant writing! Earned my like within the opening minutes of this video.

this just opened a huge mental gate for me, thank you so much 😭😭

Thank you so much Kevin! Such an unbelievably important insight! Thank you much!!!!

I needed this.

Thanks for changing my life again. Guess i should expect it by now from vsauce

What is the music at 08:26? Pushed mo to the "staring forward" state of mind...

Victor Frankl's book Man's Search for Meaning was and is live changing for me and so many people.

Be Well, Live Long, and Prosper.

7:43 quote from book 'Man's search for meaning' by Viktor Frankl.