Why You Should Stop Being Happy
Being happy is a dangerous and expensive addiction
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I’ve decided to stop being happy. Such a sunny emotion is not for me. I cannot keep up with its high maintenance.
The last time I was happy was a few months ago. I was dancing around the campfire with my family. We were all eating s’mores. My brother was doing a Shakira dance that landed him on the ground laughing, proving to everyone around that his hips DO lie. It was such a beautiful moment. I was happy.
Next morning it was back to the routine. Back to work. I was still riding the high from the day before, chuckling at my brother on the ground laughing at his poor Shakira impression. Then a ping from the computer. An urgent email. Rush this, rush that. Forget life.
After work, I went for a run determined to be happy. Exercise is supposed to release serotonin, the so-called happiness hormone, and I had a severe lack of it. I ran 5 miles hoping to be promptly rewarded in serotonin points. My brain rewarded me with exhaustion. I was so drained that I didn’t care I wasn’t happy. I guess that’s a nice work-around.
After a near heat-stroke, serotonin was still conspicuous by its absence.
Happiness Is Expensive
Happiness is highly addictive. It’s a dangerous and expensive habit. Heroin? Cocaine? Give me a break! Have you tried happiness?! That sh!t will kill you.
Once you taste happiness, you’ll always get greedy and want more of it. Even if you’re comfortably happy now, you’ll always be looking for more.
Society as a whole is so addicted to happiness that if you’re not ecstatic all day every day you’re considered less than human and unworthy of life.
It’s not enough to be satisfied and content. No, you must be HAPPY, ecstatic, overjoyed, and/or elated in order to qualify to be part of the human race.
And the things we do to be happy! We exercise, we eat fruits and veggies, we go to parties we detest so we’ll have something “fun” to post, some of us even get gym memberships. Where does this madness stop?
The worst part of it all is that the amount of effort we put into it does not correlate with the amount of happiness we receive. Running a mile will not give you an hour of happiness. Eating an entire broccoli head will not give you an ounce of joy (unless you’re a weirdo like my cousin Josh who actually enjoys broccoli)
Happiness requires constant, indefatigable effort. Too high a price for such a fleeting reward.
The Other Emotions Deserve a Chance
Have you looked at sadness, anger, frustration, and all the other “darker” emotions in the spectrum?
I mean, have you looked at them closely?
Those guys are loyal! They’ll stick with you wherever you go, and with no real effort on your part. (Although eating an entire broccoli head does add immensely to my sadness.)
I don’t learn much from happiness, other than how greedy I can be. However, sadness, anger, frustration have taught me where I’m going wrong. They’re always there to show me the way. Frustration alerts me that I’ve veered off my path. Sadness shows me the areas that need healing. Anger shows me what I care about most. These are my guiding emotions, my guardian angels, always ready to lead the way if I’m willing to listen.
So f — k happiness!
I’ve got more loyal buddies to attend to.
