Happiness Myths: Misconceptions about What it Means to Be Happy
Misunderstanding can make people feel their lives are inadequate
Popular psychology once promoted the idea we should be happy. If you were downhearted, the message was you had malfunctioned and needed fixing. We now understand happiness is not a goal or an expected quality.
Everybody experiences a wide range of feelings, including so-called negative emotions like anger and sadness. Happiness myths are damaging because they can make people feel inadequate. Recognizing these false notions can help you avoid the pitfall of striving too hard to be happy when you could embrace a rainbow of emotions.
Happiness myths
Happiness Myth 1: You must always be happy
Think again if you believe you should be happy every moment of the day. Mother Nature designed us for part-time joy. If we were always happy, we might not learn and grow. Indeed, our struggles are teachers that help us master setbacks and discover how our minds work.
Happiness myth 2: You need to fix your life when challenges are joyless
If you embark on a deliberate journey toward self-mastery, at some point, you may note positivity is terrific and negativity not so much. You may endeavor to boost joy and purge negativity from your life.
But you are supposed to experience highs and lows, and negativity often precedes mental evolution.
Just as the sand that irritates an oyster stimulates it into creating a pearl, negativity encourages you to develop. So, your lifestyle might be messy sometimes, and your relationships might be challenging. But periods of unhappiness are okay. Uncomfortable, yes. Even downright depressing. But natural.
Happiness myth 3: Happiness is full-on sunshine
What about times when you are happy? Happiness is not necessarily blissful. Sometimes it involves comfortable contentment. Research shows that self-described happy people enjoy medium glee levels. Their relative state of equilibrium provides satisfaction.
Happiness myth 4: You can’t be happy unless you are extraordinary
Stories about individuals who find their purpose and accomplish remarkable feats may inspire us. Most people, however, lead regular lives. You need not strive to be famous, wealthy, or ingenious to lead a happy life.
Many joys stem from everyday experiences. You might raise a family, build close relationships, or appreciate your job, nature, and pets. Simple pleasures can make you happy.
Happiness myth 5: Happy people are problem-free
You can be happy and still run into difficulties. Even super-happy people meet challenges. You might see happiness experts who seem to have got it together, but they face similar misfortunes to those you meet. They still deal with illness, difficult people, and unexpected problems.
Similarly, your role models may seem to have lives of ease and excitement, but they may suffer from toothaches, digestive issues, and bad moods.
Happiness myths could stop you from enjoying life, as paradoxical as it sounds. After all, being happy is hard when you imagine your joy quota is lacking. But when you note being down in the dumps or moody is normal, you might sigh with relief.
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Bridget Webber is a writer and nature lover, often found in the woodland, meadow, and other wild places. She writes poetry and stories and pens psychology articles; her love of discovering what rests inside the thicket and the brain compels her to delve deep. She’s appeared in many leading publications and ghostwrites for professionals who can’t spare the time to pen compositions.
