Life Filled With Happiness Or A Meaningful Life? - A Discussion

Zackir : If you were to choose only one of the two, which one would you? A life filled with happiness or a meaningful life?

Meaningful life and a happy life often go hand-in-hand, but not always. 

A research suggests...Meaning (separate from happiness) is not connected with whether one is healthy, has enough money, or feels comfortable in life, while happiness (separate from meaning) is connected to them

Happy people satisfy their wants and needs, but that seems largely irrelevant to a meaningful life.

Happiness involves being focused on the present, whereas meaningfulness involves thinking more about the past, present, and future—and the relationship between them.

Meaningfulness is derived from giving to other people; happiness comes from what they give to you

Meaningful lives involve stress and challenges -

Engaging in challenging or difficult situations that are beyond oneself or one’s pleasures promotes meaningfulness but not happiness.

Self-expression (like being wise or creative) is important to meaning but not happiness

If we'd like to have both, I think, in my opinion, happiness that comes from meaningful pursuits outweighs the happiness that comes from pleasure or goal fulfillment.

Why do freedom fighters, social activists still go ahead when they know they will get beaten up, jailed or even killed?

MJ Suresh : Personal preference again. There is no right or wrong in my opinion with Happiness and Meaningful.

In fact the definition of both varies from where one stand.

My choice be Happiness. Did I achieve - No. Will I be able to - YES.

Zackir : Suresh, You sounded happiness by being optimistic.  Great...And like you said, you stand on the positive side of life.

Isaac : We should always look in the front glass and only occasionally in the rear view mirror or when needed.

Zackir : Isaac, You are right, we have to only occasionally look back in the rear view mirror.  And that is for us to be cautious while overtaking another person....as well as not to jeopardize the person who is already speeding on the fast lane.

MJ Suresh : All of us acquire great learning. Two thumbs up for Issac's rear view analogy. Being perfect is meaning less. Perfection should be a process than a state.

Zack, well caught. What am I going to achieve by being pessimistic. Rather being positive from within and externally motivating where possible, gives a satisfaction. There comes that moment of happiness.

Past is dead... no point dwelling. Current is now and here. Be optimistic for a pleasant future.

If I don't believe in myself ... Who else can??

This too will pass - when in a hard time (to remind self about the takeaway for the soon to arrive better time)

This too will pass - when in a good time (to remind self to be wise)