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Post 0

Monday, March 20, 2006 - 10:05amSanction this postReply
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Does anyone care to comment on their votes?

Post 1

Monday, March 20, 2006 - 10:05amSanction this postReply
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I voted for "I don't know" -- because my "life as a whole" hasn't been lived out yet.

;-)

Ed
[one who's living happily; ie. on his way to a happy life]


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Post 2

Monday, March 20, 2006 - 10:33amSanction this postReply
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Do you really think I need to revise my question to make it more clear, and by clear I mean easy to understand, and by understand I mean.....

:-)


Post 3

Monday, March 20, 2006 - 12:07pmSanction this postReply
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I voted "Very Happy".

My life has turned out so much better than I ever hoped for, that I reflect, almost daily, on how good it is. I was suicidal at age 18. Now, at age 41, I love my life. I have a great career as a computer programmer. This was a hobby for me as a child so every day I go to work is like going to play. In addition, it pays very well. I work with my wife with whom I have a great relationship (13 years come this October) and we have our dog with us in the office.

As a teenager, I wanted to be a professional musician but that didn't work out. But, in the last few years, I've been playing more music than ever. Music makes a much better hobby than it does a vocation ;) We don't have any kids so we are free to travel and play as we want. In a few weeks, we're going to Brazil and in June we're going to Germany for the World Cup. I've been to every continent except Antartica.

My only regret is that I've gained around 2 lbs a year since the age of 20 ;) So, there's a lot more of me to experience this life than there used to be.


Post 4

Monday, March 20, 2006 - 1:13pmSanction this postReply
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Re: my life as a whole up to this point-- at this point I am very happy, and it's getting better.

Post 5

Monday, March 20, 2006 - 1:26pmSanction this postReply
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I like pizza.

Post 6

Monday, March 20, 2006 - 5:14pmSanction this postReply
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Jordan: "Music makes a much better hobby than it does a vocation ;) "

I concur. Making music is so personal it almost seems a crime to subject the process to the whims of the mass market.

I voted "depends on the day" to stay within the true meaning of the word. Happiness has more to do with what "happens" to you...

happy
1340, "lucky," from hap "chance, fortune" (see haphazard), sense of "very glad" first recorded c.1390. Ousted O.E. eadig (from ead "wealth, riches") and gesælig, which has become silly. From Gk. to Ir., a great majority of the European words for "happy" at first meant "lucky."

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Post 7

Monday, March 20, 2006 - 6:06pmSanction this postReply
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Because it was so rare......

Post 8

Monday, March 20, 2006 - 6:34pmSanction this postReply
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I was unhappy that the poll didn't have "elated" as an option.

Michael


Post 9

Tuesday, March 21, 2006 - 5:01amSanction this postReply
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I'm laughing at the variety of answers.

For me it is "happy".

I used to date this girl whose father's nickname was "Happy", he was anything, but. Oddly enough she said I was one of the few guys he ever liked in spite of the fact that I had long hair and dressed like a Hippie.


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Post 10

Tuesday, March 21, 2006 - 6:16amSanction this postReply
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Rev'rend,

===========
Because it was so rare......
===========

Indeed, human happiness has never been more possible (or probable) than it is today.

Ed
[the myth of the 'Golden Years' is -- like other mystical ideas -- merely something we're prone to believe in]


Post 11

Tuesday, March 21, 2006 - 10:03amSanction this postReply
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Knowing that everything in my life is because I've work hard for it is a great feeling. There are things out there that threaten me - Big government, terrorism, criminals...

But when it comes down to it, I threaten their existance more than they threaten mine ;-)

Truly happy.

Andy.

Post 12

Tuesday, March 21, 2006 - 5:16pmSanction this postReply
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I voted happy. There are a lot of things falling into place but there's still a lot of room for improvement.

And it's kind of hard to be any happier, at least right now since Amy and I lost our cat Mokey over the weekend. He was 12 years old and had an undiagnosed heart condition. We miss him like crazy so it'll be a while before we can be happier.

---Landon


Post 13

Tuesday, March 21, 2006 - 6:42pmSanction this postReply
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Sorry to hear that Landon. We had four until we lost two last fall. One was the only cat we had since he was a kitten. We now have five, including a new kitten, a very young cat, and an adult. All rescues.

Post 14

Tuesday, March 21, 2006 - 7:21pmSanction this postReply
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I am a little buzzed....

But I can't see the connection between cats and happiness unless your terribly easy!

....and I have actually owned cats, but no more animals for me! I did like Karmella, she was blond, stupid, and loved to sit on my lap!

Somehow I don't think a human with those attributes would impress me, except of course for the lap part!

Michael


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Post 15

Tuesday, March 21, 2006 - 7:50pmSanction this postReply
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Thanks Ethan. We're looking into doing that when we're ready (rescue).

The cat was a pretty big part of my life. I mean one of the two beings in the world that I had the most interaction with over the past two years (the other being his previous owner my fiancee Amy).  He could usually pick up on when I needed affection. Other than that we had a lot of fun "back and forths." If there was a spot in the appartment I wanted to be he'd beat me to it and I'd have to figure a way to get it back from him, whether it was my chair after work, my spot in bed next to Amy, or my art desk with my ink bottles sitting out.

He was like a a mischeivious little jerk you couldn't help but love. 

As for long term happiness. I think my time with him added a lot to it I learned a lot about myself through him. I'm mainly saying I'm feeling a particularly strong pang of loss for the time being. I'm going to get past it but it's hard right now.

For fear of a hijack I'll stop it here, but it feels good to get it out.

---Landon


Post 16

Wednesday, March 22, 2006 - 1:00pmSanction this postReply
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I had the following to articles in mind when I wrote this poll:

http://rebirthofreason.com/Articles/Rowlands/The_Meaning_Of_Life.shtml

http://rebirthofreason.com/Articles/Rowlands/What_is_Happiness.shtml

Ethan


Post 17

Wednesday, March 22, 2006 - 8:02pmSanction this postReply
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Landon,

I understand your feelings. I lost my cat Big Guy two years ago after having him for more than 17 years. There wasn't a single day in his life that he didn't make me laugh or just feel delighted to be alive.

A new kitten [or two] helps.

Mike E.

Post 18

Wednesday, March 22, 2006 - 8:05pmSanction this postReply
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Thanks Mike.  We're thinking about getting another one but we don't want to rush it.

---Landon


Post 19

Friday, April 21, 2006 - 6:37pmSanction this postReply
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I consider myself 'happy' and am inching closer to the 'very happy' end of the scale every day.  Still haven't found a romantic relationship that blows my mind and sends me off the charts, so that's why I wouldn't rank myself at the farthest end of the happy scale.  Life's still magnificent even without that, though.

I make a living in sales, and comission checks ultimately determine my income level.  When I'm having a productive month/quarter/year, I feel energized and ecstatic.  When times are lean, I begin to feel some self doubt and I begin to worry about things more often.  During the slow times, not only does the fact that my financial goals aren't panning out bother me, but I also feel as though I'm not the producer that I should be for the company.  I'm pleased to say that things are going very well right now.  The only thing that could stop me for the time being is a catastrophic economic collapse...always a possibility under statism....


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