Epicurus once stated that only 3 things were needed in life in order to be happy.
freinds,
freedom,
time for reflection.
However he did cultivate a very basic form of living, wanting to live in the country with all his friends and finding a block of cheese as he put it 'a banquet'. do you think that these qualities allow the conditions for a happy life?
Prehaps it may be through struggle and hardships that one comes to have rewards with happiness, wisdom and knowledge. as struggling up a hill and being rewarded but amazing views. therefore it could be the matuting of overcoming hardships and stuggles which define us as people yet does it really cause happiness or allow a smoother trip to happiness and contentment with the ability to handle the bad aspects of life?

glad to see you are doing your homework. happiness isn't quite so esoteric to me

I love wine (wo)men and song - happiness comes from a feeling that one is loved and loves others - and the fulfillment of ones choices - the freedom to be silly - and adequate wealth for good shopping

that's all in there with epicurus no doubt

From a personal perspective or a third person perspective?

happiness is just a choice

Give him friends, freedom, and time for reflection, and no water or food, and he'll become unhappy in 48 hours, I guarantee that.

If he replies, "Happiness for me is also the FREEDOM (point two) of having water and food available", then I say that he chose freedom to be an arbitrary quality into which he, at his own choice, can substitute anything.

For instance, FREEDOM may mean to win the big prize on the lottery, or freedom to screw any woman you like, whatever.


That part of E's three-part definition makes his definition so wide and undefined, so broad and flexibly arbitrary, that the definition is not worth a penny even between filosophers.

Epicurus may as well have said,

"I need three things for my happiness:
freinds,
anything I want or wish to have, or anything I wish or need to happen
and time for reflection."

The study of filosphy requires as much analytical thought as flight of imagination. Without the one or the other a person can never aspire to be a philosopher.

There answer as i c it is simple! A complete comprehension of happines 2 U! That is wat is needed

it helps to not have bad things happen too!

Happiness/bliss/content with one's self comes from within not from a girl or guy you thinks facinating except for a few flaws they have....& then you think you can change that...we can only change ourselves

Epicurus is absolutely right, read him more deeply and his students, for example Lucretis On the Nature of Things- this book is big now due to the book the Swerve. But don't just read the words, many Greek philosophers were actually slave, but who enjoyed a greater sense of freedom than most modern people do.

*******
beer
hunting
fishing
family gatherings
playing in the mud
fireworks
dirt track racing
drag racing


These are a few things that make me happy!

Some people would say happiness is just a choice, and that's good for them, but some people don't have nearly as much control over their emotions. I've known people who are just happy every day and I've known people who have to struggle to even smile each day. Everyone is different but most people seem to be happy as long as they at least have one true friend who really cares about them.