I am a sociologist and writer from Ireland. I have worked as a social researcher for 30 years and have had a lifelong passion for writing.
My main research interests relate to health care and sense of place.
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27 thoughts on “Only One Happiness?”
I think all happiness stems from the first part of that.. to love… To love freely, unconditionally, does not require love to be returned. The joy is in the giving… and it doesn’t matter what or who we love.
I’m not sure it can be unrequited if it is unconditional… to love without expecting return…There always seem to be a desire to ‘have and to hold’ somehow, yet to simply give and take joy in the giving should be enough.
Not that I object to being loved in return, you understand 🙂 I can think of few things more wonderful!
I reckon that it can seem limiting or limitless, depending on how you look at it! If you are loved and love, you are open to whatever happiness can come your way, in whatever form. Hmmm… now that I think about it, without love, even (or especially) for oneself, can you truly be happy?
Like a precious gemstone, I find “love” to be one facet of life’s happiness. In my opinion, there exists a prism of glorious colors that contribute to love — happiness being one.
Having re-reflected on the matter and my comment, I’m instead going to go with the view that (in my opinion) life, love, and happiness are interwoven. They’re often not independent of one another and I’m unsure I actually want or need to segregate them. As to how one contributes to the others I find less important than acknowledging all three (and more!) as integral to well being.
I think it is true. If we can ‘love’ ourselves we can allow ourselves to be happy and enjoy life, but it is the love of others as friends, parents, children or partners that is essential for true contentment and fulfilment. In my opinion.
Thanks MH. Be sure to come back if you get any inspiration on the matter. Glad you like the image. I adore it as it’s from Mount Congreve Garden here in Co. Waterford ~ a place that I love which makes me very happy!
Hi Jean! Awesome question and great photo. In Plato’s Republic Socrates defines love as “the desire to be one with…” I think a lot of your readers have interrpreted your question in terms of a realtionship between two people – which is, of course, a very powerful example of love. I would submit to you that using Socrates’ definition, virtually everything we do involves love on one level or another. Many think of love as another brick in the wall of the house of existence. In fact, as far as I am concerned, it is of a different essence than the rest of the universe – it is the foundation of all we do and on which all is built. We can take that from wanting to be one with your supper (I’m hungry) all the way through to the fact that gravity has the same definition as love – in that case it is “all mass attracts”, a pysical presentation of “the desire to be one with…”
Given that love is the thread that runs through and allows all that exists, one would expect there to be certain notable special outcomes in its most powerful forms and one would also expect a synergy between the physical world and the world of love. For instance, in the case of romantic love, it creates a “third person” who is only a combination of the two in love and yet is a separate and perfect combination of the two. This matches exactly the physical process by which children are produced – a combination of two sets of DNA and nothing else that also produces a completely different and independent thrid party. A creation.
I could continue forever with such examples – pardon my verbosity – but there is one more great big one. What happens if this “desire to be one with” is carried through all the way to the end? That is to say what do you have when all is as one? That one is pretty simple – God. And when you read scriptures of any religion, they all have a similar theme – the biggest and “rightest” concept that drives existence is “Love”. The Bible says it ourtright when God is questioned about what is THE most important and highest of His laws and the response was one word -Love. I have read numerous other scriptures and they all refect that same concept.
Once you have a chance to take a look at the world through this lense of Love, it becomes patently obvious that it drives every single thing we do and say and think on every level. And to make it even more interesting, everytime you bring love into this world, it creates something aligned with totality – something that makes the world a better place and closer to “right”. And this creation can be set free and it goes on to create more on its own. Equate happiness with the resonance between actions and “rightness” – that feeling we get when all is right in the universe (at least in terms of our actions at that point in time) – and it becomes apparent that all happiness is a result of loving and being loved. 🙂
SOCIAL BRIDGE ~ Jean Tubridy connecting with you from Ireland 
I think all happiness stems from the first part of that.. to love… To love freely, unconditionally, does not require love to be returned. The joy is in the giving… and it doesn’t matter what or who we love.
Hi Sue, interesting perspective. I can’t but think of poor Yeats and unrequited love, though!
I’m not sure it can be unrequited if it is unconditional… to love without expecting return…There always seem to be a desire to ‘have and to hold’ somehow, yet to simply give and take joy in the giving should be enough.
Not that I object to being loved in return, you understand 🙂 I can think of few things more wonderful!
That’s interesting about the unconditional aspect alright. I agree that the giving is very important in and of itself.
I reckon that it can seem limiting or limitless, depending on how you look at it! If you are loved and love, you are open to whatever happiness can come your way, in whatever form. Hmmm… now that I think about it, without love, even (or especially) for oneself, can you truly be happy?
Now you’ve got me pondering it!
Hi Dale, I’m like you, still pondering.
I think people find happiness in many ways, through hobbies, sports, travel, nature 🙂
Agree, especially about nature, but do we need to feel loved? Must say, I feel loved when swimming in the ocean.
True! Nothing moves without love.
Hi Dana, sounds like you are a true romantic. I wouldn’t go quite as far as you but a good bit of the way!
Still pondering … It depend on how one defines happiness … and love.
If we believe that love is the essence of who we are then this makes sense!
Val, yes I think definitions are key, though not that easy for such huge concepts.
Like a precious gemstone, I find “love” to be one facet of life’s happiness. In my opinion, there exists a prism of glorious colors that contribute to love — happiness being one.
Hi Eric, thanks for writing. Are you suggesting that love is at the heart of life or am I reading you incorrectly?
Having re-reflected on the matter and my comment, I’m instead going to go with the view that (in my opinion) life, love, and happiness are interwoven. They’re often not independent of one another and I’m unsure I actually want or need to segregate them. As to how one contributes to the others I find less important than acknowledging all three (and more!) as integral to well being.
Eric, thanks for that re-reflection. I think I’d be adding hope into the mix as well as I see it as very fundamental. What do you reckon?
Hope, trust, compassion… my list is long. 🙂
Keep ’em coming!
I think it is true. If we can ‘love’ ourselves we can allow ourselves to be happy and enjoy life, but it is the love of others as friends, parents, children or partners that is essential for true contentment and fulfilment. In my opinion.
Hi Tric, thanks for this compelling opinion.
I agree so does someone else.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqdTAynpQ0w&channel=easylyricsorg4356 and more recently
Love the photo! xxxxxxxxxx
Willow, great music choices: you romantic!!
Your post really got me thinking… Wonderful image too!
Thanks MH. Be sure to come back if you get any inspiration on the matter. Glad you like the image. I adore it as it’s from Mount Congreve Garden here in Co. Waterford ~ a place that I love which makes me very happy!
Hi Jean! Awesome question and great photo. In Plato’s Republic Socrates defines love as “the desire to be one with…” I think a lot of your readers have interrpreted your question in terms of a realtionship between two people – which is, of course, a very powerful example of love. I would submit to you that using Socrates’ definition, virtually everything we do involves love on one level or another. Many think of love as another brick in the wall of the house of existence. In fact, as far as I am concerned, it is of a different essence than the rest of the universe – it is the foundation of all we do and on which all is built. We can take that from wanting to be one with your supper (I’m hungry) all the way through to the fact that gravity has the same definition as love – in that case it is “all mass attracts”, a pysical presentation of “the desire to be one with…”
Given that love is the thread that runs through and allows all that exists, one would expect there to be certain notable special outcomes in its most powerful forms and one would also expect a synergy between the physical world and the world of love. For instance, in the case of romantic love, it creates a “third person” who is only a combination of the two in love and yet is a separate and perfect combination of the two. This matches exactly the physical process by which children are produced – a combination of two sets of DNA and nothing else that also produces a completely different and independent thrid party. A creation.
I could continue forever with such examples – pardon my verbosity – but there is one more great big one. What happens if this “desire to be one with” is carried through all the way to the end? That is to say what do you have when all is as one? That one is pretty simple – God. And when you read scriptures of any religion, they all have a similar theme – the biggest and “rightest” concept that drives existence is “Love”. The Bible says it ourtright when God is questioned about what is THE most important and highest of His laws and the response was one word -Love. I have read numerous other scriptures and they all refect that same concept.
Once you have a chance to take a look at the world through this lense of Love, it becomes patently obvious that it drives every single thing we do and say and think on every level. And to make it even more interesting, everytime you bring love into this world, it creates something aligned with totality – something that makes the world a better place and closer to “right”. And this creation can be set free and it goes on to create more on its own. Equate happiness with the resonance between actions and “rightness” – that feeling we get when all is right in the universe (at least in terms of our actions at that point in time) – and it becomes apparent that all happiness is a result of loving and being loved. 🙂
Paul, thanks for this profound response which is very convincing indeed.