How is it possible to be happy in today's society?

Question

I'm a 16 year old kid from a moderately wealthy family. I recently turned vegan and I'm a smoker and I've also recently come to the realization I may be very neurotic as well. I'm in a constant state of depression and confusion because I always let my mind get to me and I think I'm slowly developing misanthropy. All through my life I've been fairly spoiled and loved well from my family, yet I'm always striving for something else. I'm always told "look at the children suffering in Africa, then you'll be grateful for what you have", yet every time I do I get extremely envious of these children. I yearn for so much more than society offers and I believe true bliss comes through beauty and real connection with nature and just plain existence. I don't know what to do as I'm constantly bipolar and confused and sad and I just want to be able to forget about it and just be, but it's just too much for me to get past. Any help would be nice.

Answer 1

OK...so it seems that all of us, are somehow missunderstanding ur question/ essay..ok...ill go along with that.

why not restate ur question? since all of us that took time to respond( i have read all the answers, and they all relate to what ur asking) somehow all of us managed to NOT understand what ur trying to say...well...ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US IGNORANT ONES HERE< I WOULD LIKE TO APOLOGIZE FORSOMEHOW MISSIN UR POINT> MABYE U WOULD BE SO KIND TO EXPLAIN URSELF IN SUCH A WAY THAT---US MORONS WOULD BE ABLE TO ANSWER.

thanks for ur understanding.



happiness comes from within. ur young and a smoker :) not poor, and a vean. a bit neurotic is not bad. we all are...trust me :)

be happy because u want to be happy, not because there are starving kids in china.

and wow, u are actually above the matuity level of a 16 year old. u sound smart, collect, and reserved. try to find urself. only when one finds oneself, will they be trully happy.

bipolar?? smoking should actually help a lot with that.

ps:

yes music plays a big part in someones happiness. there is nothing wrong with putting ur headphones on and forgetting about the crappy world we live in. however, u need to find some inner peace. i use to live in hawaii, one of the most amazing, peacefull places i have ever visited. there i started taking yoga classes. those helped me lots! i found myself, more at peace, more relaxed, and less stressed by the otside world

Answer 2

Your problem is you are too smart, just like all the great artists in the world, you recognize your suffering. It doesn't mean others aren't also lonely, confused, messed up, etc, it just means that you are smart enough that you can't ignore it. My advice is to find a way to channel it, and maybe develop some more artistic/weird/emotional friends so you won't feel like the only one. The true secret to being happy when you are smart is to fill your mind. Read, watch documentaries on youtube and google video, etc., the more you give your active brain, the more it will have to chew on so it doesn't eat itself alive! :) Don't be shy to say what you wrote to people you meet who are your age, you'll make strong connections and people will gravitate towards your honesty. If literature and music feel too man-made, go into the way-past before everything was overly-commercialized.

Answer 3

maybe you will find people you can relate to better as you grow up.

life gets much better after high school.

maybe you would like to read thoreau or emerson or beat generation poets who wrote about nature.

many people just want a simple life and to be happy.

i think you should try to really think about other people and their thoughts and emotions and try to realize that they're just as human and complex as you are, and worthy of respect. developing misanthropy will just imo keep you from progressing emotionally and also further alienate you.



i don't know if there's much anyone can really tell you though. some people just have to live life and learn the lessons. i remember feeling a similar way at 16 and thinking that no one else had any idea what i was thinking/feeling or had any good advice. but i learned life is a lot more complex and difficult than i thought. i don't mean to write your feelings off, because they are legitimate and valid. i'm just sharing my experience.



maybe it would help to think outside of yourself and examine why you are having the feelings you are having and also about social issues (like starvation in africa.) learning about sociology and politics was really a big part of my maturation process. maybe you can find out where your feelings of isolation, the development of urban sprawl... came from. and use your feelings of frustration etc to actually do something constructive.

Answer 4

Firstly, I would stop smoking, that will not make anything any better.



The reason you are feeling depressed and messy is because of your biological process. You are young and still trying to make sense of the world. Dont watch tv! Its a fake utopia.



The answer is, read books and magazines. You will find people in those books who feel exactly like you do. It will open your mind and you will find comfort in the knowledge that you are not alone.



Society wants you to be depressed at your age, they make good money from trying to make you happy. All you have to do is ride out the storm, on your bed with a good book and a girlfriend. Good luck to you sir.

Answer 5

Define primitively? Basic turn of the century farming society like the Amish or Hoboes and Wilderness Men. Yes its possible. Its not like living naturally is a disease. Its just not a common chosen thing.

Answer 6

Your really lucky, i wish i got spoiled, i pretty much have to beg my parents for something because thanks to the crisis they've gotten a good hold of their money. :/



Maybe you should take a vacation from your home, go to somewhere natural and find out what will satisfy you.

Have you tried therapy?

Quit smoking! It's bad for you.