Thread: contentedness

Content, yes I am. Sure some things can always be improved (I miss Seattle) but:
- My health is fine.
- I have a safe, OK paying job, that I some days enjoy.
- I finally, after saving for a while got my Mastro Livi custom.
- I have a nice view from my condo. When I have time to enjoy it.
- My wine cellar is OK and I have some nice Cuban (legal in Europe) cigars just waiting.
- My bookshelves are full of good books.
- My CD racks contains lots of good music.
- My gun cabinet has some nice guns in it, but there is still room for more.

All and all - not bad.

Nice thread!

I agree with notions of being content, yet still able to strive for more.

You can use lots of metaphors / analogies I think - here's one:

Life as a journey - remembering to stop and smell the roses, to enjoy the view, to enjoy the ride.
You can travel through life, getting to different destinations, exploring different places - contentedness can be about remembering to appreciate where you're at, to reflect on where you've been, what you have.

Re shaving and contentedness
- funny how mindfulness makes a big difference in how I feel about my shave: If I'm mindful, my shave is much more enjoyable and I feel better inside. (Even if I pick up any nicks). If my mind strays elsewhere, even if I get a 'perfect' shave, I don't feel as good.

I guess the parallel with life here is - you can have lots of stuff, lots of achievements, but if you don't pause to appreciate it you won't be happy / content.

You can be moving forward and be content - these things are not mutually exclusive.

All the best,
Michael.

Originally Posted by FTG

You can be moving forward and be content - these things are not mutually exclusive.

If I have given the impression I believe otherwise, I apologize. We're all moving forward, whether we want to or not.

To squash the semantics....

–adjective
1. satisfied with what one is or has; not wanting more or anything else.
2. British. agreeing; assenting.
3. Archaic. willing.


So, what gregs is going for here I believe is definition 1, which is exactly what he said. He likes what he has and is not on the quest for anything else (motorcycle, car, friends, razors, etc).

Gregs, I must say that it's a strange and satisfying feeling agreeing with you instead of disagreeing! I feel so well-rounded!

Originally Posted by majurey

I've concluded that happiness is often used to describe specific occurrences, but contentedness is applied more generally and probably covers a longer timeframe.

i'm glad i read your post now cuz i was gonna say that exactly.

i see happiness as the highs of contentedness.

Originally Posted by Oglethorpe

Gregs, I must say that it's a strange and satisfying feeling agreeing with you instead of disagreeing! I feel so well-rounded!

Quite, it's what keeps life interesting.

interesting thought, I'd love to ask this question in the east. I bet there is a real culture split.

I think that contentedness has something to do with age also, at least with some people. While yonger, you want to have a faster car, clothes that are just up to date, something to show the world that you are doing fine.

Then there are people who just want to show the world they have money - everything they own must look like it's little better and more expensive than what others have.

I think i'm content now at the age of 45. At least i've learned to get along with what i have.

-I have a wife and we've learned to live and enjoy together.
-I have 2 teenage kids who are doing somewhat fine and have not messed their lives.
-I have house of my own i built about 10 years ago. Not a mansion but enough room for us. I have a garage where i can mess up with my endless projects and motorcycles or just waist my time and drink beer when i like to be alone.
-I have work that is ok. My employer is pretending to pay me some money while i'm pretending to some work ha ha. I do not know if i enjoy working at the ship, but enjoying is not what i'm paid for. Someone has to do this kind of work.
-I have a 10 year old car. I've learned to fix it from top to bottom.
-I have 2 briard dogs, real friends who are always willing to take the long walks with me.

I do not know i'm if happy or not, but i sure do not know what would i need to get happier.

Now as we are on the shaving forum, i would like to say that one of those fine moments nowadays is after shaving with my cheap W&B is to have a pipe and a cup of tea/beer on my balcony and watch the seagulls fly and play their games over the darkening seashore.

Originally Posted by gregs656

I guess not falling foul of 'the grass is always greener' is key to being content. QO listed a bunch of ideals (for him), 'nothing could be better in any significant fashion' and yet nothing was mentioned about quality of life, or state of mind, relationships etc.

I was simply going along with what you have in your original post:

The same foods, the same drinks, my motorcycle, my razors etc etc.

If you had bothered to read my post, I mention in my actual list of being content as being in the Rocky Mountains and living here with the love of my life (aka my wife), the former being a quality of life characteristic and the latter being relationship. At least attempt to read my replies before you try to prove to yourself how much smarter you are.

Originally Posted by Quick Orange

At least attempt to read my replies before you try to prove to yourself how much smarter you are.

I don't think what I said was incorrect.

What you basically said was what I have now is ok, but it could be better if . . .

z

Originally Posted by Quick Orange

Contentedness is below happiness in my opinion because happiness is the idea that nothing could be better in any significant fashion. You've got the Livi, you donate a bunch of time and money to charity, you coach your kid's little league team, your job is the best in the world to you.

I just don't think like that, that was the only point I was trying to make. This bit, I don't think what I said previously was unfair? I apologise if you're offended.

I don't really believe any one is smarter than anyone else, I think people have different ways of looking at things.

To me contentedness and happiness are very subjective concepts whose definition and interpretation will vary most probably for everyone.

However, I would say that in certain aspects of life I am content - home and family for example. In other aspects I am not - professionally, for example, I am generally not content with the current state of knowledge in certain areas, and that drives me to do research into those areas.

But most importantly for me, I am content with myself. I like who I am, I know what I am capable of, I understand my shortcomings and strengths and I accept them as part of who I am. And in that internal contentedness, I believe, is where happiness lies.

James.