What Does It Mean To Be Happy?  

I just love how Dr.K oftentimes just answers Jack's questions with questions and they ultimately just answer their own questions lmao.

instructions unclear. I've eaten 3 packs of oreo

Dr. K is such a good teacher. The “Good job!” Makes you feel so good. 🥰 It locks in the learning.

Dr K is has such clarity!!!! Wow the way he clarifies things is amazing

The Epicureans of ancient Greece would call this "ataraxia," or "removal from trouble." The goal is to reduce your sources of suffering, in part by judging the desires you have and realizing that they are mostly sources of short-term pleasure and long-term suffering.

oh yeah... 6 oreos.. THAT'S when I start to feel bad. totally.

I've found that relief is synonymous with pleasure. To feel relief, you must be suffering from an urge. Sitting down on my couch with my feet up after a long day at work feels *incredible* Sitting on the couch with my feet up all day makes me feel shitty.

I think you just gave me the answer to my constant feeling of emptiness, thank you so much man, I'm in a great place in life with everything I'd want at my age (22) but I've always felt empty, no matter how much pleasure and how many mental hurdles i worked through i still felt nothing, i thought i had no soul or was doomed to chasing a constant high through killing myself through climbing the ladder of life but i see now. I'm just neutral when I'm not distracted. Thank you Dr. K

GG is a fcking great teacher. He isnt just giving the answer he gives you the information you need to figure out the answer yourself.

Instructions unclear: 10k hours in RUST

Bless this man

That's why you cycle the stimulus, food -> video games -> tv -> books -> hobbies -> hanging with friends. Just keep the dopamine train running bb

This is the difference between contentment and happiness

Honestly, just being by yourself with peace is already happiness. Neutrality is happiness.

In economics we call this the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility

" to be happy without with any stimuli " 😊 I love that he gives him a high - five! 😼👍 The father side ! Of him. 😊

In my case, that treadmill makes it harder over time to be content with other responsibilities like work. I've been learning to "resist" dopaminergic tasks for a while, and work starts to feel more tolerable now even thought I don't like my job.

So basically: “You’re being happy wrong. Your way of being happy will lead to diminishing returns. See, what you need to do is learn how to be happy without stimuli. But I’m not gonna tell you how. I’m just gonna make you feel guilty about doing it your way.”

Happiness is enjoying the little things in life

I think that happiness isn't feeling happy without external stimuli necessarily. Like, for example, maybe you routinely do an activity that makes you happy. The pleasure you get from the activity is temporarily, but you are still content overall because of how you have this activity in your life and being able to do it everyday brings you fulfillment.

I cannot conceive of feeling happy or content without stimuli. I don't think I have ever felt that way my entire life.

How the hell did he know I'm eating oreos rn?

That's not happiness. That's pleasure.

Man what is happiness if not materialistic in a world which itself is material.

its so funny that this advice of not chasing stimulate comes in short form quick fire video which is the same thing he is describing with the Oreos XD

It’s better phrased as the difference between fleeting happiness and lasting joy

When you’re able to enjoy the smallest things for what it offers, even just nothing at all that peace of mind, that’s what I’d say is contentment. That acknowledgment of that contentment and the reaction with a smile, warm feeling, joy from accomplishment or this awareness is what I’d say is happiness. Even just having a piece of an oreo, to just sit with that taste for a little longer than just chowing down. Just enjoy it fully by itself longer than normal. And once its eaten, sit with the feeling after with that goodness and the urges but don’t give in initially. Wait till they settle. Then decide to go for another or if you’re done.

bersyukur adalah kunci kebahagiaan bre

Guys, today (April 24/24) is probably the worst day of my life. I'm so sad that I have a bitter taste in my mouth, a lump in my throat, and my chest is about to crumble. I never felt this way, and I'm still in my 20s :( Pray for me to come out of this stronger, happier, and never to feel like this ever in my life. Thank you for reading.

Changing the mind really is the key and I havent achieved it in most aspects of my life yet but when I did with one, it felt great. I struggled with getting tasks done and I would think of them in terms of how much they would suck to do and all that negative thinking made it even harder to start and when I eventually got them done, all I felt is "this didnt even take that long, why didnt I just do it sooner, I suck" Now, I think of a task in terms of how much stress its gonna take off my shoulders to get done. So when Im doing it I think about the pleasure of not having to have it in my mind anymore, which is great. Doesnt work 100% of the time but often.

Real happiness comes from fulfilment

Another definition I have heard for happiness is…reality minus expectations…and now add moderated healthy stimuli with awareness….

High key just ate an entire family size Birthday cake Oreos package the other day. I regret nothing.

For how long can you really be happy with no stimuli though? Short term, fine, but if I knew that the rest of my life would be in an empty room with only water and food tablets, there's no way I'd be content. Aren't the things that we're looking forward to what propel us onwards?

I got a shot of dopamine from watching that high five

In Slovenian we have two different words for happiness. There's veselje, which is like joy, it's in the moment. Then there's sreča (srecha), which is actual happiness. You can be miserable and still find moments of joy.

We pursue means to ends because the ends are really what we want but then the means come with their own baggage.

Makes no sense. He even contradicts himself about happiness. "The world you desire can be won. It exists.. it is real.. it is possible.. it's yours." - Ayn Rand

A happiness from an object is temporary but a happiness that you found in the darkest time is permanent. Happiness is just a perspective. If you are fine being yourself and happy with what you got, yes you are indeed happy. Our mind can trick our soul where we can’t control our emotion. Being human is to control our emotions when the darkest time comes and go through those stuff and grow.

I love Dr. K. He puts everything in the simplest terms, so everyone has an "ah-ha" moment. He's so awesome.

I like to try not to reach for a screen if I’m waiting for something. But I end up beatboxing all the time to entertain myself lol

Define a desired situation for yourself, then try to be in that situation as much as possible. That's it, your always happy.

He’s great at explaining these things. Thank you 👏🏼🙏🏼

I struggle with this. Especially as a recovering addict. I've been sober for 13 years. I have a family a home career. But I have sort of traded one for the other. Food is my replacement and I struggle with this so much.

Idk but I go to the gym 5 times a week and it still makes me feel great. Gaming does too. I do hate my life sometimes. But I think you can’t always have it all. What’s for sure though is that right now, in this moment, I’m happy and I feel good.

That "good job 😊" made me smile :)

Yooooooo these clips are changing things for me

One of my favorite thing to do it to just sit outside and do absolutely nothing. Brings a feeling of contentment that nothing else does

Less headaches. That's what it means

The harder you chase it the further you get from it

Happiness for me can be, when I accomplish yet another cool beat on my drumset :) this makes soo happy!

same, feels good to be able to say that finally but i love just laying in bed being with myself 😅 no weird depressieve thoughts or spiraling usually, just thinking about life, being in the moment .... this did make me hella lazy tho....

Oreo Martingale 🗣🗣🔥🔥🔥

"How do you feel without any stimuli?" Terrible. I feel terrible.

That's so true. I've ended up eating oreo without any rest and breaks for sleep. I don't know how to stop. Please help me, Dr. K😢

Our world just gives us way too many opportunities to never be alone with ourselves and our thoughts. Many people are actually scared as hell of that.

Nice video advocating against short-term gratification posted on RU-vid Shorts

I mean, on a chemo-electric level, though, dopamine IS happiness. That is to say, at the most basic level, dopamine is literally what makes us happy; every time we're made to feel happy, that's dopamine being released in the reward and pleasure centers of our brains.

Him getting it right and being congratulated for it made me dopamine. I wonder if that will fuel my own unstimulated happiness

tbh it's even harder to stop constantly chasing anything that might still give you that sweet dopamine if you have depression.

I have adhd and I tend to stay away from easy dopamine just to avoid unhealthy habits. I go for more fulfilling activities that me feel healthy. Like exercise and art.

Agreed. I used to chase meth for 9 years to feel good. Didn’t turn out real well

That whole Oreo conversation seemed like it was directed at me when I was in college. I used to finish a packet on each sitting. 😂

This example works for so many orher things in life.

Having a few good people close to you can give you the balance your life needs

I think I need to try and make that peace with myself. Sitting alone with no stimulus is hell for me. Something has to be happening at all times.

You're only temporary though. Why not lead a life chasing pleasures because ultimately, you're going to be dust, one day, and if you don't have the need to be remembered, what does it matter?

The answer to this is meditation and thats a scary, painful thing in the beginning, but after some time you get pleasure just from being alive.

GOALS 🏁

Doesn't this mean you're just managing to get dopamine by meditation? And isn't it the same since you'll jusr crave this activity over others?

last time i was this early, i was at my first oreo

The breakpoint is 44 oreos. That's where the positive feelings outweigh all the negative.

As a therapist, i agree wholeheartedly

Well if I have nothing in an empty room, I'd just go to bed.

real happiness is in the purposeful life we choose to live. this temporary fake happiness is not something I will choose to create sidetracking the more fulfilling choice, just bcs it takes more time.

I wish Dr K would be my inner voice councious

Dr K the GOAT!

I was walking down the street today, and having a bad haircut made me happy. I don’t know why. Maybe there’s a certain joy in the freedom of letting go of things. And I mean 100% letting go of that thing, I was smiling BECAUSE I knew how dumb my hair looked. I wasn’t stressing or embarrassed anymore, I just gave in to the feeling of “Yeah I probably look goofy but it only matters to me if I let it”

Jesus that hit me hard. I'm woefully unhappy with myself when I just sit there without any stimuli. I need to do something about it.

I am happy when my problems are solved, I and those I care about are at peace, and my life is maintaining the conditions I like. I don’t need Oreos in my house, but knowing gluten free Oreos exist and I can buy them when I want makes me happy.

Great point, just want to add something. That's actually quite natural to just feel happy without a stimuli. This is a state your body is designed to default to when left in peace. Some say that God himself heals them, when they "listen", though for me it is just what rest does to a body. If you observe kids, then are quickly getting to the happy state if nothing bothers them and most of the time are happy. Elderly people are quite the opposite - upset by default. I don't want to be to general here - everyone is different, but this is the average of what is being observed in a society. P.S. I usually need a cup of coffee to feel normal, unless it is a weekend and I slept as much as I would like to and nothing bothered me that day. I am aware this in not how it should be though I am not that old yet.

I feel like I'm missing something. The answer to how one should feel when sitting with no stimuli is happiness. But that's not what I feel if I'm genuinely sitting with no stimuli. Everyone in the comments is getting positive things from this. I must be missing something here.

happiness for me is when i hangout with my friends

who feels bad eating 6 ores. IM JUST GETTING STARTED BABY

It's more complicated than that. The problem with being happy with no stimuli is that you might become complacent. We haven't evolved those rewards path for no reason. Dopamine feels good because over our history as human beings, the things triggering these dopamine hits have been largely beneficial to us. As technology made our environment change drastically, these mechanisms couldn't adapt fast enough, so now you have to identify which dopamine hit is good and which isn't.

Simpler terms, we chase happiness but only become happy sort term

I don’t think it’s that simple, we’ve also been programmed to believe accumulate all these things is a sign of success and wealth.

People forgot about contentment/ even complacence.

PSA blending Oreos with ice cream and milk can greatly increase the efficiency of your Oreo consumption.

Happiness is a puppy.

To be honest, 6 oreos is not even close to an amount I would feel guilty about.

I can definitely attest to the fact that it’s harder for me to be happy without Stimuli , however counter argument my unhappiness comes from other people. People are just terrible and I have zero faith in humanity. Everybody is out for themselves and everybody is divided now. So regardless of whether I’m having some good experience or “Oreo” , doesn’t change the fact that the world is an awful place all the time bc of people (sure myself included too).

Now i know why i’m happy.

The most realistic man I've seen in my life

Hence why addictions are started as they probably first started as a coping mechanism.

😮 thank you

My dad's happiness wasn't eating or drinking something, effectively it was being able to consistently afford an expensive coffee every day. His happiness comes from building his world in a way that it lasts not just 1 day, or it's consumed in a short time, but the consistent build up of his life.

dawg i just wanna be able to afford basic necessities XD

Designing a room that deprive you from any stimuli would be one of the worst torture, we all need external stimuli no matter how much we like to pretend we dont.

Its almost like our society is engineered to make you think buying things will make you happy. I wonder why they would do that 🤔