Anon learns happiness is simpler than he thought

Realistic Expectations
- Sometimes realistic is way lower than you are led to believe.
Damn, I can hear this image
- I'm surprised at your age you can hear anything. 🧓
- Welcome to being old, fellow oldie. How's oldness olding up for you.

Good start, anyone who wishes can use a level-up of this:

You. Will. Die

So might as well enjo the ride while it lasts

Compared to known universe, you are less than a spec, you mean nothing. Everything means nothing. So might as well enjoy what you like

- Yeah. I like that
You. Will. Die.

Speak for yourself. That said, I'm still enjoying the ride.
- So, you will not?

helping with dishes at home = happy

Nice try, mom.

Lost everything in my life at one point, started over.

Now I live by post-apocalypse rules for happiness:

Roof? Check. Food? Check. Not bleeding? Hell yeah, gonna be a good day.

Lost everything in my life at one point, started over.

Should have saved more frequently 🤣

I was depressed in high school and talking to my mom about happiness and one of the things she said to me, was that often real happiness comes from learning to be happy with being content.

At the time I honestly found the thought kind of depressing, but it stuck with me and I've only seen it to be truer and truer as I've gotten older.

Better than what my mom told my depressed teenage ass: "not every one can be happy" and "suicide is something weak cowards think about". Thanks mom.
- I hope you know that what your mom said to you is not the whole truth. "suicide is something weak cowards think about" is true, but you don't have to be a weak coward to think about suicide. "not every one can be happy" doesn't mean you and your loved ones are destined to not be happy.

Anon reinvents stoicism

Isn't it more just appreciating the small joys in life? If thats complicated enough that it has to be a whole philosiphy then I think we're fucked as a species.
- You don't sell books to teenage boys and 20-somethings by telling them they need to be more appreciative of small blessings, not when they're so horny that they can't think straight. You gotta sell them the idea that they can embrace all the same toxic traits that are making them miserable, but with a branding that sounds legitimate.
- It is just that, but it is also a good chunck of stoicism.
Most young dudes who subscribe to "stoicism" think it means getting a square jaw from the square jaw store and then not showing happiness about anything. Like they already do, but now with self-help terminology backing it.

I'd love to see a new movement where guys learn to express overwhelming joy at small things in life and can be genuine with each other about literally anything rather than making every moment together the Sarcasm Olympics.

fried egg + rice is the best breakfast, fuck every shape of pancake

Its depending your happiness on your own state of being vs depending on external validation for your happiness.

One day "it might not be much but I am genuinely content and happy"

OpP adjusted to life expectations