I was discussing a very delicate topic with a group of friends at tea today. We generally meet up and talk about general issues like life, happiness, travel, hobbies, etc.
There were three women and two men in the discussion. The women laughed loudly on this statement, and the men just grinned. Do you think there is a difference in the way men feel happy, and the women feel delighted? What exactly is the difference?
I got fascinating answers from the group. The term happiness means different things to different people. Men might be happy with their cars, football, politics, and work at the office. That might define their happiness, which is what one friend exclaimed!
"Men are happier than women."
There were three women and two men in the discussion. The women laughed loudly on this statement, and the men just grinned. Do you think there is a difference in the way men feel happy, and the women feel delighted? What exactly is the difference?
I got fascinating answers from the group. The term happiness means different things to different people. Men might be happy with their cars, football, politics, and work at the office. That might define their happiness, which is what one friend exclaimed!
Another friend said that men generally tend to look away from problem areas and shove them under the carpet, and that's one way to show that they are happy, explained the other.
The other said an interesting thing that caught my attention. Women have the "helping" syndrome, and that defines their happiness. A woman feels responsible for the people around her and tries to make them comfortable by going out of her way and helping them, even strangers. I thought she was talking for almost all the women I know. We are always on our toes. We want to go out, make friends, meet people, chat, share, and that is happiness for us. The helping syndrome sometimes exhausts us and takes a lot of energy out of us. But still, that syndrome doesn't go away with age and experiences. It's an innate thing, I guess, and that sets us apart from men and defines us as women. Nurturing, caring, raising children, keeping the family together comes naturally to her. Those qualities define her as a person, and those are the qualities she is known for.
It also depends on the personality of the individual, I guess. To be happy or not is a personal choice. I know a few men who have always had complaints about life in general. They had a good job, a good family, and an excellent standard of living. I have never seen them happy. And then there are a few women I know who have nothing but are so glad within. So it can't be generalized.
Happiness is not in things, but within.
That's a profound statement, isn't it? The helping syndrome helps to find that joy within.
No comments:
Post a Comment