Neda Ziabakhsh (she/her/hers), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer
We talk about happiness all the time. We chase it, lose it, crave it, and sometimes, if we’re lucky, we catch glimpses of it in quiet moments. But when we really pause and ask ourselves, “What exactly is happiness, anyway?” we may find the answer is not as simple as we once thought.
Is it the joy of laughing with friends? The moment we finally land that dream job? The feeling of falling in love, of being seen, of being chosen? Or is it something else entirely—something softer, quieter, and harder to define?
For many of us, happiness has been taught to us as a destination. We’re told that once we accomplish enough, own enough, or become enough, we’ll finally “arrive” at a life worth living—a life of joy. But that kind of happiness is fragile. It depends on circumstances aligning perfectly, on people behaving the way we hope they will, and on life moving in the exact direction we’ve imagined. And life, as we all know, is anything but predictable.
There’s a different kind of happiness, though. One that isn’t built on perfection, performance, or possessions. A deeper kind that can exist even in the middle of grief, loss, and uncertainty. A kind that doesn’t shout but gently whispers, “I’m still here.”
We live in a world full of images—photos, videos, reels, and curated glimpses of what others want us to believe happiness looks like. It’s hard not to compare our inner world to the polished outer world of someone else. But happiness isn’t always shiny. It doesn’t always look like big smiles or beach vacations.
Sometimes it looks like choosing to rest instead of push. Sometimes it’s setting a boundary, even if it feels uncomfortable. Sometimes it’s allowing yourself to cry, to release, to be vulnerable. It’s in these moments—unseen, uncelebrated, but deeply human—that happiness quietly grows roots.
True happiness, perhaps, isn’t about escaping pain but about holding both joy and sorrow in the same breath. It’s realizing that being human means feeling the full spectrum of emotions—light and dark, laughter and tears—and still choosing to keep going. When we give ourselves permission to feel, we also give ourselves permission to heal.
So maybe happiness isn’t about reaching a “perfect” life. Maybe it’s about being present in the life you already have. Noticing what’s here. The way sunlight hits your kitchen floor. The warmth of a cup of tea in your hands. The sound of someone you love breathing next to you. The rhythm of your own heartbeat reminding you: I’m alive.
We don’t always need more to feel happy. Sometimes we just need to slow down enough to see what’s already here. Gratitude has a way of transforming the ordinary into the sacred. It turns simple moments into quiet miracles.
When we stop pretending to be okay all the time, when we stop chasing someone else’s version of “enough,” something powerful happens. We come home to ourselves. And that’s where real happiness lives—in the honesty of our own hearts. It’s not about being positive all the time. It’s about being real. It’s knowing that even on hard days, we are still worthy of love, still capable of change, and still allowed to feel joy in small ways.
And we’re not meant to figure it all out alone. Happiness doesn’t flourish in isolation. It grows in connection. When we sit in community and say, “Me too.” When someone sees our broken pieces and doesn’t look away. When we give and receive love—not in a perfect way, but in an honest one.
Sometimes we think we need to earn happiness. But what if it’s already inside us, just waiting to be noticed? What if happiness is less about achieving and more about remembering—remembering who we are beneath the noise, beneath the striving, beneath the endless “shoulds” of life?
So maybe happiness isn’t a finish line we cross. Maybe it’s the way we walk. Maybe it’s the courage to live truthfully, to feel deeply, and to keep showing up—even when life is hard.
Happiness isn’t always loud. Sometimes, it’s quiet peace. A breath of acceptance. A flicker of hope. A moment of connection. A shared smile. A gentle forgiveness of yourself.
And often, it’s not about asking, “What is happiness?” but rather, “What brings me closer to it?”
The answer might not be far away. It might already be here—with you, within you. All you have to do is pause, listen, and let it unfold.
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