The Happiness Project

A chronicle of my attempts to test-drive every tip, principle and scientific study that promotes happiness.

Gretchen Rubin is the author of THE HAPPINESS PROJECT, a book and a blog about her adventures learning to be happier. See full bio

Comments on "How To Be Happier – in Four Easy Lessons."

How To Be Happier – in Four Easy Lessons.

By Gretchen Rubin on July 17, 2009 in The Happiness Project

I realized that I’ve never done a post about my Four Splendid Trut Read More

I love this

Submitted by Anonymous on July 18, 2009 - 7:41am.

You can be happy if you choose to be.

We can't make others happy

Submitted by DawnS on July 18, 2009 - 1:17pm.

I disagree with the second splendid truth. You can't "make" another person happy. They're responsible for their own happiness, just as you are for yours, and I am for mine. Surely the statement "My mother was never happy, no matter what I did to please her" must sound familiar to some. I agree with the other truths.

A friend told me a phrase that his mother-in-law used to say when someone would get angry about something stupid: "He made himself mad, he can make himself glad!" Now that makes sense to me.

In some ways, I think we can

Submitted by Anonymous on September 8, 2009 - 7:27am.

If you ever smiled at someone and they smiled back, you know where my thought is headed. Sometimes no matter what we do, we can't make some people happy - but you still owe it to yourself and other people to have a positive attitude about how you see yourself and them. Sometimes we need a little cheering up or to put it another way, maybe a hug. Give someone a hug or ask for one. It'll surprise you how much happiness you can give or receive through one simple act.

DawnS, good point.

Submitted by Marik Bromine on July 21, 2009 - 6:24am.

DawnS, good point. Similarly, it makes no sense to fret about what other people may think of you, they will think what they will, so just be yourself and be content within your own world, if your friends fail to accept that, then you do not need them, find new friends. It is impossible to be offensive, it takes an active effort to take offense. It is a matter of perception which lies in the interpreter, you can't be held responsible for a faulty or hurtful interpretation of a message you send, words carry no power, no weight, the energy of words lies in the mind of the interpreter.