What do you think is the biggest cause of unhappiness?

[Donald Polish]

I saw a poll on another site asking this question. The three options were:

• Difficult circumstances
• Living in a bad political and social system
• Unmet expectations

I believe unmet expectations are the greatest source of unhappiness in people.

What do you think is the biggest cause of unhappiness? It doesn't have to be one of these variants, as I was using them as examples.

 

[Tom Sweetnam]

OK, I'm going to go out on a limb here: depression?

 

[PredFan]

Progressives.

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

From my experience, it's the avoidance of reality... whenever I meet these people who live in these hitherto worlds where everything should be perfect and such.. they eventual run into the brick wall that is reality. Then they become bitter and miserable.

 

[Mr Natural]

Letting yourself get bogged down in meaningless crap you have no control over.

 

[LeftofLeft]

Self Hate and Envy

 

[Menerva Lindsen]

Honestly I think difficult circumstances are as much of a problem as people think.
I'd say the main cause of unhappiness is different for different people, though. For some people, they literally don't have enough food, and nothing else really matters.
For others, like many people from the U.S., the basic needs are met but there doesn't seem to be any hope of improving their lot in life.

 

[OKTexas]

How about a lack of appreciation for what you have, people need to be taught from and early age that you deserve things when you earn them. You appreciate things you work for, they have value to you. We are and all we have are derived from the sum total of our own decisions. If there's a problem, it's usually you. How you chose to spend your time and resources from childhood to adulthood, will determine if you're satisfied you are with life. I know it's an old tired saying but it's totally true, winners figure out ways they can, while losers make a million excuses why they can't.