# At this stage of your life, which is more important - happiness or contentment?



## helenbacque (May 19, 2017)

For me, it's contentment .... acceptance that _'what IS ... simply is' _and I must deal with it as best I can and move on.


----------



## Ruth n Jersey (May 19, 2017)

I have trouble separating the two. If I had to choose I guess I would say contentment. Happiness isn't always lasting,but contentment stays around longer.


----------



## Knight (May 19, 2017)

helenbacque said:


> For me, it's contentment .... acceptance that _'what IS ... simply is' _and I must deal with it as best I can and move on.



I think contentment as defined is the state of happiness. The question now is are you happy with what simply is all the time? Or your happiness comes from resigning your self to accepting what is, simply is & that works for you? 

I am not being picky, I think expanding on some thoughts like yours  deserves a response


----------



## jujube (May 19, 2017)

I'm with Ruth here....hard to split up the two.   To me happiness is being content with what you have and contentment leads to happiness.  It's the big merry-go-round of life.


----------



## Lon (May 19, 2017)

helenbacque said:


> For me, it's contentment .... acceptance that _'what IS ... simply is' _and I must deal with it as best I can and move on.



I am quite content but would be happier if I had normal hearing.


----------



## Bullie76 (May 20, 2017)

Same as most. Content pretty much = happiness......but could always improve on being happy.


----------



## Camper6 (May 20, 2017)

Lon said:


> I am quite content but would be happier if I had normal hearing.



Yep. Me too. Thank goodness for closed captions.

I have a real hard time hearing in a car with the background noise and a person with a soft voice talking to me.

I cannot convince my friend to turn towards me when speaking. There are tricks to make a person with hard to hear problems 'heard'. I try to tell people that if you want a person to hear what you are saying then just listen to the person who can't hear you. All they keep saying is 'get a hearing aid'. Fine. In the meantime, I will just ignore you.

Re happiness and contentment.  I can't put my finger on it but some days I'm ready to challenge the whole word and I am really happy and content.  And on other days.  Bleh!


----------



## tortiecat (May 20, 2017)

I"m with you Camper6 when it comes to hearing people talking behind me.
I am content; would be happy to be more content!


----------



## RadishRose (May 20, 2017)

Contentment. For me, this includes happiness or maybe it's the same thing.


----------



## dollie (May 20, 2017)

contentment---and like lon i wish i could hear better  that would make me happy


----------



## Lynk (May 20, 2017)

I am like Lon too.  I am contented but hearing better would make me happy.


----------



## SeaBreeze (May 20, 2017)

They're both important to me happiness and contentment go hand in hand.


----------



## OneEyedDiva (May 28, 2017)

Is there a difference? I've seen articles that pointed out that when a person is content with what he or she already has, that leads to happiness. I tend to agree, at least somewhat.


----------



## RadishRose (May 28, 2017)

I view contentment as a state of satisfaction that is the usual state of being -unless something catastrophic happens; while happiness are those high points of delight that come to us now and then.


----------



## Lolly (May 28, 2017)

Definitely contentment..  and the wisdom that some things are what they are and cannot be changed... and the acceptance of that knowledge.


----------



## HiDesertHal (Jun 1, 2017)

Golly...I really don't know!

HiDesertHal


----------



## Ruthanne (Jun 1, 2017)

I am content but not always happy so they don't go together for me.  Contentment for me is acceptance of what my life is at this time but it sure could be better thus the happiness would follow.


----------



## HiDesertHal (Jun 1, 2017)

It's a toss-up...either Happiment or Contentness.

Why even think about it?

HiDesertHal


----------



## Victor (Oct 27, 2017)

I am not happy or content. Contentment sounds ordinary, dull, statusquo,
like soup that is not quite delicious.


----------



## Lon (Oct 27, 2017)

If I am content I am happy.


----------



## hearlady (Oct 29, 2017)

Camper6 said:


> Yep. Me too. Thank goodness for closed captions.
> 
> I have a real hard time hearing in a car with the background noise and a person with a soft voice talking to me.
> 
> ...



Camper even with a hearing aid it will still help for people to look at you when speaking. The visual cues are important. 
People believe you just need to stick a hearing aid in your ear and your problem will be solved. If it's caught early that may be the case but if it's gone many years the brain will have to relearn to hear.
Unfortunately the longer the brain goes without hearing the harder it is to relearn the sounds you've been missing. 
In the meantime there are some strategies like having your friend get your attention before speaking and look at you whenever possible. Driving is hard because the driver needs to pay attention to the road. Turn the radio down if you're having a conversation. 
I know it's frustrating. Sorry.


----------



## Vinny (Jun 15, 2018)

Quite honestly, both. I do not see why I cannot have both. My wife and I are still very happy and in love after 46 years of marriage. We have downsized from upper income living to middle class and are very content with that since that is where we come from, our friends are from and feel more at ease with. No more desire for fancy and expensive cars and houses. No more designer and custom made clothes. We are very content with what we have and where we live plus happy too since we are both retired and can do whatever we want to.


----------



## StarSong (Jun 18, 2018)

RadishRose said:


> I view contentment as a state of satisfaction that is the usual state of being -unless something catastrophic happens; while happiness are those high points of delight that come to us now and then.



I agree with this definition and find that I'm generally quite content - and frequently very happy.  Having good health, a great spouse, close ties with family and friends, enough work to keep me engaged (but no so much that my time belongs to someone else), and sufficient financial assets, sure make it easy to be both content and happy.


----------



## CeeCee (Jun 18, 2018)

I'm content!  There are some days where I'm happy and content but also days where I'm sad but still content.

Happiness is fleeting...


----------



## C'est Moi (Jun 18, 2018)

Victor said:


> I am not happy or content. Contentment sounds ordinary, dull, statusquo,
> like soup that is not quite delicious.



To me, contentment sounds like comfort.   I don't mind ordinary nor status quo, but dull makes me sleepy.   (Naps are good.)


----------



## Keesha (Jun 18, 2018)

helenbacque said:


> For me, it's contentment .... acceptance that _'what IS ... simply is' _and I must deal with it as best I can and move on.


Contentment. 



CeeCee said:


> I'm content!  There are some days where I'm happy and content but also days where I'm sad but still content.
> 
> Happiness is fleeting...


Happiness is a mood whereas contentment is a state of being and I do consider them different. 
Contentment  is accepting ‘what is’ and happiness doesn’t have to be part of it. 
Sometimes life throws us curve balls that can throw us off kilter. Accepting that we can still be whole without being happy is a ‘life skill’ that leads to contentment.


----------



## fmdog44 (Jun 19, 2018)

I am thankful for what my life is. Could it be better? To me it is what I have made it to be. "I did it my way" rings in. Life is what you make it. Simple.


----------



## Lara (Jun 19, 2018)

Keesha said:


> *Happiness *is a mood whereas contentment is a state of being and I do consider them different.
> *Contentment * is accepting ‘what is’ and happiness doesn’t have to be part of it.
> Sometimes life throws us curve balls that can throw us off kilter. Accepting that we can still be whole without being happy is a ‘life skill’ that leads to contentment.


You nailed it. Cheers!! :cheers:

`


----------

