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50 Questions that will free your mind: 16

16. How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy?
I think this question can mean 2 different things.  1 being: How come the answer to my happiness isn't the answer to everyone else's happiness? 2 being: Why do the things that make you happy make the people around you unhappy?


In the context of the 1st case, (which is what I'm assuming is the actual context of the question) I think that answer has to do with the fact that happiness cannot be fabricated and therefore is hard for any one person to find for themselves.  
It's like a chemical reaction (it actually is a chemical reaction, since it's an emotion) that nobody really knows how to tame.  A vapor that even I don't know how to shape into what I want it to be.  (I hope to do a whole post on my opinion of happiness someday on here but for now, this will do.)
I have not yet found a way to harness happiness for myself.  If I had though, the specific chemical formula that would "create" happiness in me would be (almost has to be) different for the next person.  Happiness is not a 'one size fits all' type thing at all.  It seems to be quite the opposite actually- more of a thing you can't find by looking for it but are pleasantly surprised by the presence of when it does show up.


Since I can and feel like answering the question in its other possible context, I will.  I think the reason that some things that make me happy make others unhappy is that a lot of people have their own agendas and idea fixations which stop them from just finding happiness in other people's happiness.  I'm really blessed to have a lot of people around me who I know are just happy for me when I'm happy.  Sometimes in life though, there are people who seem to have an opposite arrangement going on and the things that make me happy will make others unhappy.  I want to take what I can from their opinions but ultimately be looking for what makes Jesus happy (as cliche as it sounds) because compared to what He thinks, although they might seem like a big deal in the moment, everyone else's opinions are minuscule really.  I also want to remember that my happiness is not the ultimate goal.  It took me so long to finally have that concept dawn on me.
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