You might be browsing social media or scrolling through the list of videos, while overwhelmed with worries and anger about issues big and small here and there. And perhaps there is much suffering that you have experienced or witnessed.
This suffering is not uniform. Especially for those who are better off, it can provoke a little guilt. They may even conclude that showing joy and contentment with life means being irresponsible and insensitive to people's problems. However, the fact that you say you're unhappy and you talk about yourself out of joy and sadness won't do anything to ease the suffering of others.
Rather, we should all be aware that what will help us is the pursuit and presentation of happiness, even while showing your concerns about the mistakes that must be corrected among people. In fact, your happiness will make you more effective in making your community a better place.
Some of us may be laughing on the outside, but crying on the inside. When an individual forces himself to act happily, it has dire consequences, from depression to heart diseases. So the implications are fairly straightforward. Act the way you want to feel, but don't ask others to act the way you want them to feel!
Whereas if we pull a long face to show our unhappiness, people usually do not like it. Displaying negative emotions like sadness and boredom can help us gain more empathy from others, but it almost certainly won't make us happier.
Some individuals suffer from a fear of happiness or cherophobia. Those suffering from it are under the illusion that happiness will lead to misfortune and that expressing or pursuing happiness is bad.
Let me point out two downsides for this state of mind. The first is that sad behaviour leads to unhappiness. For instance, describing oneself as depressed can lead people - especially young people - to think negatively about themselves and suffer from depression. Likewise, acting angry can make you angrier.
Being dissatisfied, angry or depressed about the problems of the world or those around you won't make the world better. Conversely, our facial expressions and emotions, including negative ones, can be highly contagious.
If you find yourself perennially angry or constantly complaining about those around you, it will make your life more miserable. Understand your feelings by analysing them. Ask whether you are focusing more on the negative aspects of life and forgetting the positives.
There is no need to keep your happiness a secret or bury it under sadness. Showing the joy in your hearts and sharing it with others will improve our lives. If the world around you has really pushed you down in the dumps, don’t worry. Spreading joy in an imperfect world will slowly make life better for you. Share your buried treasure with those around you.
(The author is a physician, a medical innovator and writer)
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