Have you ever seen a happy physically or mentally ill person?

[bigj75]

Other than mentally challenged people or people with down syndrome?

 

[Schopenhauer]

I've seen people with physical disabilities who are outwardly happy. No idea if they feel the same inside. The evidence from these forums is enough to show that plenty of unhappy people hide their feelings beneath a veneer of contentment.

I've little experience with the mentally ill. I knew two from work (but they were in another sector) and they seemed miserable all the time. Both are retired now, living with meager incomes.

 

[WaitingForTheBus]

Yes, and I think it more than likely comes down to their upbringing. Some people just roll with the punches and accept their lot in life because they know that as bad as things may seem for them, there is always someone worse off. Takes a pretty strong character if you ask me.

 

[ctoan]

brickmann, coates, and janoff bulman asked paralyzed people about their happiness before and after they got paralyzed...most answered that they were no big difference ...its from 1978 but i think still valid


in generell enviroment plays a factor but its not everything. the way your rewardsystem, your dopamin system works and which side of your brain is more dominant (right or left) is probably as important (im not kidding people who had a stroke which mostly affected the left side got highly depressed while people with right cerebral lesions often become euphoric even though they are highly disabled after incident) as the environment

eg we have this guy




and i garantuee you we have also a healthy, rich, good looking trustfund kid who offed himself on the other side