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Merculangelo
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15 May 2012, 12:31 pm

When people tell me about good things that happen to them, I don't get that feeling that would apparently be behind the words, "wow! I'm so happy for you!" at all. The only time I get this kind of feeling is for my dog when he's happy, or my little brother when something good happens to him. Then, an intellectual kind of empathetic happy when something good happens to someone else that has put up with a lot of terrible things, like kids in poor communities or countries.
But the majority of the time its people that live generally cushy lives that are telling you about all the great things that happen to them. And I don't get why they do that, especially if they know that you barely have money for the bus.

They're basically flaunting their lack of logic. If you have that much money, give it to someone who can actually use it for something useful, such as paying for elementary school when otherwise they wouldn't get to go to school at all, rather than wasting it on expensive cruises and trips to relax after a couple months of work since the last vacation, or on expensive clothes and accessories.



Lene
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15 May 2012, 1:42 pm

Merculangelo wrote:
When people tell me about good things that happen to them, I don't get that feeling that would apparently be behind the words, "wow! I'm so happy for you!" at all. The only time I get this kind of feeling is for my dog when he's happy, or my little brother when something good happens to him. Then, an intellectual kind of empathetic happy when something good happens to someone else that has put up with a lot of terrible things, like kids in poor communities or countries.
But the majority of the time its people that live generally cushy lives that are telling you about all the great things that happen to them. And I don't get why they do that, especially if they know that you barely have money for the bus.

They're basically flaunting their lack of logic. If you have that much money, give it to someone who can actually use it for something useful, such as paying for elementary school when otherwise they wouldn't get to go to school at all, rather than wasting it on expensive cruises and trips to relax after a couple months of work since the last vacation, or on expensive clothes and accessories.


I find if you focus on being genuinely happy for someone you're less likely to become jealous of them; you share in their happiness rather than resenting them for it.

I don't see what logic has to do with it; it isn't logical to give your money away. That's one of the reasons why charity is considered a selfless act.



Merculangelo
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15 May 2012, 2:07 pm

how are you supposed to focus on being genuinely happy?



Lene
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15 May 2012, 2:29 pm

Merculangelo wrote:
how are you supposed to focus on being genuinely happy?


Just try to be. Smile widely and say 'that's awesome' (or along those lines); it's one of those 'fake-it till you make-it' things; the more you practice, the easier it becomes.

Even if you're sceptical, what have you to lose?



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15 May 2012, 2:52 pm

Sounds like you are lying to yourself in the process though.


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Lene
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15 May 2012, 3:07 pm

SanityTheorist wrote:
Sounds like you are lying to yourself in the process though.


I don't think you can really lie to yourself about an emotion, but you can direct your feelings by rationalising them.



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15 May 2012, 3:39 pm

What you are feeling is the desire to want a better life for yourself and you are working towards a goal, and then someone always has something better.

It's not that you are jealous, but more that you are tired of hearing about this person or that person seems to have better luck and you are tired of them getting something that you feel like you deserve. Even if you don't have piles of money, I know tons of people who set an amount of money aside each month and save up to do something that they want. Depending on what that want is for you, go for it. I would also just ignore the person who is getting this or that and worry about where you are going.



Joe90
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16 May 2012, 9:07 am

I know when and why I should be happy for someone else, but I also get really jealous instead. If I had better social skills, a boyfriend, and a job, I would feel happy for other people when they have succeeded in something. But because I am unlucky, as well as socially crap, I just find it hard to fish for the feelings of happiness for other people. It's a bit like when people hate the rich and call them snobs for being rich. It's because they get horribly jealous for having to work for money while most rich people have it all. I don't get jealous of rich people. I get jealous of confident, outgoing people, with good looks and are getting on in life - especially if they are younger than me and yet are already ahead of me. It makes me feel so worthless.

I find I'm jealous of all my cousins. Each time I hear news about them accomplishing something, I get a twinge of envy and go all depressed. Even if it's something I wouldn't want to do myself, I still get jealous because it's still better than what I can do and I feel I am missing out. I just don't know how to stop comparing myself to my cousins. I don't even know how to stop caring so much.

I just really don't want to know any more about my 17-year-old cousin's stupid new girlfriend, or my 15-year-old cousin getting all A's in his exams, or my 19-year-old cousin getting promoted in her job. I don't want to be reminded that they're all neurotypicals and so will be intellectually and socially better than I am, always was and always shall be.

I also get fed up when people go on holiday and end up chatting to someone there who they suddenly think they fancy, and then they get their number and go home and talk to them on Facebook. With me, every time I actually have a chance to get talking to someone I fancy, something happens where I can't see them any more, always the exact person I fancy, as though something up there doesn't want me to be happy. Like all this time I've been speaking to my bus-driver, and I KNOW he likes me back, but then they suddenly changed him and have put him on other buses what I don't get and are nowhere near where I go, so I will never see him again now. He won't be put back on my bus because it all seems to be the same drivers on it now as though they have limited who drives which bus. So thanks to the f*****s who run the company, I can't see him any more. Is it because I'm so unlucky?


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