What Does It Mean To Be Happy?

100px-Smiley.svgAristotle said that the goal of every human being is (or should be) happiness. The ancient Greeks had their own definitions of what happiness was, and nearly every important philosopher since that time has tried to give a definition of it.

But why should philosophers have all of the fun (be the only ones to enjoy an activity)? Here are some other ideas about happiness from some famous Americans. See if you agree with their ideas of what it means to be happy. If you don’t, you can put your own definition in the comments.

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“Happiness is not being pained in body or troubled in mind.

-Thomas Jefferson

Jefferson was our third president, and author of the Declaration of Independence. To be pained means to have some injury, to physically feel pain. To be troubled means to be worried or have some problems. In mind here means mentally or psychologically or emotionally.

So Jefferson’s definition is basically negative: Being happy means not being physically in pain or psychologically troubled.

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“Nothing can bring you to happiness but yourself.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Emerson was one of America’s great 19th century poets and writers (and absolutely no relation to (not connected to as a family member) the English rock group from the 1970s, Emerson, Lake, & Palmer). Emerson’s quote focuses on who can bring you to (give you or help you to reach) happiness. The answer, Emerson says, is you and you alone.

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“Happiness is not a goal; it’s a by-product.”

-Eleanor Roosevelt

Roosevelt was the wife of the great Franklin D. Roosevelt, president of the United States during the 1930s and early 1940s. She seems to disagree with Aristotle, saying that our goal in life is not happiness itself. Instead, she says happiness is a by-product.

A by-product is something that is produced or made in addition to something that is your main goal or objective. For example, when you boil water in your kitchen to cook some eggs, a by-product is steam (water vapor). Your main goal was to boil water, not to make steam, but steam is in this case a by-product. It gets made in the process of boiling the water.

Roosevelt says that by trying to get something else (she does not tell us what), we may also get happiness, but we should not try to seek (look for) happiness itself.

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“Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.”

-George Burns

Burns was one of the most famous comedians and actors in the 20th century, who lived to the age of 100 (he died in 1996). To be caring means to take care of or help someone. A close-knit family is a family where everyone supports each other, where family members are loyal to each other and feel a close connection with each other.

Burns’ funny definition of happiness says that having a wonderful family will make you happy if they live in another city, far away from you.

Do you agree with these statements on happiness? What is your definition of being happy?

~Jeff

Photo credit: Smiley, Wikipedia PD

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44 Responses to What Does It Mean To Be Happy?

  1. Willy says:

    I agree with Thomas Jefferson, Eleanor Roosevelt and Ralph Waldo Emerson at the same time.
    I add that happiness is a very difficult condition to reach because there are a lot of elements that have to be managed in positive way.
    But, also, there are a lot of elements we can’t control that have to converge in.
    Otherwise happiness is a illusion that only babies (or not mature people) can feel.

  2. Aécio Flávio Perim says:

    What is to be happy? Not easy to say. When do you feel happy? Is it for a moment? Is it for a long time? How long does happiness last? These are important questions everybody should answer before thinking about the issue. Some say happiness is a kind of feeling you can find inside yourself and it seems to be a good definition. Aristotle, Thomas Jefferson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Eleanor Roosevelt, George Burns and many others could leave here their definitions on happiness and we just had to put them in our book of definitions and we possibly have them as good as anyone else. You are happy when you have good moments, without pain, without debts, with friends, beside your family. Nobody can be happy alone, how could they be? It is impossible to be happy alone. My happiness is yours too.

  3. emiliano says:

    He Jeff,
    you write about an interesting difficult topic as it is happiness or the fact of being happy.

    What is it?
    May be for every one of us it is different, we are so complicated living creatures that our
    feelings can´t be similar.

    Asking my wife Cuca about this subject, inmediately. after reading your post, she said me
    something absolutely different of my feelings, despite I have some idea of what she was
    going to tell me.

    She told me that she made like a collection inside her mind or heart of happy moments
    she have lived. So, thinking on these collection or remembering them she feel happy
    several times. Her collection is increasing as she is living more years.

    Usually she looks happy, more than me, but I am happy seeing her happy too. Like
    Aecio said her happiness is mine too. The same as the happiness of the friends I love or
    even the happiness of my cat Gatufo.

    Also to me there three of the persons who said something about this our feeling are
    close to my mind.
    Aristotle, T.Jefferson, and E. Roosevelt. (despite she was not in greement with the first) as
    happiness it is like the result of doing other things that have the final result of giving this
    feeling of happiness.

    Who is more happy? The one who gives or the one who received?…Thanks Jeff.

    Writing here again makes me happy once more.

    emililano

    I agree with the first Aristotle, I agree with Jefferson absolutely…(having pain inside or outside our body
    it is impossible to be happy) I know that quite well, and finally

  4. Peter says:

    Yippie, another post finally in ,
    Once again , I m alive with pleasure. Happy enough? :)))

    Well,
    Thanks for all the quotes and the relevant cross-references
    But , Jeff ,my man
    Happiness is an absolute state no subject to some physical or even abstract meaning.
    It is not measurable by physical means.
    You see what I m getting at.
    Too subtle :)))))
    Let me come to it from another angle then, in other words , let me put a different spin to it.
    The general thinking goes that fella iconic figures ,like guys u lined up on the post , have always tried to come up with definitive concepts that perfectly define not only happiness but other abstract rather inner feelings such as sadness , happiness , wrath , hatred and so on. the big question is if they ever bee succeed ?
    I m afraid to say no ! A big fat no!
    Because happiness like other innate feelings are subjective. I mean ,they assume a completely different connotation from one individual to another. People have always defined it from their own experiences and perspective.in simpler words, their renditions of happiness are predicated on what they went through in their lives
    The point I m trying to make here is happiness is not tangible , ergo it not measurable with parameters understandable to human beings.
    Therefor,We can’t sit around discussing happiness objectively and expect to come with some sort of solid concrete answer.
    As I said before happiness is an state of mined, not subject to gradation nor tangible explanation

    Yours
    Pete

  5. emiliano says:

    as always this pc made me a bad result, miss somthing and moves other, sorry.
    emi

  6. Dan says:

    Hi guys!

    Wait…I am looking for my philosopher hat..there it is ..sorry Princess can I have my hat?

    Well, I am still working on it. For the moment I am not able to give a definition of happiness.

    I feel like it is related, linked, connected with simplicity.

    I am saying that ’cause I have noticed that every thing that makes me happy is basic, simple, uncomplicated.

    Here few examples: animals, looking at the new leaves coming out from the branches, helping others when I can…

    I too have this STRONG feeling that “Nothing can bring you to happiness but yourself.”

    In order to achieve that I would say that it is important to have a good flexibility of the mind.

    Saying that I mean not taking a form, position, shape. Kind of “I am conservative” I am gay” “I am this” ” I am That”

    I am nothing and all at the same time, this way I kind of remain free and I feel….maybe not quite happy, but sutisfied.

    Ok, I am done. I working on it to get a better version. This is just a draft.

    Thanks guys! have a nice week

  7. Lassana says:

    Hi Jeff,

    I’m quite agree with Jeffeson, Emerson, Roosevelt and Burns.
    I think their ideas are all complementary. My point of view is that there are not one difinition of ” Happiness “, there are not one idea of Happiness.

    I also think that we can have some injury, or being troubled or in mind here and be HAPPY in our life.

    We can see all days around of us people who are sick and who fight all the time to defeat the disease. they are dignifie, courageous and Happy to live ! I think to cancer patients, AIDS patients, disabled people and many others.

    I really think that Happiness comes if you realy want it !
    but we have also need our family or our friends to share good things of daily life and to be happy together.

    You should have a multitude of centers of interest such as sport, work, trip and anything else.

    You also should be positive and to say to oneself, there is worse than us in the world. It is in expression in french.

    always positive ! it is my point of view which is subjective.

    Thanks Jeff and I wish you Happiness !

  8. Parviz says:

    Hi Jeff,
    All of these statements are worth-thinking when it comes to live a happy life. But the statement told by Emerson is very deep in terms of human potential. The thought we choose can determine our actions, which eventually set up our actions. Our actions determine what results we are going to get. As you can guess, we have freedom to choose our thoughts. therefor only we can bring happiness to ourselves.
    I somewhat agree with Eleanor Roosevelt’s opinion of happiness as to being a result (or a by-product) not a goal. I guess she wanted to tell us that ” No mater you do, Just do it wright”. we are satisfied with the result you get, you might be happy also.

    Earl nightingale said in 1959 that ”success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal”. And Napoleon Hill wrote in his book ” think and grow rich”, ” you are not rich until you are happy, healthy and wealthy.
    Keep in mind all the above-mentioned definitions and statement, with inclination towards Earl nightingale’s, Napoleon Hill’s and Emerson’s definitions, I might say Happiness is the by-product of ”Growth”. If you do what you love doing, no matter how long it takes to get to the end, as long as you enjoy the process and realize your success, you are happy.
    In order to move towards your goal you must be inspired, you must pull on something that come from inside. And happiness, therefore, is a feeling that measure our sense of satisfaction that is judged by the person itself.

    I hope I have made my point.
    Wish you a happy Life,

  9. emiliano says:

    Have you think that our body it is a laboratory?
    That our happines or unhappines depends of some sustances we need in our body? in our blood?
    in our mind?.
    These people you have mentioned Jeff, knew anything about endorphins? that platelets transported endorphins into the brain?
    that a miss of platelets or red blood cells gives our body unhappines, not will to live?. That sometimes happiness or unhappines
    have nothing to do with our with the subtle idea of happiness?. We are what we eat, what we live or the circunstances of our
    life.
    Has anybody asked himself why we are living every day? Why a person kill himself from a day to other?
    Why now in Europe all suicides have increased so much?. What is the reason that explain in North Europe there are much more
    suicides tan in the south?.
    Why now Greek, Italy or Spain have increased in the number of persons who kill themselves.
    Have this crisis something to do with happines or unhappines in these countries of South Europe?
    Human body it is so complicated that no body could explain what happiness is or what is the reason to be unhappy when everything
    seems to be good in a human being life.
    Have something to do climatology, the season of the year, light or shadow with being happy or not?
    The food we eat, being sick or just being without a work with our happiness? The lack of a loving one in our life, a divorce, the dead
    of a friend have something to do with our lack of happines?. Who knows.?.
    What is some how true, at least for me, it is just what Dan said: “happiness. I feel like it is related, linked, connected with simplicity”.
    But not always my dear Dan, it is not so easy but we have more posibilities of being happy with this simplicity that without it.

    Last year it was a time very “unhappy” for me.
    Why?. It has to be with my body, only in relation to my physical health
    as other life circunstances were the same like other years…..So, happines it is a very complicated question Yes I know what is feeling
    happy but I know also just the contrary…being unhappy without an apparent reason for this, being only the lack of endorphins or
    another kind of substances inside the body or the mind.
    A drug we have to swalllow every day could be enough to kill our daily happiness, yes that´s true and I have lot of reasons to know that.

    Let me tell you in other note “what unhappiness is”, this is more easy of explaining.

    emiliano

  10. Dan says:

    Me again,

    Damn! I do wanted to come up with a cool phrase like the one above for describing happiness. I am not able.

    Well, who cares! I am not going to let un-happiness to get me.

    Thanks.

  11. Dan says:

    Me again,

    When it comes to happiness my referent point is Spongebob squarepants. That’s my bible. Looked all the episodes.
    Just look at his face, he’s happy.

    Loved him, his alarm clock, his pet Gary.

    Thanks. I promise I will not write anything else.

  12. victoria says:

    Happiness is from within When we become selfless the crucial reserves of happiness flows from within; be true to yourself and you feel you’re the happiest person in the world

  13. HILARIO says:

    LOOK-AND-FIND.- To be treated without any physical pain and being free of mind trouble seems not too bad as starting point for pursuing happiness at the times of Jefferson. This one could be a part of the group of necessary conditions but there’s another group of sufficient conditions for human beings reaching a reasonable and sustainable level of happiness. Mrs. Eleanor and Mr. Burns are making statements of the second group but in different meanings. The former first lady was probably stating this quote at very hard times in the U.S. as a way of inspiring people to move ahead themselves, go looking for life and seek your dream, as a way of distilling out happiness or finding out happiness as a by product. No doubt, a very intelligent and focused people’s mindset for troubled times. Comedian Burns wants to express a factual true, somewhat uncomfortable, with a sharp sense of humor as it couldn’t be otherwise in a man like him. Family can be part of the solution and part of the problem as well. It can be at the same time necessary and very insufficient at least if someone sometimes does not put a prudent and enough distance between our pursuits and theirs.

  14. Betty says:

    Dear Jeff

    Thanks for taking time to find ‘Happiness’ for us, your happy students, your happy listeners and your happy followers.

    I find a good story when I was looking for something like:
    “In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play.” (Nietzsche)

    I discovered a good story by someone called Lauren Cude who posted a story about himself dressed as batman for Halloween one year.

    May I quote here what he says at the end of his post:

    “I tell this story to point out that you must have fun in life. Smile, laugh and enjoy every day! Never take yourself too seriously. No one else is! Take what you do seriously though. When you take yourself too seriously you are in danger of crossing over from self-confidence to arrogance. There is no room in this world for arrogant people.”

    He further tells us one saying by Dr. Seuss:
    “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”

    I felt very happy I discovered a lot in five minutes.

    I would say ‘Discovery’ means ‘Happiness’, at least for me anyway.

    Thanks again Jeff, thanks every ESLPOD.com citizens, I am happy I discovered you all.

    Betty 🙂

  15. al says:

    Hi everyone,

    Happiness is the by-product of accomplishing your purpose in every aspect of your life.

    Do not pursue happiness, Just do good things and happiness will seek you.

    Special thanks for your hard work Jeff and Lucy

  16. emiliano says:

    I would like to be more optimist, more positive, but frequently happines is not at our hand. I like to read all the point of views of our friends, I like very much to read
    Lassana and Parvitz opinión, they are really clear and optimist and it is really good.

    Of course some happines in our life it is something that depends of our daily aptitude every morning we get up from bed. But sometime that is really difficult or hard
    when as I said above our body or mind doesn´t work properly. Why not? That is the question.
    If happiness could be so easy what are doing the psychology or the psychiqtry doctors?. Why antidepressive drugs are so much prescribed now?. In fact I like to have
    in mind the people that suffers trying to understand them or even help them some how?.

    People being so it is not easy of understand, sometimes seems there is not a reason to be unhappy and they feel even worst because they see so much lack of
    comprenhension around them.

    Living the years I have lived already there is a time to everything. To be happy, to be unhappy, to enjoy, to suffer, to lost our dear friends and to see our dear wife sick
    for life. Without any hope of being healthy.
    Of course, it is necesary to be enough strong daily but some time it is not so easy. Our happiness depends from the happines of the people we love more.

    It is late already and the bed is waiting for me now.
    Tomorrow will be another day to be happy or not, who could knows?. There is so much to say about this subject that we could be all day talking about it.

    My best.

    emiliano

  17. emiliano says:

    I got up at 8 a.m. this morning, my cat is on my lap while I am writing now, he has been sleeping on the bed between us but once I get up he is with me all day.
    The cat is happy being beside me all day, I fell it, sometimes I envy the cat because the only what he needs is wáter, some food, a place to make phisical fuctions
    and be with us, on me usually and sometimes on Cuca´s lap.

    Today, I hope it could be a quite day and yes it depends of us to make it like as another happy time the three together.
    Last year it wasn´t so, I have the same than now but everything inside me and round me was of a different percepción. Why?. That is the mistery of life, the
    mistery of our body and our mind. Yes, we fight every day to have a good time, to get a bit of happiness, but not always it is posible. As I said last night living
    so much years there is time for everything. You could see your parents pass away, your daughters from children growing up to be women, some good friends pass
    away also, and there are too much records that have been your life.
    So having in mind all this it is necessary to look for a daily activity, just what I am doing now, starting the day this way yes it is posible to have a happy living
    despite our mind or body it is getting old.
    We have shelter, food, free time to write or to read, a wife or a husband, sons or daughters that pass from you for months or years but they are good after all,
    and it is enoughf. My cat gives me love and company every morning the same as to Cuca who still is in bed till the person who help us comes to look after her or
    after me.
    So yes, today morning I am happy, why not?. Tomorrow will be another day but today I could say Thanks God for this another day of life.

    Emiliano.

  18. Hulya Dursun says:

    Hi,

    Hapiness is living simple for me and there is a poem which I like very much .
    Poem belongs to a very famous Turkish Poet called Can Yücel
    I tried to translate it for you and hope I didnt ruin it 🙂

    LIVING SIMPLE

    Will live simple

    For instance, as simple as drinking water when you are thirsty
    It will be four, when you multiply two by two

    The device in your hand will have only one button;
    One button like one sentence;
    Like saying “I love you” without beating around the bush.

    A simple kiss will do;
    A Simple warm kiss
    And all your days,all your dreams will be filled with that
    You will do the fight of your life for that kiss,
    You will get the whip of your life for that kiss.

    Pumpkin seeds (note:we eat them for fun) will give you what the numbers cant

    A crooked letter with hand writing will be your most valuable paper;
    That you carry with you all the time,
    That you cant discard .

    Will get dressed in two movements,
    Will get undressed in two movements.
    Wakening and the time between wakening and stepping outside will be short;
    the time between hugging warm arms and set out on a journey will be short.

    Even you will understand what you have written;
    Even your looks will tell itself.

    Expectations will be simple.
    Hapiness will wait in front of Mount Kaf.
    You will find the longest friendship novel in a whistle;
    Or a drop of tear will make you live the cheapest love novel.

    While you close your eyes you will pray for the health of your pancreas.
    You will do the sign of victory while you come out of the toilet.

    It will be a toast with cheese that you are looking for on the table that you dont know where to sit,
    Your most valuable fork will be your your fingers.
    Again, the same fingers will solve the most difficult equations.
    The sword of The Great Alexander will stand next to your lawyer guideline.

    A Philharmonic Orchestra wont be able to give you the hapiness of “fa Dieses” that played correctly on a plywood guitar

    It will be enough to know until the first “A” of Make Up.
    The most expensive parfume of yours will smell cleanliness

    You will be able to say “I dont know” when you dont know and it will be very normal not to know it.
    It wont cause you too much trouble to be able to say “I dont want to”.

    Your watch will show only the time;
    You will use your phone only to call.
    A small notebook will be your computer
    You will live simple, simply.
    As if your life will end one day

    Simple…

  19. emiliano says:

    BRAVO….Hulya Dursun

    Thanks a lot dear friend, please give us more poems of Can Yuce

    It is fantastic, yes I like it very much.
    Being so complicated man I love this simple idea of life. In fact the best.

    My dear Cuca understand life this way and I love her and her simple form of understand
    her, our, living.

  20. Luz Elena says:

    Hi guys! I really like ESL Podcast.

    About this topic, this is a hard one!
    I agree with Betty, specially with this quote: “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”
    In general, all your thoughts are very special, sometimes we don’t have time to think about life, and issues as Happiness, which we take for granted.
    About simples things, that’s great. I really enjoy to walk, watch the sunset, the sky, just look into my honey’s eyes, hold his hands, kiss his eyes.
    “By-product”, I have felt that. While I’m studying, sometimes is really hard, a lot of work, I don’t find the right answer, I have lost exams, but at the end, something keeps you going. In a little space of time, you feel as: I have done what I wanted, I did my best, I always will. I like to study and discover new things.
    To enjoy the little moments. I recall my mom, because she says: take it easy, laugh about yourself 😉 . Sometimes I don’t like that, but if think of that, that is the best way to live.

    Emiliano, I could notice you are having a difficult moment, be optimist, remember and live your love ( the great love you feel for your wife), that’s life, we have to take advantage of every morning. ( of course that’s not easy, we are learning and trying always)
    Thanks Hulya for that amazing poem.

    Have a great weekend. I hope I can learn about your comments, that makes me happy to know and share with people like you guys.

  21. emiliano says:

    Luz Elena,

    your words make me think that what you said it could be true, I am giving the image of a pesimist person.
    It is rignt, never I have been an optimist person by all means.

    Usually people who writes or have something like an air of poets are persons with tormented souls, they
    feel or think too much, even some times they suffers unnecessary because every moment they use to
    go into the problems that have not any solution.

    Luz, thanks a lot, but no, just now I am better than I was last year, so I have very much to say Thanks
    Good, I continue being alive after all.
    So I have new time to be a better person that needs to put his soul in peace. More time to be more comprehensive
    with others, with life and death, accepting the dead of my parents or even some friend.
    Comprehensive with Cuca´s disease that has not cure or with my daughters than don´t call her mother or me
    being a year or more withouth coming home to see us.

    Last year, yes, I was going through difficult moments but not now. I am really better and some how optimist
    after all the pass, Thanks my Good.

    There are millions that are going through really difficult momments now, but not me today.

    Thanks a lot dear Luz, I thanks your words very much and I would try to write in a mood more optimist
    for all of you, possibly it is necessary nowdays.

    Last month I wrote a note about what Depression is for the persons who pass through this situation, like
    me twice in my life, I thought it could be of some help for them just the idea, the security that going out
    from the deep hole it is possible, that cure it is possible despite it seems the contrary, but I don´t dare to put
    the note here yet. I think it is too hard despite I only could write about my experience in English, impossible to
    write about this personal experience in my own language.

    As you may see now, I am really happy of living again, writing, having illusions and so on.
    Ja, ja, illusions……let us se what the dictionary says about this Word:
    (1. something that deceives by producing a false or misleading impression of reality).
    ( 2. Psychology . a perception, as of visual stimuli (optical illusion) that represents what is perceived
    in a way different from the way it is in reality).

    Well despite the dictionary definition of illusions, yes again I have them.
    Reality or Illusions…..that´s the difference between being pesimist or optimist…..interesting subject.

    All my best dear, and thanks a lot.

    emiliano

  22. Nermin Eminova says:

    Hello,MY DEAR TEACHER.
    Hello,EslPod listeners.
    Hello,Emiliano.This poem is for you.It is a translation but I hope you’ll enjoy.It is one of my favourite poems.
    CAN YÜCEL
    ===============================
    Don’t become attached

    You don’t attach to one thing blindly
    You don’t say ‘I cant live without her’
    Don’t say it
    Because you can.
    It is not necessary to use such cliched words
    Don’t love too much for example. If she loves you less, your heart will break
    And usually, she loves you less than you love her anyway
    If you don’t love too much, you won’t get hurt a great deal
    If you don’t possess much, you won’t be possessed either..
    You don’t possess the building you work in, the table, the telephone, your cards
    Don’t even own your hands and your legs
    You behave as if they are not yours.
    Then if you don’t have anything, you won’t be afraid of losing.
    You act as if you could live without them
    For example, don’t have much furniture in your home
    So you could walk clumsily around.
    If you insist on having something
    You will have the places where rooftops join the skies
    You have the sky
    Or the sun, the moon or even the stars
    For example the northern star, it will be yours
    You should say ‘It is mine’
    If you insist on possessing something
    Rainbows will be yours for example
    If you want to belong to something, belong to the colours
    For example to orange or to pink
    Or you will belong to paradise
    You have to live not possessing much
    And not belonging to a great deal
    You will live as if life will slip from your palms at anytime
    And at the same time, it is yours forever.
    You will live attached to life
    By its edge

  23. Nermin Eminova says:

    Now about happiness.I like VERY MUCH TONY ROBBINS article:
    THE ONE AND ONLY THING YOU NEED TO BE HAPPY.
    I want to share one part of this article with you.
    “The Answer

    And therein lies the answer. If you aren’t growing, you are dying.
    It turns out that happiness that is true and lasting is quite simply this: progress.
    Progress = Happiness! If you are growing, and giving, you will be happy.
    If you are moving forward in your life, if you are progressing personally,
    professionally, emotionally, spiritually—you will be happy. It is only in stagnation that we wilt like a flower.”

  24. emiliano says:

    I am still completely excited about the poem and I can only say thank you thank you, dear
    Ermin Eminova for translating it.

    It is great, I love it.

    I´ll copy two both to read them as much as I would like.
    Thanks CAN YUCEL, what a pity, it could be posible to search for his poems translated
    to English or Spanish.
    Yes I am going to investigate. Thanks again dear Hulya and Nermn, it is a Honor for you, for
    us to have this poet and have done the work of translated HIM for our friends here in ESL Blog.

    emiliano

  25. emiliano says:

    Yes, searching through the web I have read about this your poet, a wise normal man
    who also translate to Turkish at Shakespeare, Garcia Lorca and Brecht and works as
    a translator of other writers and also in the Turkish language section of the BBC.

    He was born in Istambul on 1926 and was a noted for his use of colloquial language.
    Being so he touch me more.
    By the way, Istambul was a city that I visited with my dear wife on 1992 and I liked
    it absolutely. We had such a good time in Turkey that I can forget anything about
    Turkey, Capadocia, Istambul, and those time of traveling together.
    Thanks a lot dear Turkish blogers.

    Now I have some of his poems in English, but not in Spainish.
    They are also in Russian and German…what happens with this Spanish
    culture that not translate a poet like Can Yucel, are we idiots?´
    He translate Lorca and we did not translate him?

    Well, I think we are like idiots.

    emiliano

  26. emiliano says:

    I have retweeted the page where the poems translations are, the same in Facebook.

    Thanks.

  27. emiliano says:

    Dear Nermin and Hulya, your work is in gatufó blog now, also the mention to this
    so great Turkish Poet.

    Sorry, I have taken the liberty of mention your work here in this ESL Blog the
    best to learn English.

    I hope you don´t mind if I have done it, but always I like to share what I do think
    it is good.

    my best and thank you, please forgive me.
    emiliano

  28. Jesus P says:

    Hello Jeff,

    I really like the quotation of Ralph Waldo Emerson, the only person that can make you feel happy or unhappy is you, and only you!
    For me this means that no matter what happen in our lives, or what circumstances we’re living in, or what the challenges are, we have the capacity to choose to be happy, we have the capacity and the ability to face with an optimistic action and a positive state of mind everything. As Dr. Wayne Dyer says “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change”.

    Best regards,

    Jesus P.

  29. Tania says:

    Hi! Attractive topic with the most amazing answers!

    Happiness has your face when you love me even if it could sometimes be sweet – bitter.

  30. Tania says:

    Hi! I like all your ideas regarding the happiness.

    – “Just do good things and happiness will seek you.” – Al

    – “A simple kiss will do;
    A simple warm kiss
    And all your days, all your dreams will be filled with that
    You will do the fight of your life for that kiss.” – Living Simple, Hulya

    – “In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play.” – Betty

    – “Look and find” and “”family can be part of the solution.” – Hilario

    – “The crucial reserves of happiness flows from within.” – Victoria

    – “Every thing that makes me happy is basic , simple: animals, looking at the new leaves coming from the branches…” – Dan

    – “Nobody can be happy alone, how could they be? It is impossible to be happy alone!” – Aecio Flavio Perim

    – “You are not rich until you are happy, healthy and wealthy.” – Parviz

    – “There is worse than us in the world.” – Lassana

    – “Happiness is a state of mind.” – Peter

    – “Happiness is an illusion that only babies can feel.” – Willy

    – “For example the northern star, it will be yours
    You should say ‘It is mine’ ” – Nermin Eminova

  31. Tania says:

    Hi! And the last but not the least:

    – “It is necessary to be strong enough daily but sometimes it is not so easy.
    Our happiness depends on the happiness of the people we love more.” – Emiliano

    – “I have done what I wanted, I did my best. I like to study and discover new things.” – Luz Elena

  32. Nermin Eminova says:

    I am from Azerbaijan,actually but we ( Turkey and Azerbaijan ) are one nation,two countries.
    Our languages are so similar that we can understand almost everything.
    That’s why we know each other’s poets and writers.I wish you had read it in Turkish
    besause the original version is so impressive and perfect.I am glad that you like it.
    By the way I haven’t translated it (even though I am a sophomore at the Azerbaijan University
    of Languages,English Translation Faculty),I found it on the internet and decided to share with you.
    So thanks to HULYA DURSUN.

  33. Tania says:

    Hi! I have found some proverbs on this topic:

    “Content is happiness.”

    “Content is more than a kingdom.”

    “He may well be contented who needs neither borrow nor flatter.” I like this saying very much.

  34. Tania says:

    Hi! I have found and this saying . But I don’t know…is it a joke?

    “An Englishman is never happy but when he is miserable, a Scotchman never at home but when he is abroad ,
    and an Irishman never at peace but when he is fighting.”

  35. Tania says:

    Hi!

    I wish happiness and content to all our dear ESLPOD team and to all our dear blog friends!

    Love,

    Tania

  36. Betty says:

    Happiness is here!

    Thank you so much Tania, you are truly kind to us all. You are very quiet at times. But when you speak, I always ‘listen’ carefully.

    Although I have never seen you personally, I can feel you having a very sweet face because every word you say fills with love.

    Thanks again.

    Happiness is here!

  37. emiliano says:

    Thanks Nermin Eminova, I am always asking Cuca where all these
    new countries that were joined to the old URSS are.
    When I was studying Geography all was quite different than
    now.
    Countries in Asia or Europe were less, more easy of knowing which
    they were and you may situated them in the Globe easily.

    She has told me just now that the capital of your country is
    Bakú.
    To me feelings are the same everywhere which eve language we talk
    persons are similar, like you, like me, like my dear.
    My daughter Laura is now living in Denmark, just incredible to me
    some years before when she was a child.

    My best dear and thank you very much.

    emiliano

  38. Ricardo Carvalho says:

    Happiness can be defined like a ability to be satisfied with what you reached or you have.

  39. Ricardo Carvalho says:

    I long for a publication .

  40. Thomas Wu says:

    I agree happiness is a by-product. It grows from love, kindness or care of others. When a person pays money for a taxi to take an elderly and difficult walking

    Person home. He takes this action growing from his love or care of the elderly, but it brings happiness for this person.

  41. Nermin Eminova says:

    I agree with Betty.
    Thank you,Tania.

  42. emiliano says:

    Yes, dear Tania,

    I agree with Betty too. It´s absolutely kind of you to mention all
    we say here. Nice, nice, nice from you dear.

    Such a value to have your kind words in this Blog.

    Thank you very much my dear friend.

    emiliano

  43. Hulya Dursun says:

    Dear Emiliano and Nermin,
    Thanks for your nice words for myself and our very much beloved poet Can Yucel, pitty that I couldnt also find the translation of his well known poems and had to translate it with hesitation.
    I am so glad that I introduced Can Yucel to one more person who is very warm and friendly and appreciate good work 🙂
    Be happy!

  44. emiliano says:

    He dear Hulya, there is a site in the web where some of the poems of Can Yucel are translated to English, German and Russian.
    Not to Spanish, I don´t know why but I could imagine that this country, my country, is going down respect what culture respresents
    to our people.
    It seems that knowing something about literatura, music or art represents nothig. It is more interesting to know the football players
    of R.Madrid – Barcelona, or another club, what a shame.

    Some times it seems that we, Spanish or South American people are out fo the culture world, it is just something I know for long.
    When I bough a CD of clasic music, or Opera, the information came in four or five languages but never in Spanish. Evidently it
    wasn´t of interest to translate this information and there were few spanish people who buy these kind of music or art.
    Years, and years seeing it, but at least I could read the information thanks to English, may be there is a reason more to love
    this language.

    But the important subject it is that every one who read English could read some of the poems of your beloved Can Yucel.
    I have read in Wikipedia the life of him and what his poems represent for the culture of your, our, world.

    Thanks, Hulya you are really kind.

    emiliano

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