[Qadosh]

Is it more difficult for ISTJs to find happiness than most other types? Does anyone have any sort of knowledge or links concerning this? Is there something specifically that ISTJs supposedly "need" to be happy?



I'm not sure if the above questions are relevant but they're the kind of questions I find difficult to find the answers to with google.

[Sela]

Is it more difficult for ISTJs to find happiness than most other types?

Maybe because we aren't content with what passes for "living" among the sheeple and want a deeper connection/understanding of things ???

[Out0fAmmo]

I'd have to find a link, but I remember reading articles about how the smarter you are, the harder it is to find happiness

[Mindgamess]

I feel like I can achieve happiness just fine.

What I would define as happiness in my life is completing or making progress on my big goals which are:

1) Find someone to marry that I love
2) Finish College
3) Have a career that I love / enjoy
4) Start a family

As long as I feel that I am making progress towards those goals I generally feel happy. Right now I feel a little bit lame not having a SO in my life now, since that's one of my top priorities in my life. I crave having a person to tackle life with and someone who is my better half :) So to fill the void I'm being extra social...lol

[Arinn]

I think that it's NTR (Not type related). When i think about happiness, it doesn't involve emotion. I'd think it's more like "contentment" that fits the definition of happiness. It should be more like "an accumulation" of something, or whatever that's happened in your life- i don't have the words to put it in exact definition right now-.

This "happiness" mumbo jumb relates a lot to movies/books. Like say for example when someone is about to die, your whole life is supposed to fly past you at that second. In this one movie i remember that this person(ISTJ) was about to go into a car accident. He had a flashback where he would be sitting on the couch with his wife like any other sunny day in his house, and he would just be sitting with her doing nothing. But he was content, so that just shows that this whole image that he had was the definition of his whole life.

If I were to walk outside and I were to get shot, i would say to myself. "I don't have a wife nor did i make a proper living, my parents were..just there, I argued with my siblings a lot, my friends would fail me, everyone would expect something from me....and my parents would grieve over my death..but I was happy, I've always been happy". I'm religious so i don't have to worry about such things, i know in the end that it'll all work out. It's just the hope that i have that allows me to be a little more carefree-

-But just the thought of "pursuing happiness" sounds so counterproductive, it just comes if you don't constantly think about it.

[Qadosh]

-But just the thought of "pursuing happiness" sounds so counterproductive, it just comes if you don't constantly think about it.

I disagree. It seems that NFs get happy "just 'cause".

[Arinn]

I disagree. It seems that NFs get happy "just 'cause".

Well do you mean happy in (laughing, giggly, joyful) or like contentment?

[Qadosh]

Well do you mean happy in (laughing, giggly, joyful) or like contentment?

Both. ten characters

[bengalcat]

Mmmm. I think you can "pursue happiness" in the sense that you can create or work towards creating conditions for yourself that increase the number of moments of happiness or your day to day level of contentment.

What you were describing in both the case of car accident man and you is people having a positive, accepting outlook. Optimism is an important part of feeling content. But yeah... optimism is something you can choose to work on, which I would think is behaviour in the pursuit of happiness. Some people are fortunate enough to be naturally optimistic, but it's not a natural state for everyone.

I sort of agree with you Arinn but not completely. I think that for most people there are both internal and external conditions that they can work on or change to come to feel more content. Of course our powers and control are limited, so that's where having some reservoir of hope/faith/optimism helps. I also think that acceptance of and gratitude for what one does have is a state that most people arrive at through learning and life experience. So I see being open to learning as a way of pursuing happiness.

Hmmm. I think where I agree with you is that contentment and happiness can be really simple. Where I don't agree is that it's something that everyone can easily switch on and tap into at any given moment, because "letting go" is actually a hard thing to do.

I don't know of any findings relating to ISTJs' happiness, sorry Qadosh. My personal thoughts are that any type will find deeper happiness, or somehow a more fulfilling, satisfying experience in life, when they confront and work on the things they find difficult or incomprehensible. For example INFJy things - confidence and faith in my abilities, and learning how to ease expectations and judgements of both myself and other people - learning how to do these things and become more comfortable in a mode that I haven't been used to. I personally think a lot of happiness comes from facing challenges because it gives you a real sense of agency and once you're out the other side you see how much broader, more interesting and more accepting life is. For ISTJs I think some of their particular challenges are learning how to relax and judge when stringent standards are important and when they really aren't needed; learning to appreciate and enjoy differences rather than see them as being wrong or disturbing simply because one doesn't understand or relate; and learning how to share feelings in close/friendship relationships and to not be afraid of, nor to judge, their emotions.

[Arinn]

Mmmm. I think you can "pursue happiness" in the sense that you can create or work towards creating conditions for yourself that increase the number of moments of happiness or your day to day level of contentment.

What you were describing in both the case of car accident man and you is people having a positive, accepting outlook. Optimism is an important part of feeling content. But yeah... optimism is something you can choose to work on, which I would think is behaviour in the pursuit of happiness. Some people are fortunate enough to be naturally optimistic, but it's not a natural state for everyone.

I sort of agree with you Arinn but not completely. I think that for most people there are both internal and external conditions that they can work on or change to come to feel more content. Of course our powers and control are limited, so that's where having some reservoir of hope/faith/optimism helps. I also think that acceptance of and gratitude for what one does have is a state that most people arrive at through learning and life experience. So I see being open to learning as a way of pursuing happiness.

Hmmm. I think where I agree with you is that contentment and happiness can be really simple. Where I don't agree is that it's something that everyone can easily switch on and tap into at any given moment, because "letting go" is actually a hard thing to do.

I don't know of any findings relating to ISTJs' happiness, sorry Qadosh. My personal thoughts are that any type will find deeper happiness, or somehow a more fulfilling, satisfying experience in life, when they confront and work on the things they find difficult or incomprehensible. For example INFJy things - confidence and faith in my abilities, and learning how to ease expectations and judgements of both myself and other people - learning how to do these things and become more comfortable in a mode that I haven't been used to. I personally think a lot of happiness comes from facing challenges because it gives you a real sense of agency and once you're out the other side you see how much broader, more interesting and more accepting life is. For ISTJs I think some of their particular challenges are learning how to relax and judge when stringent standards are important and when they really aren't needed, learning to appreciate and enjoy differences rather than see them as being wrong or disturbing simply because one doesn't understand or relate, and learning how to share feelings in close/friendship relationships and to not be afraid of, nor to judge, their emotions.

However i have never said anything like this, when i say "it just comes if you constantly think about it, it'll just come", I was thinking a more long term approach. Looking back a few years, tbh i wasn't the most content person. Life actually sucked, it was through time and through my faith (in religion & w/e) that lead me to where i am now. I say this because I wonder if everyone is seeking for "temporary happiness" if you know what i mean. But people probably don't so I'll leave it as that.