Do you think theres more depression or happiness in the world?

[NextLineIsMine]

If you were to take the cumulative emotions of everyone on this planet would you say this a happy or a sad world in grand generality. If one were to sum up the suffering of many but also take into account the people happy with their simple lives and those miserable in their extravagent ones. Which and why amigo?:):(

[midlifecrisis]

I would say happy, the pharmaceutical companies have not convinced everyone that they are depressed yet..........:jointsmile:




Warning: reading this response may cause drowsiness, diarrhea, light-headiness, upset stomach, muscle ache, fever, gray hair, heart disease and many other side effects. If you experience any of these, do not re-read this post, immediately call your doctor...we have a pill to fix whatever side effect your experiencing.

[justanotherbozo]

i have to say selfish is the cornerstone of the world today, everybody looking to f**k everybody else before getting f**ked by everybody else. i don't know if that makes the world a more depressed place but it definately only creates the illusion of happiness for the f**kers, while robbing the illusion of happiness from the f**kees. just this one old f**k's opinion. lol

hope i didn't offend anyone using the star word so much, LOL

anyway,
bozo,
peace, love, dope

[stinkyattic]

From where I sit in my little depressed New England mill town, I see both. I see the hopelessness of the poor souls standing outside Labor REady every morning, waiting in line to bust ass for $45 a day. On the other side of the street, though, I see workers putting fresh paint on storefronts that were until recently boarded up with cracked and delaminating plywood, exposed to many seasons of neglect. There's an air of hope and springtime around here. We never had that strange housing price inflation, and it has meant opportunity for young homeowners and aspiring businesspeople. There is often laughter and conversation of friends meeting unexpectedly on the street, walking with their dogs and children. They seem happy- for the moment, at the very least.
The world is a cruel and harsh place though- the view from within our little fish-bowl doesn't tell the whole tale.
I don't know. All I know is that as long as we have hope that tomorrow will be better, we keep trudging on.

[Dream of the iris]

I think overall most of the World is un happy. I mean American's and other developed countries are for the most part, either happy or content. What many of us didn't consider so far on this topic is the fact that most countries in the World are developing. There's a lot of people out in the World who have to face famine, diseases, low standard of living, and violence. Not only that but even in a lot of developed countries there is little freedom and many are ruled by dictators so I would imagine they are unhappy as well. Even in Places like Canada or America there's a lot of unahppy people. I mean no matter where you go life is still tough. People have to consistantly give up their money, and do things they don't want to do. America is very developed but we still have our fair share of problems like poverty and crime. It's just not as bad as the developing countries so when you take all of the aspects stated above I would say it heavily outnumbers happiness.

[Coelho]

I have no idea. I know only a few people from a few cities from only one country (mine)... so how can i dare to say that the sum of the feelings of everybody in this overcrowded world is happy or sad?
Each one is unique, so you may find two people living the same live, one being happy with it and other being sad with it. Add to it the difference of life conditions, of cultures, of values, etc, and the final result is unpredictable.
So i think the answer people gives to this question reflects much more their own feelings than the worlds feelings. Cause everything we see is coloured by ourselves with the colors of our own choice...

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

I guess it depends where you draw the line between "depressed" and "happy". I'd say that most people live in a f**ked up society that, in and of itself, is an unhealthy condition for the human mind. This takes many forms, but perhaps the most prevailent is our ingrained sense that when you feel bad, bored, or just not happy enough; buy, buy, BUY!

[NextLineIsMine]

To dream of the iris's reponse: I think people can be happy with very very little too. Im sure theres no end of dirt poor villages out there full of people who are happy to live in a tight community and have their family, but yes especially as of recent I think problems like famine and violence are starting to touch even the smallest communities in Africa at least

[4twentE]

Hmm, I think in general people could say as many good things as bad, but choose to express the bad, which seems to make them happy so I'm not sure.

[rebgirl420]

I say there is probabaly a pretty even balance.

But maybe slightly more depression. Because people are constantly bummed out about what they don't have then what they actually do.

[TurnyBright]

Without one, there cannot be the other. There is no "baseline" emotion, happiness and sadness are just relative to one another.

Does the absence of happiness equal sadness? Not in my opinion. Can there be depression within joy within fear within contentment? Absolutely. Emotions, I feel, cannot be measured (or even estimated) in the way you are asking about.