Imitation Happiness

I've never understood the need to act like things are perfect.  Honestly, it's self-defeating, because while you're so busy concentrated on the act you're losing precious time you could be spending actually make your life a great thing.  I've watched it happen to enough people now, but I am still just as baffled by the behavior as I was five years ago.  I could psychoanalys the hell out of the individuals, and I'm good at doing so, but it would serve no purpose other than to slate my own curiosity.  Just because I can make an educated guess about control issues and daddy issues.... doesn't mean I think that that explains away the current state of things.  An adult should be able to do that to themselves, and in recognizing the real issues, begin to work against them.

I mean, happiness can't be faked, it's like eating a sugar free chocolate bar; you think it'll be just fine, but the whole time you're wishing it were just a real chocolate bar.  It's a temporary fix, it doesn't get rid of the craving, and it's likely to make you sick in the long run.  So I don't get it.  I myself had a weird childhood & adolescence, but I haven't let the issues that sprung from it rule my life.  In fact, I've managed to work through most of those issues and am ridiculously normal is some ways.  I have so much to be thankful for, so many wonderful people in my life, people that I genuinely like to be around.  I take pride in the fact that I spend time only with people I enjoy spending time with (aside from maybe those once or twice a year awkward family events we all have to go through where someone or another is causing drama).

I'll bet there is a study somewhere about the long term effects of that type of behavior... the stress probably adds to a shortened life-span, lack of true happiness itself does, so it would follow that pretend happiness does as well.  Unless there's something to be said for "tricking" your brain into thinking you're happy.  Hm, that would actually make a really interesting topic for a psyche paper.  Too bad I've tapped out those classes at school.

Anyway, I digress.  Happiness can't be faked, it can't be borrowed, it can't be stolen.  It's a one of a kind item that can only be created within the person wanting it.  Everything else is imitation.