Sigmund Freud, the renowned Austrian neurologist and father of psychoanalysis, had various theories and ideas about human behavior and happiness. While he is not typically associated with providing a list of specific “truths about life that will bring you happiness,” his work does touch on several concepts that could be interpreted as insights into human happiness. Here are three general principles that can be extracted from Freud’s work:
Life hits everyone without distinction!
“Life is a series of problems, followed by moments of calmness and relaxation. ” – said Freud. “Difficult moments are part of the world we live in. Would we know what good weather is without terrible weather? Without meanness, would we know what honesty is? Everything in the world is double and has a pair: joy and sorrow, life and death, victories and defeats. Our lives are filled with this, and for every blow, a person has his own answer – we should not be afraid of troubles, regardless of what they are. He made all the changes.”
Not every life has a precise meaning, but everyone can find it!
When Freud was asked what the meaning of life is, he said: “In nothing and in everything.” The term meaning of life does not exist and should not lead people to despair, as it usually does. Every person is free to give meaning to his life, from studying the stars to enjoying himself. Few people realize that the strength of a person lies in the fact that he can tear himself away from his animal sense of existence (survive) and give meaning to what he loves.”
No one can bring you happiness except yourself!
“Do you know why people are disappointed in other people? They give them power over their lives. “This is the love of my life, I will be happy!” – they say at seventeen. “You stole my best years and ruined my life!” – they say a little later. This is because we are used to giving others power over our lives. “I spent my whole life on my children, but they left and don’t visit me”, “Friends have turned away!” – we say. For some reason, we think that someone will help us live a happier life and we are surely disappointed.”
“We don’t long for the truth about our lives, we want the illusion that someone or something can improve it: time, people, politicians – whatever, but not us! We are demanding and how angry we are at others, but never at ourselves. It’s time for people to realize that it’s time to stop putting their mood and life in the hands of those who can’t handle themselves. We are not halves, we are integral wholes by nature! If you feel like “half” – this is just a sign that you have to make yourself a whole person.” – said Freud
“The size of your identity is determined by the size of the problem that is able to throw you off track.” This is what the famous psychiatrist and founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, said, and if we were to summarize his guidelines for a happy life, we could single out 3 harsh truths that may not be easy to adopt but can make life significantly easier for every person.