The reason a lot of people stay stressed is that they are afraid that happiness does not last. The fear of happiness is common. It is called cherophobia.
Cherophobia is a condition in which a person possesses an irrational aversion to be happy and is afraid to participate in happiness-creating activities. Medical experts classify it as an anxiety disorder, though there is little research or theoretical explanation.
Human minds are survival-driven, which is why they fear happiness. The mind thinks that it is better to be on guard, to keep fixing, and to be stressed. It won’t let us be light.
If you experience extreme happiness in any situation in life, the mind reminds you that it can’t be this way all the time. It’s the hardest part and we want to work on it.
Is it possible to work with your mind? Yes of course.
Joy is available, and we want to experience it. So deal with the mind a bit more skilfully.
Whenever a happy moment occurs, we are not even aware of the fear that is automatically evoked in our minds.
Just recognise that it is in the nature of the mind to create fear of happiness. Recognising this is dissatisfaction across the board, not just in my mind but in everyone’s mind as well. As it goes back to painful situations, it keeps revising and thinking about them. When happiness comes to life it gets scary.
The irony is that all the while we are trying to be happy.
It is always our goal to be happy and we strive to do our best to achieve that goal. But we are actually terrified of true happiness. Whenever we achieve something that makes us really happy, our unconscious mind triggers a thought that we may lose it again.
What makes us happy? Do you have a clear answer to that?
We are conditioned to look for happiness outside ourselves such as getting a good job, a life partner, a big house, money and so on. We believe that all those outside things bring ultimate happiness to our inner selves. And our search for happiness outside the world never ends.
Rather than fighting with this fear of happiness, we should just accept it. Identify the thought within you, understand the situation, and feel the feelings behind it.
This is what we come up against. These are the biggest obstacles to our practice. This is exactly what is going to happen to all of us.
This depends on the personality of the individual and the cultural factors surrounding him. Like any other emotion, the value of happiness is different across cultures. The individualistic and collectivistic nature of society has a significant impact on experiencing happiness. In an individualistic society, more emphasis is given to individual rights and personal preferences whereas, in a collectivistic society, the aspirations of the group are important.
Studies have found that fear of happiness reduces life satisfaction, self-esteem, and resilience, as well as various aspects of mental well-being. It is a less discussed and commonly seen condition. Seek help from a mental health professional if this fear of happiness interferes with your personal and professional life.
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