Every Happy Man Is Unhappy in His Own Way

Every Happy Man Is Unhappy in His Own Way

We live in an age where people are happy, but at the same time, they create their own unhappiness by comparing, competing, and overthinking. Most of it is unreasonable—and quite funny if you observe carefully. Psychologists call it the 80/20 rule of unhappiness: 80% of our misery comes from 20% of wrong inferences.

Some trending, real-life instances:

A man is happy with his 5-year-old scooter until his neighbour buys a new one after scrapping his rusted, almost-dead scooter. Suddenly, the old-but-good scooter feels “outdated.”

A boy proudly buys the latest iPhone. But within 2 months, Apple announces the next model. Happiness gone—phone is still new, but ego feels “old.”

A woman is happy with her life until she reads a WhatsApp forward about “drinking hot water prevents 99 diseases.” Now she panics daily if her water is even slightly cold.

One family enjoys a trip to Goa. But when their cousin uploads Switzerland photos on Instagram, suddenly Goa feels “cheap.

A man is happy lifting 10 kg dumbbells until the guy next to him casually picks up 25 kg. Same muscles, less confidence.

A couple is happy booking a decent hall for their daughter’s wedding—until relatives whisper that another family booked a 5-star hotel. Celebration turns into silent shame.

An employee is happy with his bonus, but then he sees his school friend post about getting a bigger bonus abroad. His joy converts instantly into “What am I doing with my life?”

A lady is thrilled she got 20% off during a sale. The next day she sees her friend bought the same thing at 50% off. Discount joy replaced by discount jealousy.

A man loves his new sedan until his colleague arrives in an SUV. He still drives comfortably, but his mind drives him crazy.

A girl is happy when her photo gets 300 likes. Then she checks her friend’s post—800 likes. Her smile vanishes, though nothing in her real life has changed.

A family is happy on the 5th floor of their building. When their neighbour buys a flat on the 10th floor with a “better view,” suddenly their balcony feels ordinary.

Parents are happy with their child’s 90% marks—until they hear another child got 95%. The joy of learning disappears in the race of numbers.

A man is happy watching his favourite series. But when colleagues discuss a new trending show, he feels left out and unhappy that he’s “behind.”

A person happily eats biryani every Sunday. Then he meets a friend who talks about “keto diet.” Suddenly, biryani feels like poison.

A family is happy with their Diwali lights until the neighbour puts up a brighter, more colourful setup. Suddenly, their home looks “dull” in their own eyes.

These examples show the irony of modern life: happiness is often stolen not by real problems, but by unnecessary comparisons, social media illusions, and silly one-upmanship.

We are happy with what we have—until we look at what others have.