Makes sense to me. I don't know what you mean by a "Biblical test," but it does pass a psychological one.

True and lasting happiness only comes from knowing Christ.

A bit off topic:

This reminded me of Dr. Janov in The Primal Scream ---something along the lines of ---all wars and such individually or between nations were because of unfulfilled desires.    (I think it was in the context of when we were little ----needs not being met, as I recall...)

Separation from the Truth ----the Truth of God's existence and what and who He is - and our connection with our Creator, bla bla bla -----separation from all that Truth encompasses would be my take - just off the top of my head.

Yes, more exploration on desires and being incompatible would be fun to read  about.

Hmmm..If one desires an ice cream cone - and that person is in an African village ---they could be unhappy. (Possibly) 
If they live next to a store in the USA - that would be a "compatible desire". Is that what is meant?

So we must believe in the ability for the desire to be fulfilled.

Wish for what is within reach? 

If I desire to win the lottery - am I unhappy when I haven't in 6 months - or am I happily in expectation and trust ---hmmm ---we still are in control of our happiness whether our desire is seemingly achievable or not ----if we know it will be given ----at the right time -maybe not "right now".

Thus, if we follow Biblical teachings -believe and receive - all our desires are achievable - with trust and patience.   So, happiness is in the waiting and in the attaining.

My take and have to run. Parodoxes abound.

Thanks,
Elaine :)

 

The source of all unhappiness is man's sin and disobedience to God's commandments.

Thank you Elaine.  Wanting what one cannot have is a part of it, but it's more than that.

Say one wants to be popular - well-liked - someone that people like to be around.  That's a normal desire.

But what if that person also desires privacy.  That's also a normal desire.

Now, while these two things won't always conflict, they often will.  And that, at least in this theory, is how unhappiness arises - when we want two different things that we can't have at the same time.

It seems to me true happiness can only come when one decides with the Lord's help to be happy in all situations.  Look at Paul, happy in chains for Jesus.  This shows me it's our decision, not someone elses. I also enjoyed reading about the paradoxes that Elaine wrote.  It shows us how the same situation can effect different responses according to how we choose.

Hmm. I think I do agree with the above statement   - but I would add 'the ultimate' in there. Because all unhappiness ultimatly comes because of sin. Other peoples as well as our own. For example if in the above example, the person is running down their parents and disrespecting them, it's quite likely that their kids will do the same to them in the long term. It will also impact their views on authority, loyalty, family, relationship and honour over time.  It will impact their character. Will this make them 'unhappy' in the short term. Probably not. But the more we compromise love, and the principles that stem from it - the more we compromise our ability to give and receive love. That affects our happiness.

So in the short term our character choices affect us everyday - yet someone could still be incredibly selfish, do drugs, sleep around, the whole gamut and have the time of their lives before the consequences of their actions begin to come back on them - and then die in a car accident. On the surface it looks like they got away with it. The babies that got aborted or ended up fatherless, the STD's someone else might have to live with (and perhaps birth defects in a child because of it) the relationship strain in other marriages from past partners. The stuff stolen to pay for his drug habit, the younger brother or cousin he encouraged by example to follow a simlilar lifestyle, etc didn't get away with it.

Yet all his sin has caused unhappiness. Perhaps not in himself, because he was too selfish - but the ripple affects impacted many lives. That's a good overall picture of sin. If there was no sin in the world then there would be no unhappiness. So I think as an absolute, the first statement is true. But it's only through 'the ultimate' picture that we see that.

However then said person faces Gods judgment. And the bible says we reap what we sow. So it all works out overall.