Is happiness a skill? Does one learn to be happy or is just born with it?

I think most of us actually do learn to be happier as we live--accepting over time that there is imperfection in life and that happiness, if it is to exist, must coexist with that reality. That is not to say that disposition isn't important, though--some people seem to be 'sunny' by nature, others not so much. But I think we all do learn--or at least *can* learn, since it must be acknowledged that people do sometimes despair and succumb to emotional numbness, addiction or even suicide--to be happier despite the challenges life throws at us.

I think that people fall into two categories uppers and downers. I consider myself an upper(or optimist) and try to avoid downers. And I think that your disposition is something that you are born with.

I was smiling as a child and still smile (I heard it's easier on your face muscles).

Happiness is definitely a skill. Happiness is an emotion and we all have control of our own emotions (even though it doesn't always seem like we do). In fact, I have written a hub about what influences our emotions.

Check it out: hubpages.com/hub/Notes-Get-the-Edge-by-TonyThere" rel="nofollow">hubpages.com/hub/Notes-Get-the-Edge-by-T... are also other factors that can affect our emotions, which I will put up in my later hubs. Here's a sneak peak though:Our "rules" on how life should be - when do I allow myself to feel happy? Or what makes you feel happy?

Everyone has their own unique rules about how life should be. Perhaps this person, who seemingly has everything, has rules that are too stringent to feel happy. For example, in order to feel happy, I need to earn $5 million/yr, but this year, I only earned $4 million.

Or maybe happiness is not linked to anything that person already has. For example, a person may link happiness to just lying on the beach one day out of the week. But this person is so successful in business/family life/health that he has no time for himself.

There are many more reasons for why we have certain emotions and how to get out of them. In fact, if you become a follower of my hubs, you will be able to read a hub about "How to get rid of negative emotions" in the next 3 days. Again, check out what influence our emotions: hubpages.com/hub/Notes-Get-the-Edge-by-Tony.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.