What is Happiness, Really?

People ask big questions.

What is happiness?
What’s the point of life?
How do I know if I’m doing well?

Let’s keep it simple.

Humans are nature’s little survival machines. Like all living things, we run on feedback. We do something — we get a signal. That signal tells us if it’s working.

Happiness is just the green light.
Unhappiness is the warning signal.

That’s it.

When you’re learning, building, connecting, surviving well — your system tells you: “Good job. Keep going.”

When things aren’t working — you feel bad. That’s the system saying: “Change something.”

We tell stories about happiness — love, success, peace, meaning. And that’s fine. Story-making is one of our survival tools too.

But underneath the stories, it’s all signals. Feedback. A system trying to adapt to life.

So if you’re happy — enjoy it. That’s your system running well.

If you’re unhappy — listen to it. Adjust. Try something else.

Simple doesn’t mean easy. But the model is clear.

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