Are we at our happiest as children?

Richard Wells said:The adults who build the tightest prisons around themselves are the ones doing it consciously. Kids are the most liberated; they’re actually in tune with the essence of living (assuming they aren't dealing with anything truly traumatic).

It depends on the person. Every day, I feel myself becoming a little more liberated, even if my bank account hasn't quite caught up to my sense of freedom yet. I refuse to let finances ruin the joy of it all. I can do things now that would have been impossible when I was a kid...

Like hopping on a motorcycle and just riding off into the distance without having to ask Mom or Dad for permission... you just go.

Or holding someone you love and making them happy... back then, I used to spend my time flipping through old copies of Rolling Stone, totally aimless (god, those memories of Mama Mia)...

Telling someone where to go at 3 p.m. without a hint of fear... as a child, I would have been too terrified to even think it.

Building my own home, sharing a drink with good company... I’m actually glad I grew up. A child dreams of being an adult, but anyone who spends their life wishing they were a child probably never truly learned how to be an adult in the first place...

Jose Morris7 said:It depends on the person. Every day, I feel myself becoming a little more liberated, even if my bank account hasn't quite caught up to my sense of freedom yet. I refuse to let finances ruin the joy of it all. I can do things now that would have been impossible when I was a kid...

Like hopping on a motorcycle and just riding off into the distance without having to ask Mom or Dad for permission... you just go.

Or holding someone you love and making them happy... back then, I used to spend my time flipping through old copies of Rolling Stone, totally aimless (god, those memories of Mama Mia)...

Telling someone where to go at 3 p.m. without a hint of fear... as a child, I would have been too terrified to even think it.

Building my own home, sharing a drink with good company... I’m actually glad I grew up. A child dreams of being an adult, but anyone who spends their life wishing they were a child probably never truly learned how to be an adult in the first place...

Even on a motorcycle, you can't just do whatever you want. There's still the police to deal with.
You can hold someone you love just as tightly as if they were a child. Why would a parent ever stand in the way of love?
You can send someone over at 3 PM, but just a heads-up—they might come looking for a little trouble.
How’s everyone holding up at home? Just checking in on where things stand for everybody.😁I'm not looking for a roof over my head.
I had to work. Back then, the older generation was handling everything for him—I didn't even have to worry about taking out a loan.
I always make enough to hit my targets and live my life exactly how I want.

I agree. It’s better to be an adult than a child.😉

Growing up, it was always the same: you either followed orders from your parents or listened to whatever your teachers were barking at you. You just did the work. No questions asked.
Everything you hate is just a symptom of being forced into a mold to avoid consequences. You lose your sense of self. You lose your freedom.

Look, you’re the one in the driver's seat. You do what you want, and you're the lead character in your own story. If people try to mess with you, just shut them down. Heh, just kidding.

I was at my absolute peak of happiness back when I was just a kid—just a little thing looking for some simple affection and nothing more. I can't help but wonder why God saw fit to make me grow up when I was already so content. If I were still small, I’d spend my days drifting through dreams of rolling meadows and imagining myself as a pilot, a diver, a chimney sweep, or maybe even a clerk at Walmart.
Being a real child again was always the ultimate dream of mine! 🤷

vividfalcon14 said:I was at my absolute peak of happiness back when I was just a kid—just a little thing looking for some simple affection and nothing more. I can't help but wonder why God saw fit to make me grow up when I was already so content. If I were still small, I’d spend my days drifting through dreams of rolling meadows and imagining myself as a pilot, a diver, a chimney sweep, or maybe even a clerk at Walmart.
Being a real child again was always the ultimate dream of mine! 🤷

Then one day, you get jolted awake by a headache and your mom yelling at you to get up and go to
work. It isn't school anymore; there are no more excuses to hand in. You just can't wrap your head around the fact that
that chapter is over.

Jose Morris7 said:It depends on the person. Every day, I feel myself becoming a little more liberated, even if my bank account hasn't quite caught up to my sense of freedom yet. I refuse to let finances ruin the joy of it all. I can do things now that would have been impossible when I was a kid...

Like hopping on a motorcycle and just riding off into the distance without having to ask Mom or Dad for permission... you just go.

Or holding someone you love and making them happy... back then, I used to spend my time flipping through old copies of Rolling Stone, totally aimless (god, those memories of Mama Mia)...

Telling someone where to go at 3 p.m. without a hint of fear... as a child, I would have been too terrified to even think it.

Building my own home, sharing a drink with good company... I’m actually glad I grew up. A child dreams of being an adult, but anyone who spends their life wishing they were a child probably never truly learned how to be an adult in the first place...

That tiny little thing called finances. When I think about how much money I have to shell out for every little thing on my own now—just being an adult, having to bleed money to clear away all the trivial stuff just to get back to zero—it's a lot. When I was a kid, everything was just paid for, and I didn't really give much thought to where it came from. Now, at the end of every quarter, I have to sit down and balance my books while nursing a bottle of rum.

Jose Morris7 said:It depends on the person. Every day, I feel myself becoming a little more liberated, even if my bank account hasn't quite caught up to my sense of freedom yet. I refuse to let finances ruin the joy of it all. I can do things now that would have been impossible when I was a kid...

Like hopping on a motorcycle and just riding off into the distance without having to ask Mom or Dad for permission... you just go.

Or holding someone you love and making them happy... back then, I used to spend my time flipping through old copies of Rolling Stone, totally aimless (god, those memories of Mama Mia)...

Telling someone where to go at 3 p.m. without a hint of fear... as a child, I would have been too terrified to even think it.

Building my own home, sharing a drink with good company... I’m actually glad I grew up. A child dreams of being an adult, but anyone who spends their life wishing they were a child probably never truly learned how to be an adult in the first place...

Douglas Gray8 brought up the police. And honestly, when I was a kid, they used to let me wander around until I was practically unconscious. It’s not like I’m going to zip over to Charleston or anything, but even as an adult, I don't really feel the need for that kind of stunt.

Jose Morris7 said:It depends on the person. Every day, I feel myself becoming a little more liberated, even if my bank account hasn't quite caught up to my sense of freedom yet. I refuse to let finances ruin the joy of it all. I can do things now that would have been impossible when I was a kid...

Like hopping on a motorcycle and just riding off into the distance without having to ask Mom or Dad for permission... you just go.

Or holding someone you love and making them happy... back then, I used to spend my time flipping through old copies of Rolling Stone, totally aimless (god, those memories of Mama Mia)...

Telling someone where to go at 3 p.m. without a hint of fear... as a child, I would have been too terrified to even think it.

Building my own home, sharing a drink with good company... I’m actually glad I grew up. A child dreams of being an adult, but anyone who spends their life wishing they were a child probably never truly learned how to be an adult in the first place...

Are Mom and Dad not loved people? I used to be way more prone to hugging loved ones and falling in love. Now, experience has taught me that showing that kind of emotion openly needs to be rationed out carefully. You never know who might take advantage of your kindness.

Jose Morris7 said:It depends on the person. Every day, I feel myself becoming a little more liberated, even if my bank account hasn't quite caught up to my sense of freedom yet. I refuse to let finances ruin the joy of it all. I can do things now that would have been impossible when I was a kid...

Like hopping on a motorcycle and just riding off into the distance without having to ask Mom or Dad for permission... you just go.

Or holding someone you love and making them happy... back then, I used to spend my time flipping through old copies of Rolling Stone, totally aimless (god, those memories of Mama Mia)...

Telling someone where to go at 3 p.m. without a hint of fear... as a child, I would have been too terrified to even think it.

Building my own home, sharing a drink with good company... I’m actually glad I grew up. A child dreams of being an adult, but anyone who spends their life wishing they were a child probably never truly learned how to be an adult in the first place...

As an adult, you'd end up in prison. 🤣 Luckily, I've never held a grudge against anyone that deeply. Though, I guess I can agree with that part. Whenever old folks try to lecture me about my behavior these days, I just tell them, "Look, you did your job until I turned 18. Your job is done; you don't get to micromanage my upbringing anymore."

Jose Morris7 said:It depends on the person. Every day, I feel myself becoming a little more liberated, even if my bank account hasn't quite caught up to my sense of freedom yet. I refuse to let finances ruin the joy of it all. I can do things now that would have been impossible when I was a kid...

Like hopping on a motorcycle and just riding off into the distance without having to ask Mom or Dad for permission... you just go.

Or holding someone you love and making them happy... back then, I used to spend my time flipping through old copies of Rolling Stone, totally aimless (god, those memories of Mama Mia)...

Telling someone where to go at 3 p.m. without a hint of fear... as a child, I would have been too terrified to even think it.

Building my own home, sharing a drink with good company... I’m actually glad I grew up. A child dreams of being an adult, but anyone who spends their life wishing they were a child probably never truly learned how to be an adult in the first place...

Honestly, if you actually have the cash to be a Builder and put up your own place, more power to you. It’s a damn rarity these days. Even for people who think they can pull it off, I guess it takes them decades just to get the thing finished.
And as for grabbing drinks with good company like an adult? It’s kind of depressing. You don't go out and get wasted as much anymore; instead, once you hit a certain age, the big question becomes "so, what's for dinner?" Hanging out is getting rarer too—whether it's because of work, marriage, kids, or just because everyone drifted apart.

John Mendoza13 said:I was sitting there watching some talk show on CNN earlier today, and this guy starts preaching about how the absolute peak of human happiness is found in living purely in the moment. He goes on to claim that children are basically the only ones who actually pull it off, arguing that they’re the happiest beings on the planet because they don't have a single worry in the world under the sun...
Do you guys actually buy that? Personally, I find myself nodding along with his logic; there’s something to be said for the idea that kids are the most content because they aren't weighed down by the baggage of the past or paralyzed by whatever uncertainty the future might throw at them...

Look, even kids daydream about the future or talk about stuff that happened yesterday. That's just basic biology for any living thing, regardless of age. Honestly, I don't buy into this whole "adult" label—you could be a 12-year-old or a 17-year-old and people will still write you off as just some "brat." A person at any age can make "adult" or rational decisions if life throws them a curveball. The only reason I even brought up being an "adult" is because society expects older folks to be all serious and sensible all the time. That's why everyone says kids are the happiest. But listen—a 35, 45, or even a 65-year-old can still be a kid at heart. They can joke around, act goofy, and find joy in the little things just like they did when they were playing in the dirt as toddlers. Some people will tell you you're too old for that or that it's "unbecoming," but that's nonsense. I think anyone can be a child, an adult, and a rebel all at once—it's just that most people are too scared of being judged by society. So yeah, maybe that's why kids get the title, but anyone can choose to be happy through silliness and play, no matter how many birthdays they've had.

What truly makes children happy—among all the various factors at play—is their innate capacity to maintain a state of mindfulness for extended periods. Most adults lose this ability as they grow and evolve, and honestly, there are countless reasons for that decline. It’s essentially what people on these forums mean when they say they live entirely in the moment, unburdened by the weight of the past or the anxieties of the future. It likely stems from the fact that their default-mode network isn't fully developed yet—that specific neurological setting where the brain operates when we are calm, idle, or not hyper-focused on the external world. In adults, that mode manifests as a constant internal monologue and a persistent preoccupation with what was or what might be. Our modern lifestyle, our environment, and the sheer volume of stress and noise we deal with only exacerbate this. A certain lack of awareness, a diminished version of that "idle" mode, and perhaps even a lower level of self-consciousness provide children with that "something special" that allows them to reach the heights of happiness some of you have mentioned here. There was actually a study demonstrating that individuals were significantly happier when they remained present and fully conscious of the task at hand while performing it. Therefore, if someone genuinely wishes to reclaim a fraction of that childhood bliss and freedom, they need to cultivate mindfulness—which, I should note, is no easy feat.

I can't say I disagree. I actually came across this quote in a book recently that really stuck with me: "Childhood is happy precisely because we know nothing." As we grow up, we start connecting the dots and seeing things for what they truly are. Those lofty ideals we held onto? They tend to evaporate once you hit your twenties and finally collide with reality. It’s about learning how to navigate that shift—learning how to take the wheel and steer our own lives instead of just letting life happen to us.

It really depends! As a kid, you don't have to worry about paying the bills or dealing with any of those heavy "adult" stresses, but childhood isn't just one big playground.
And let’s be real, bad stuff happens during childhood too—everything from bullying to the absolute worst-case scenarios like abuse. Like, imagine an 8-year-old girl dealing with PTSD because of her stepfather or getting attacked by a dog... she’s already on medication just like an adult would be. Kids like that aren't exactly living in the moment...

Personally, I liked being a teenager way more than being a kid.

If you happen to be one of those lucky individuals who was born in the right place, at the right moment, to the right parents...

I always find myself thinking back to this documentary:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0264476/

Consequently, I simply cannot agree with that assertion.

I look back on my childhood and it feels so incredibly warm... just filled with so many dear, close people who aren't around anymore. I guess, maybe, I was just a whole lot happier back then than I am today. But then again, life isn't always like that. I suppose some people might have a really rough start, only to find things get much, much better as they grow up.

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There’s always going to be an exception to the rule, but if you look at the big picture, most people are at their absolute happiest during childhood. Everyone has their own unique blueprint for what happiness looks like—it’s shaped by their own personal tastes and the world around them. For some, success might mean climbing the corporate ladder at a place like Goldman Sachs, finding a life partner, building wealth, or traveling the globe. But regardless of those adult ambitions, kids generally just *are* happy. It’s because a child's brain processes joy through these tiny, seemingly insignificant moments, often without even realizing it. To me, that’s happiness in its purest, most beautiful form.

mistyjackal842 said:I look back on my childhood and it feels so incredibly warm... just filled with so many dear, close people who aren't around anymore. I guess, maybe, I was just a whole lot happier back then than I am today. But then again, life isn't always like that. I suppose some people might have a really rough start, only to find things get much, much better as they grow up.

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Then there are those whose childhood is difficult, only for life to take an even darker turn, leading down a path of depression, psychosis, and eventually, suicide. 🤷

I don't know. My grandmother didn't exactly have a happy childhood. She grew up without parents, yet she still managed to achieve so much later in life, just by relying on her own knowledge and pulling herself up by her bootstraps without any help from anyone. Eventually, she met my grandfather, then my mom was born, and finally, me. My grandparents loved my mom so much, and they loved me too. But... I sometimes think they might have loved her more than me, or maybe they were just more protective of her. Even though they showered me with all the attention they could possibly give. Now, there’s no one left of them. My mom passed away tragically due to medical malpractice at the beginning of this month. My grandparents had already passed before her. And it’s just horrible... I honestly don't know how to go on without my mom. She meant everything to me.

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mistyjackal842 said:I don't know. My grandmother didn't exactly have a happy childhood. She grew up without parents, yet she still managed to achieve so much later in life, just by relying on her own knowledge and pulling herself up by her bootstraps without any help from anyone. Eventually, she met my grandfather, then my mom was born, and finally, me. My grandparents loved my mom so much, and they loved me too. But... I sometimes think they might have loved her more than me, or maybe they were just more protective of her. Even though they showered me with all the attention they could possibly give. Now, there’s no one left of them. My mom passed away tragically due to medical malpractice at the beginning of this month. My grandparents had already passed before her. And it’s just horrible... I honestly don't know how to go on without my mom. She meant everything to me.

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I am so sorry about your mother. You know, people love to frame these things as life lessons. There are those who insist everything happens for a reason, while people like me—who tend to be a bit disillusioned with humanity and even with God—feel that it’s all just random chance. I struggle to see the logic if someone suffers incessantly; if luck simply refuses to find them, what possible lesson is there to extract from that? What is such a perpetually unfortunate soul supposed to learn? Sure, a person might stumble once or twice and walk away wiser, but if life keeps throwing curveballs, eventually you just run out of patience.
It's much the same way if someone were happy all the time; they wouldn't learn anything either. So, one could argue that occasional hardships exist solely to teach us something. But honestly, I can't say for certain if these setbacks are intentional cosmic lessons or if, as I suggested earlier, they are entirely accidental... I truly wish we could uncover the actual truth behind it all.

Best, 🙂

mistyjackal842 said:I don't know. My grandmother didn't exactly have a happy childhood. She grew up without parents, yet she still managed to achieve so much later in life, just by relying on her own knowledge and pulling herself up by her bootstraps without any help from anyone. Eventually, she met my grandfather, then my mom was born, and finally, me. My grandparents loved my mom so much, and they loved me too. But... I sometimes think they might have loved her more than me, or maybe they were just more protective of her. Even though they showered me with all the attention they could possibly give. Now, there’s no one left of them. My mom passed away tragically due to medical malpractice at the beginning of this month. My grandparents had already passed before her. And it’s just horrible... I honestly don't know how to go on without my mom. She meant everything to me.

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I am so sorry for your loss; hang in there. Try to find that strength your grandmother had within yourself.

Yes, others will think for you and solve your problems while you work; your job is simply to play and learn. 😢

😲Absolutely not!!!!!!!!!

Carol Kern2 said:But honestly, I don't think kids even realize they're happy. Like, do you actually need to be self-aware to feel bliss?
If you ask me, the happiest people out there are usually the drunks, the crazies, and little kids—people who aren't really "present" in that deep way.
So, does being totally oblivious to everything around you actually lead to happiness? Is that the secret?

I remember being maybe 7 years old, and my mom told me I had no idea how lucky I was just to have my own room to sleep in. She said I wouldn't even realize how much I'd miss it once I moved out. We ended up moving about four times after that.
Now that I’m a grown woman (hopefully!), I can actually recognize those happy moments when they happen. I can slow down and just soak them in. Actually appreciate them.
Looking back, I know my childhood was super happy, but I was totally clueless about it at the time. And even more than that, I didn't have the capacity to value those moments while they were happening.
So, what's the deal? Do you need awareness and the ability to appreciate life to be happy, or does being completely unaware of everything actually bring it to you?

Drunks, lunatics, and kids??? Not conscious? My god, people are so dense. And then you have these sober, corporate drones—people who don't even think for themselves, just mindless puppets and parasites of today's decay—who claim to be the "conscious" ones. It's grotesque. Just look into their eyes and you'll see they are soulless scavengers; there is nothing behind their gaze... just walking dolls... when they die, nothing will remain but their pathetic bones. But sure, let's call them conscious.