Are we at our happiest as children?

Gary Fox2 said:Hands down, the absolute worst chapter of my life was growing up...
Between being constantly criticized, mentally worn down, and feeling totally insecure—all thanks to the endless nonsense my mother forced on me while my father just couldn't care less—it was a mess. My grandparents were either far away or gone.
I didn't have a single damn soul I could actually turn to.
The truth is, I never really got to be a kid when I should have been... which is why I’m such a kid at heart now. I find joy in the little things, and more often than not, I can manage to push aside whatever stress I'm dealing with—or just blast through it—just to get back to that sense of carefree freedom.
And honestly? I have zero patience for people trying to impose their "rules" on how I should act, or the constant nitpicking, overcomplicating everything, or the endless complaining... I just want positivity...
Then you get this certain group of people who roll their eyes at how "happy" I always seem to be. But I need it. I need that peace that comes from positive vibes, good people, and simple moments... that Zen-like state where nothing can touch you and everything feels human again.
That’s my therapy.

I hate my childhood.

Well, yeah—childhood is everything, sure, but it isn't some sacred, protected sanctuary. For me, it wasn't even the worst part; it was puberty. That was easily the most traumatic stretch of my life.

Benjamin King17 said:Childhood is arguably the most carefree chapter of a human life—you aren't burdened by the weight of the past or the anxieties of what's next. You simply exist, shielded from worry because someone else is always looking out for you. Now, adolescence brings its own specific brand of stress—not the kind we face later in life with careers and families, but something more primal... the desperate need to fit in and prove oneself to peers. Many people endure significant hardships during those teenage years—it isn't always a happy experience. For some, there are struggles with parents, unstable environments, or fractured social circles. My point is this: while childhood is often the peak of happiness, even a middle-aged adult can recapture that sense of peace—provided they find a little bit of organization...

But why on earth would "not having to worry about yourself" be considered the ultimate happiness? That sounds pretty idiotic to me. For me, the greatest moment of pure joy was finally moving out from my parents' house. Honestly, even if things were total crap, that felt more like true freedom.

Kids really just look out for themselves. Most of all. They live life entirely on their own terms.

I wish I could relive those golden childhood moments just one more time🙂
I really can't stand the way the adult world works

I’d argue it’s because when you’re a kid, you haven't quite grasped what people are actually like—or how this world really functions...
And honestly, the less you know, the happier you are; that’s always been 😉

Yeah.

It's just because they have zero awareness of what life actually is.

You see the exact same thing with people struggling with severe mental illness or dementia. They lose that connection to life, to themselves, even to the world around them...

I guess most people are only happy until they finally come face-to-face with real fear.

Anonymous said:I wish I could relive those golden childhood moments just one more time🙂
I really can't stand the way the adult world works

The answer to the question in the title is NO.
In theory, childhood should be the peak of happiness—but then some people go through hell as kids, end up broken, and spend their entire adulthood scrolling through psychology PDFs. 🙂🙂🙂😠