The emotional paradox of the fear of happiness

By Fredel Romano Cojab

Talking about the fear of being happy may sound like nonsense, but for those who have delved into introspective work, this idea ceases to be absurd and reveals itself as a profound emotional paradox. Many of us constantly deal with the fear of being happy. Resistance to experiencing happiness not only exists, but in many cases is intense and enigmatic, for if happiness were to become our permanent state, what would happen, what would be the purpose of life, if all our experiences were marked by continuous bliss, what would be the meaning of our challenges and struggles?

For years, I have questioned my own resistance to happiness and realized that it was often a reflection of a mistaken understanding of what it means to be truly happy; I associated happiness with the absence of obstacles and challenges, and this misunderstanding translated into a flat, perfectionist view of life. I mistakenly believed that happiness was a homogeneous, monotonous state that, as such, was boring and even frightening.