20 Examples of Contentment

John Spacey, October 14, 2020

Contentment is an easy type of happiness that comes from simply appreciating life. This is a basic type of human experience and human condition that perhaps everyone has experienced and some people are able to sustain for long periods of time. The following are illustrative examples of contentment.

Simple Things

Focusing on the simple things in life such as time with your family or enjoying nature.

Wonder

Seeing the world with a sense of wonder.

Escapism

Making yourself too busy with things such as reading or entertainment to notice the problems of the world.

Passivity

Allowing the problems of the world to take their own course without any intervention.

Denial

Pretending the problems of the world don't exist. By ignoring problems and risks you become complicit in them.

Complacency

Contentment is often described as wanting what you have without desire or need of change. This can be viewed as complacent as change comes whether you need it or not.

Mediocrity

Mediocrity is a common approach to life that can be described as the path of least resistance with the goal being safety, security, comfort and convenience.

Bread & Circuses

The theory that the masses are content with basic material needs and entertainment.

Limiting Wants

Reducing certain types of desires such as greed that you see as unproductive to your life.

Altruism

A common path to contentment is to reduce your own desires and avoid complacency by devoting yourself to helping others.

Unaffectedness

Reducing the common tendency to compare yourself to others. Unaffectedness also implies that you not allow your emotions to be easy influenced. For example, being indifferent to both unfair insults and undeserved praise.

Stoicism

Stoicism is an approach to life that is indifferent to good fortune or bad fortune with the only thing that matters being your own virtuous response to each.

Good Humor

The ability to enjoy the absurdities of life by seeing the humor in it all.

Gratitude

Gratitude for all that you have been given. Ingratitude and a sense of entitlement tend to make contentment unlikely.

Humility

Recognition of the small role you play in things. Narcissism and other forms of excessive pride eliminate contentment.

Abundance Mentality

Abundance mentality is the belief that there is enough for everyone and that the successes of others don't diminish your own.

Peace

Trying to resolve disputes with civility to avoid conflict.

Forgiving

Letting the past go and trying to forgive yourself and others. Dwelling in the past, particularly negative aspects of the past isn't conductive to contentment.

Positivity & Optimism

Focusing on the good side of things and the future potential of things.

Self-fulfillment

Contentment can come from achievements whereby you decide what you want to be and make progress in this direction. This is a journey and not a goal. There is no reason to wait for happiness and this can be a bad idea as life is short.

Overview: Contentment
Type	Human Condition
Definition	An easy type of happiness that comes from simply appreciating life.
Related Concepts	Human Condition » Human Experience » Escapism » Complacency » Mediocrity » Path Of Least Resistance »