Beauty versus contentment

It seems to me, and I'm not sure if this is actually the case, that most people experience either one or the other of these. That by overanalysing things it is difficult to be contented, because if everything is questioned and reassessed on a constant basis then how is there time to be contented? Personally it is not something I have ever really experienced, because as soon as I feel happy something else pops into my head to worry about. I am at my most content when I stay busy for very long periods so that it takes my mind of worrying, while allowing me to daydream and ponder productively.

I think though, in contrast, that if a person doesn't think about everyone and everything around them deeply, they are not appreciating the beauty that life has to offer. A lot of people, a hell of a lot, just plod along and do things in the order that is expected of them and live in a bubble. Well if the boundaries are already set then contentment is easy, because there is no need to stretch yourself out of your comfort zone. But if you don't stretch yourself intellectually and through your experiences, and through your expectations of life and of other people, then how can you be excited or disappointed, and take on the emotions that make you feel alive? It makes me so happy when a person exceeds my expectations, especially because the bar is set so high. When people help eachother and are kind hearted it makes my day. If I was to consider everyone as a separate entity unrelated to me because they are not someone I know or part of my family, then all these interactions would have no impact on me and this would be a great loss. In addition if I was to refrain from pushing my intellect and learning new skills, would I not stagnate even if I was to feel contented? I could not imagine not being excited by beautiful language, learning new vocabulary, absorbing atmospheres of beautiful places. So many people seem to be going through life and ticking off boxes as they go.

I just wonder if anyone thinks you can experience both beauty and contentment, wholly, at once. And if not, which would you prefer?

 

I like to think when I have kids and a family, which is kind of what I have been working towards, as long as this is at the right time etc, then I will be contented. This is probably as contented as I will get but I doubt it'll come close to what the people in the bubbles seem to have, because I will always be questioning. I agree that I have always envied them. But at the same time i don't know that I would want to be them.