Rather surprised it’s taken me this long to notice this particular aspect of my depression. My social anxiety increased considerably over the last three years to the point where crowds raise my stress levels a lot. Yet there was something interesting that I realized when I took a closer look at my few social media accounts.
I don’t really react well these days to happy people. Families, couples, sometimes even kids. Seeing happy people in the world makes me feel oddly ‘misplaced’. I don’t feel like I should be around them. On the other hand, watching happy animals I feel just fine and in fact probably feel better.
Case in point:
This simple GIF of cows experiencing grass. I’m not a vegan or anything but there is a simplicity to seeing these animals who have been penned up their whole lives getting to see nature.
Animals don’t have much in the way of motivations other than to live their lives, maybe that’s why seeing them experience happiness feels pure and unfiltered. Humans on the other hand can feign happiness. Whatever the case, it was a small realization I had this morning while browing Reddit (which is where the Cow-gif was posted).
