When you’re lonely, you don’t become cripplingly hopeless and withdraw from life? You just contact some friends or easily make new friends and have a good time and carry on with life?
When you’re driving your car and everything is fine until you come to a stoplight, you don’t suddenly become depressed at the stoplight like I do?
When you wake up every morning, you don’t have crippling existential dread? You just get up and go about your day cheerfully, without analyzing the futile meaninglessness of the big picture?
For me it’s contentment. A satisfaction in where I am and who I am. Being able to see the beauty and appreciate the small things. No need for more. And no longer comparing myself at my worst to others at their best.
It’s funny you mention that.
Becoming a depressed person put me in this state of mind. I’m almost never truly happy or sad, but 99% of the time I am generally content, and that’s a pretty great ting.
Of course that 1% is ugly, but thankfully also very rare.