I don't know if it's a facade or what, but why do Mormons appear so perky and happy all the time? With their annoyingly positive and grateful facebook statuses? " I am so grateful for my family and friends! I love the church, i feel the spirit in me, I know it's true!!!" Gag, is it just me or does that annoy the crap out of others? And how annoying is it that the morg made it so that life works out so perfectly for Mormons. U have colleges designed and paid for by the church, where enrollment and completing is so easy if you are mormon. Other colleges in other states are real colleges where it takes hard work. But it's so frustrating that when you are entrenched in this utah bubble where everything is handed to you, these Mormons just think that it's the blessings of the church and that's why life is so easy for them. Um...no it's not the blessings! The church just handed it you for your blind obedience and a 10% cost. How do people ever realize that? Sorry for the rant, frustrating day I suppose! :)

What are some of the most annoying facebook posts you've seen from Mormons?

ABC

Reading the scriptures will make you happy, I read the scriptures, I am happy.


There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home.

Bc if they are unhappy it's bc they are sinning, so they try to appear happy even when they aren't

It's all an act. They're always trying to out-happy and out-grateful each other, because they equate happiness with righteousness. Putting on a happy face is a learned Mormon skill. And underneath it, they're popping antidepressants at the highest rate in the nation.

SSRIs? (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, aka the Prozac family)

I love your moniker, "Void K. Packer." LOL.

Thanks. I first heard him speak at a priesthood session of conference in, like, '73 piped into the El Paso stake house. Within a few sentences I was irked. By the time he finished I came to despise him like no other of the brotheren. In psychological speak, he is the epicenter of my Shadow. Even at my most believing stage I despised him. I suspect if proph tommy would die in time, void's ascendency to the spot could work wonders at trimming the church rolls.

Fake it 'til you make it? Or, maybe, something along the lines of "If I stop smiling hard enough to crack my cheeks, they'll see my actual, real face --the one that's sad and crying because I'm over tired, over worked and overwhelmed trying so hard to be perfect and worthy all the time?"

I never trust someone who smiles too big, too often or too inappropriately/out of context; a nonstop or too glib talker, or an overly sure, never doubtful person, either.

What seems to be too good to be true, very often is.

to create the always smile.

If they're really really really really really honestly and truly happy, awesome - keep on keepin' on. It's for them, can't begrudge them, and would never take it away.

If it is just an act, maintaining that act requires a tremendous amount of energy. Sooner or later there is a crump, and that is often the beginning of their own Renaissance.

One of the reasons I have "reverse shunned" my TBM relatives is, not only for their answer to question 7 in the 'worthiness interview,' but also to protect their equilibrium in the lie. It makes them happy, or at least good enough for them; it gives them purpose and fills their time with meaningless trivia; and so I do not want them to know what I know.

But when they crump, I will be there for them.

This is way before the days of Facebook, but when I was in high school I had a friend named Annie. She was a cheerful person, but in a normal way - not sickly sweet and overly enthusiastic like a lot of other mormons, just generally pleasant.

One day she came up to me in the cafeteria with a huge, blank-eyed grin on her face. "I figured it out!" she said. "It's like life is a huge, empty, dark room. Pitch black. And at one end there is a single pinpoint of light. As long as I keep walking toward the light, everything will be fine!"

I was dumbstruck. "Uh... okay." Random, weird proclamation. From that day forward, Annie was like one of those weird "happy" mormon robots, with the girlish cooing voice and the fake looking smile. We stopped hanging out quickly after that.

That's sad. Sounds like a reverse of the ah hah moment people have when they realize in one moment that Mormonism is false. Sorry she changed into a drone and you lost a friend, that's too bad.

Because it is Facebook where everybody knows your name. On Tumblr it is a different story, nobody knows your name so they are honest with questioning, depression, cutting, sexuality etc.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/15/2013 12:26PM by goojabee.

IMO they are NOT happy. I hear coworkers talking about their callings, helping people move, setting up appointments to meet with the missionaries, and so forth and they all sound irritated.

They're NOT happy - actually-, it's the "Stepford Syndrome/ (or Philosophy) " or the Prozac, force of habit to look happy they are actually not. It's weird, but I had to overcome that one. I don't smile all the time, but, I had to explain to my son that just because Mommy is not smiling, it doesn't mean I don't feel happy on the inside.

I think this is a myth. When I look around at a sacrament meeting, or any other church gathering I don't see an unusual amount of joy. When I talk with mormons they might seem different, but not happier.

Deep down internally, they are some of the most miserable people on the planet.

If you are told something enough times you actually start to believe it even though you don't FEEL it. Hence, Utah being the Prozac capital of the world.

Rather than leaving the church (that would be crazy because being Mormon makes me so Happy, at least that's what everyone tells me) I better find another way to feel good. They could save a lot of money on meds if they just took a vacation from Mormonism and figured out that THAT'S what is making them feel so miserable.

Well, I know people get that impression that Mormons are "happy", certainly there are those who are. If I look around my neighborhood, there seem to be quite a few "sullen" people. Really. The stereotype is not that strong in my locale. A lady up the street tried to kill herself with perscription drugs. She's doing better now, thankfully. A number of people are depressed and (thankfully) they are getting help, and I know about it. The network of helping is not working. I've been handicapped for 7 months and no one or any organization has even offered to help me out in any way. I guess what I'm saying is that if we see Mormons as happy it's probably because you've run across one who is happy, but they are not in a majority, imho. These people have serious problems, like anybody, and they get weighed down by those problems, like anybody else.

Go to sacrament meeting. Look around. Sit in a room with 150+ people and they all look tired, resentful, angry, miserable,and bored.

I know a lot of very unhappy mormons. They keep trying to live their religion the best they can, thinking if they do it good enough they will finally be happy. They're very codependent to the church. They will prove to you they're happy. Just look at their chronic pasted on smile!

If you know anything about codependency you know that they often seem very happy. They help their source(church) of misery in hope that the church will see the light and stop the torment. They cover and hide things for the church. They give all of their time and energy. They monitor, give money, and talk endlessly about the goodness of the church. They make endless excuses for the church. They literally give their first born, and any other children that will willing go to the church. They will promise to do and give anything and everything in hopes that it will someday be enough and the church will see how good they've been.

Mormons are classic codependents. The church is the classic user and abuser. No matter what you do, you'll never be, give, or do enough to please them. Eventually you become a shell of your former self. The madness continues and moves on with the next generation.

Truly superb thinking analysis.
Love it.

I agree. Codependent, depressed, repressed or bipolar. Good friend talked about her daughter's tbm boyfriend. Nice-nice till angry. She said he keeps his smile but shakes with rage. Very scary!

It's truly a projection of what they think they're supposed to be. I am quite the opposite now.. Some people think I'm pensive and reserved, which is my natural outward affect. Internally though, I'm happy, savoring each day and enjoying my limited time here in reality, living in the "now."

Behind all those fake smiles is another depression pill popper...it's sad...how long before you open your eyes. And my goodness, when will mormons learn that utah life is a handout, that it's NOT the blessings of the church!!! If I have to hear another don't repel the spirit or some other spirit crap, I swear I'll haunt them as a spirit when I die! And have I mentioned how much I hate the "less than me" feeling that Mormons give to you if you aren't a tbm? It's this aura of arrogance and they treat u differently once they find out. Who the hell died and made Mormons the most righteous best people in the world? Rant part 2 continued...I'm having a very non-mormon day. This religion ruined my life!

Ignorance is Bliss. - That's why Mormons are happy; it's hard to beat their level off ignorance.

It is a symptom of being a cult member. Moonies are happy, Morons are happy, Jim Jones's crew was happy, the nike space cadets were happy.

It is a false happy that cults beat into the heads of their victims.

In my experience as a Mormon mom, a lot of women were faking that I'm so happy smile. Underneath was usually a ton of crap that was easier to ignore and just go along to get along.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/15/2013 02:36PM by time2go.

They put sadness on the same shelf with honesty, leaving a happy lie to occupy their thoughts.

Fake.

"So take a good look at my face.

You'll see a smile that looks out of place.

If you look closer it's easy to trace

the tracks of my tears."

I think for a lot of Mormons it's just all about keeping up appearances. The only way to know the real story is to bug their house. Since that's illegal I don't recommend it. :)
It's also about showing people how chosen and blessed of The Lord they are b/c look how "perfect" their lives are.
Happiness is a real thing but 24/7 happiness isn't. It's an act for the most part.

As others have said, much of the happiness is a fake display to "proove" your riteousness to others. Facebook is another problem. It's not just Mormons, its most people. They try to make themselves look good and present a sanitized life. Facebook allows it. The reality is, everyone has problems, difficulties, and feels like sh** sometimes.

There have been studies showing that people who spend lots of time on facebook are more likely to be depressed. You are comparing your real self with others fake selves. Never a fair comparison. Not a good idea to compete or compare yourself with others anyway.

Some people, mormons and others, do seem to get everything "handed" to them. It can be from their parents or society. However, having everything handed to you is not always in your best interest. In the long run, you will be happier, more satisfied, and more confident if you struggle for your achievments.

So hang in there, try not to compare yourself with others, and remember that what you fight for and earn yourself is always more rewarding than what is "handed" to you.