Happiness Is Only Real When Shared

"If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?"

Is is a philosophical riddle that raises questions regarding observation and knowledge of reality. That theory is called "subjective idealism" and refers to a time in which objects cease to exist once there is nobody around to perceive them. However, one may argue that..."if a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, did it really fall?" Meaning - the objects of sense exist only when they are perceived. The common sense answer is yes. It obviously makes a sound since we know that a tree falling makes noise regardless of whether anyone is around or not. The metaphysical answer is no. The tree does not make a sound if no one is there to witness it falling. And indeed the act of making a sound isn't even a quandary, all that matters is that the tree in fact ceases to exist if no one is there to witness it. The production of sound requires 3 things: a source, a medium, and a receiver. But what about happiness? It also needs the same 3 elements. So is happiness only real when shared?

There is the possibility of unperceived existence. That something can exist without being perceived. If no one is around to see, hear, or feel your happiness, does it not exist? Does happiness need a witness? Someone to validate it? Someone to share in it to make it real?

For years I didn't realize how unhappy I was until I was happy. And you never realize how happy you were until that happiness disappears from your life. Happiness is not tangible, but yet it feels very fragile in our hands. Hold too tightly and you smother it. Hold too carelessly and you lose it. Unclasp your hands and you share it. Open your heart and you receive it.

I believe happiness can exist alone in ourselves, but I feel it is far more satisfying when shared. In an ideal world, we would share a piece of happiness with someone everyday. Touch them in some way to let them know their existence matters. However, life is anything but ideal. It is often difficult to prove to someone how happy they make you. Whether that happiness is mutually shared or not, the only thing concrete about the emotion is that YOU know it to exist. I know it exists because I can feel it, like 10-million fireflies filling my chest cavity. I may not always be able to explain it or even prove it. But trust me, it exists and it's incredibly real.

So what do you think? True or false? Is happiness only real when shared?