Remember ‘Cursed Images‘? Well, believe it or not, the internet can offer the opposite too. And no, I’m not talking about those fake TikToks where influencers “donate” thousands of dollars to a “complete stranger.” No, I’m referring to the subreddit r/BlessedImages.
As its name suggests, this online community is dedicated to wholesome pictures that spread the best vibes. From a dad losing it over an alpaca to a dog showing up at a uni class, it’s like an online safe haven. So continue scrolling and get your smile on.
#1 Blessed Google Maps
Image credits: KarenBu32946258
#2 Blessed Meeting
Image credits: animals_gallery
These pictures come as a nice break since the pandemic has been cheating us out of all the good times we live for—the weddings, the vacations, the graduations, even the concerts.
“It disrupted a lot of things that naturally make us happy,” cognitive scientist Laurie Santos said.
But do we have the right to smile when the world is facing so many difficult challenges?
“We feel guilty because [we think] … we don’t deserve to be happy because there are people who are experiencing trauma or people going through these bad times” Santos explained. “I think that gets to some kind of misconceptions about how happiness works, that it’s this like, zero-sum game.” But it’s not.
#3 Blessed Ashes
Image credits: stegosaurus2123
#4 Blessed_sign
Image credits: reddit.com
#5 Blessed_halloween
Image credits: sraxer
“Social scientists tend to find happiness in kind of two parts. So they tend to think of happiness as being happy in your life, and being happy with your life. So being happy in your life is having these moments of joy. Whether that’s chatting with the barista at the coffee shop, paying attention to the beautiful fall leaves outside,” Santos said.
“It’s just these moments of true joy, positive emotion in your life. That’s not to say that there’s no negative emotion. It’s just that if you have negative emotion, you want it kind of balanced with these moments of positivity. That’s kind of being happy in your life.”
#6 Blessed_babies
Image credits: Brynniebooboo
#7 Blessed_arrest
Image credits: campbellxemma
#8 Blessed Guinea Pig
Image credits: BruhCantThinkOfName
But the scientist highlighted there’s also the sense that happiness is about being happy with your life. Basically, it’s the sense of meaning we have. It’s the answer to the ultimate question: ‘All things considered, how satisfied am I with my life right now?”
“It’s worth noting that those two forms of happiness can dissociate,” Santos said. “One of my deans had a baby recently, and I often use the example of her. Because I think in her life she’s so happy, this new meaning that she has with this new bundle of joy. But with her life there’s poopy diapers and less sleep and things like that, right?”
Santos thinks we all know someone who has the opposite dissociation, where they have all the worldly comforts possible in their life but are actually feeling really empty inside. So the trick of getting by is basically finding a way to bump up the both of these. Because if we do, we could be actually living a pretty happy life.
#9 Blessed_community
Image credits: NewFit2017
#10 Blessed_rug
Image credits: lucindalvngstn
#11 Blessed_happines Overdose
Image credits: ChlebProstoZPieca
“We are not supposed to be purely happy right now. It would be a non-normative situation where your social connections are getting messed up,” Santos said. “Your routines are getting messed up. Literally, people are dying. And to just be perfectly happy-go-lucky and not experience any negative emotion, that would be non-normative. It is the right thing to do right now to have your happiness be affected, to experience some negative emotions. The key, though, is kind of how you take care of yourself in the midst of that.”
Ask yourself, do you beat yourself up over having these emotions and run away from them or do you find ways to allow them?
“This idea that, well, I’m not supposed to be happy … it’s for someone else, I’m doing something wrong. No, no, no, we’re supposed to experience negative emotion, especially if you’re in a situation of unemployment, or losing your job or something like that.”
#12 Blessed Turban
Image credits: Katsunathescript
#13 Blessed Owl
Image credits: MrVanyUK
#14 Blessed_billboard
Image credits: coochie-slayer420
Santos thinks we sometimes forget that we’re not necessarily supposed to be happy all the time. In fact, every now and then negative emotions are important. They can be useful. “The analogy I often use with my students is with physical pain. If you stick your hand on a hot oven, that’s going to be painful. That feeling is telling you you need to do something. It’s telling you you need to pull your hand away … I think the sadness, the frustration, the anxiety we’re all experiencing, it’s telling you you have certain needs that aren’t being met in the context of the pandemic.”
But that doesn’t mean that we must suffer all the time. That would just be pointless. So I hope this list and all of the blessed images in it will serve as a reminder that there’s nothing wrong with feeling good.
#15 Blessed Weighing
Image credits: My_Memes_Will_Cure_U
#16 Blessed Friend
Image credits: Din_Gurevich
#17 Blessed_news
Image credits: dced21
#18 Blessed_moo
Image credits: FrostyLucian
#19 Blessed Wool
Image credits: dansk_javeln
#20 Blessed Rat
Image credits: ismackmydad
#21 Blessed_cracker
Image credits: Coolcattosuwu
#22 Blessed Grandma
Image credits: hogshark
#23 Blessed Adoption
Image credits: CannedBallsack
#24 Blessed_poster
Image credits: snowmoney716
#25 Blessed_toadgiver
Image credits: makoni648
#26 Blessed_duck
Image credits: MonculusThe5th
#27 Blessed_rain
Image credits: reddit.com
#28 Blessed_cow
Image credits: vegashi269
#29 Blessed_hispanic
Image credits: yitzilitt
#30 Blessed_bonk
Image credits: HappyyBoii
#31 Blessed_friends
Image credits: lol62056
#32 Blessed Faceswap
Image credits: neo97866
#33 Blessed_mimic
Image credits: CaptainWolfo
#34 Blessed Paw Prints
Image credits: hownottodraw
#35 Blessed_tweet
Image credits: XyRow666
#36 Blessed_substitute
Image credits: JayPlaysBeamNG
#37 Blessed_duckmother
Image credits: SonGohan666
#38 Blessed_carry
Image credits: furry_anus_destroyer
#39 Blessed_rami_doggo
Image credits: 6rineh
#40 Blessed_drain
Image credits: zoetomalin
#41 Blessed_sit
Image credits: im_sorry_wtf
#42 Blessed Friend Operation
Image credits: dannicholas97
#43 Blessed_statue
Image credits: Pancoats
#44 Blessed_forgetfulcat
Image credits: AugustJPollak
#45 Blessed_belly
Image credits: Skyblue3221
#46 Blessed_lecture
Image credits: frishmeisterflash
#47 Blessed Grandma
Image credits: Bmchris44
#48 Blessed King
Image credits: etapper2
#49 Blessed Round
Image credits: yeetboi363
#50 Blessed Shine
Image credits: wooooosh_the_gay
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Author: Austėja Akavickaitė