So happy I could die

I was thinking about this over the course of the last few days, and all of my thoughts about the topic have seemed to gather around close enough to express my opinion on the matter. The matter in question is the phrase ‘So happy I could die’. Unfortunately a quick Google search returns a list of Lady Gaga results, and a negative phrase search doesn’t help in getting a good reference to the phrase’s meaning, so I’ll just give my own. The common vernacular usage of the phrase refers to an emotion similar to a euphoria or ecstasy wherein a person is so overcome with joy that they are inspired to take on any possible action that is layed out in front of them.

An example would be somebody claiming to be ‘so happy that they could die’ followed by a subsequent impetus to use that happiness-driven motive to conquer the proverbial mountain, or even lounge around and relish in the general vibe of happiness that they claim to be basking in. However, from an etymological perspective on the phrase as a whole, there is a major flaw in the relationship between the claim and the effects it has on the person. The fault, I believe, lies undoubtedly in the general understanding of the phrase.

What then does it really mean to be ‘so happy that one could die’? Quite simply, it means exactly what it stands to mean. When a person is so happy that they could die right then and there (Which, truthfully, cannot be that often without a hidden psychological disorder or chemical imbalance), it means that a person has reached a stage of transience where they could literally die at that very moment without any remorse of death.

What it means is that the situation they’re in has instilled an acquiescence or serenity that is so deeply embedded, or so deeply affecting of the will, that they accept that state of happiness as an archetype, and feel no need to ever top it. The person in question, together with the satisfaction of his current state, has no further need to carry on attempting to attain a better disposition and concedes that if he had to be removed from existence that very moment, that it would be alright, because their current state of happiness sufficiently reaches a level for them to feel as such.

Having said that, I don’t think that there is a ‘level’ that everyone can reach to attain this feeling, as it is most likely completely subjective to a person, and even to a state of mind. It is most likely an ephemeral emotion that could even be seen as a symptom of clinical depression (ironically), but nevertheless, I think that at certain stages, most people can reach this state of mind.

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