What's the opposite of depression?

[illiquid]

I don't mean manic-depressive or bipolar -- just someone who cannot process sadness or has great difficulty in feeling down. Otherwise, the person is normal in every other respect -- any term for it?

 

[Alex_in_Oz]

one who CANNOT be sad is NOT normal.

 

[TSGannGalt]

Good question...

sad = happy * -1;
happy = sad * -1;

if (sad = depression)
then happy = x;

....

Dude... I have no idea... I'm stumped... can someone smart answer this?

 

[Alex_in_Oz]

I think he must have met Donny Osmond or Pat Boone recently

 

[acronym]

Ive only seen proposals for classification of this abnormality.
(it is abnormal, but not problematic)
Normally, even if the chipperness is consistent, pathological, theres always a downside in diagnostic terms (or it wouldnt be diagnosed) so its usually lumped in as bi-polarity etc, regardless.

'chipper"

 

[late apex]

"involuntary perennial optimist"?

 

[Thunderdog]

Quote from late apex:

"involuntary perennial optimist"?

I think that your reference to optimism has something to do with it, since depression seems to be associated with a loss of hope. A perennial optimist has hope to spare.

 

[illiquid]

Quote from late apex:

"involuntary perennial optimist"?

That's pretty much dead on, he is not an excessively cheerful nor annoyingly exuberant person either -- just a very good sense of humor about everything. But I was wondering if he is the way he is because of some slight chemical imbalance, there must be some complementary medical condition to depression out there?

 

[Thunderdog]

Quote from illiquid:

But I was wondering if he is the way he is because of some slight chemical imbalance, there must be some complementary medical condition to depression out there?

In all seriousness, that notion had occurred to me as well from time to time. I suppose we could all use a bit of that imbalance from time to time, eh?

 

[illiquid]

Quote from Thunderdog:

I do not think that someone who cannot process sadness represents the opposite of depression, just like the opposite of love is hate rather than indifference. The opposite of one feeling is not no feeling at all. Therefore, I think that the opposite of depression is hope and optimism. At least, that's how it appears to me.

Yes, I think that is a more accurate statement, and fits here as well. He is always looking on the bright side, many times to his own detriment -- the ultimate "non-worrier". The type who usually takes a long time to figure out he is being taken advantage of by others, yet even when he realizes this gets over it rather quickly.