You’re Not Meant to Be Happy … and That’s a Good Thing
Happiness is temporary but the pursuit of our values provides long-lasting benefits.
Happiness is a myth — at least if you look at it the way most people do.
Most people see happiness as something they can have under certain conditions, for example:
- Having lots of friends
- Living in a beautiful place
- Getting recognized for accomplishments
Whatever they’re chasing, they’re constantly running on a script that goes, “If only I had _____, then I could be happy.”
Almost everyone follows this pattern, even though we should know better.
After all, we know money can’t buy happiness. We’ve seen how celebrities, seemingly on top of the world, fall victim to all kinds of problems and seem anything but happy. We’ve also been told, over and over again, that people are often unhappy, no matter how good their circumstances are.
Yet, we keep acting like our dissatisfaction would vanish if only.
If only we had the right spouse, the right house, the right friends, the right job, and the right government, then we’d be satisfied and happy.
