The "pursuit of happiness" makes you less happy - ZipMinis Blog-ology: Science of Blogging

The "pursuit of happiness" makes you less happy - ZipMinis Blog-ology: Science of Blogging

As one of those few unhappy people that inhabit this planet, I wondered today if any research has been done on whether happy people are faking. Happiness is entirely subjective and therefore difficult to quantify, but surely scientists have studied what most people say is their primary goal in life. In the U.S., we even have it in our Declaration of Independence, as a divine gift, "the pursuit of happiness."

Among my Twitter crowd, happiness abounds in positive aphorisms, but most sound hollow and empty. "Life is short. Live it up,"  "Happiness is a state of mind,"  and the like make me nauseous. The happy cliches are abundant enough to convince me that a lot of people are concerned about contentment. But is this high prize this easily attainable?