We live in a culture of happiness. And that’s a problem. Valuing feelings of happiness or wanting others to be happy is not a bad thing. However, not being happy becomes a failure when there are only smiling faces around you on billboards, television, magazines or the internet. We cannot always be happy as our negative emotions are an inevitable and normal part of our lives. That’s why this article argues that overvaluing happiness feeds depression—a leading and progressing cause of disability worldwide.
‘Because they are expected to be happy, many in the West feel depressed’
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