I often think about how happiness, so striven for, is so elusive. There is no doubt that to be happy is a desirable state to be in, but it seems that the modern way to achieve it falls well short of the mark. Partly I think this has a lot to do with what Marxists would call the alienation of labour (people separated from finding any real meaning in their work life) and the way capitalism has so successfully hijacked the happiness narrative. Abetted by popular culture and the advertising industry, happiness has been narrowly defined to reflect the consumption of goods and services. Any fool must know that such a search is bound to fail, with disappointments being heaped upon disappointments. I could go on but there is plenty of analysis elsewhere if you are interested enough.

Perhaps it is happiness itself that is the problem. If we seek a state of being that is derived from outside stimuli( a new job, car, holiday, partner etc) then it will always fall flat to some extent. The magic soon wears off. It is not sustainable. Better to seek contentment, a more deep-seated, abiding acceptance of self and circumstances, linked of course, to meaning and purpose, as an ongoing project in our lives. You can be grateful for an old car - that it still goes - a warm conversation over a cup of tea, for a fallen leaf in autumn. You can have other things too if you want them - material things - but they won't be a means to feeling better about yourself, and you will be able to do without them if need be.

Or, if you want to be an activist, you can challenge the system that tells you how to be happy when it knows that no such thing is possible.