There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be happy. In fact, it’s probably no exaggeration to call this a universal wish. But as Susan David and others have observed, the way western popular culture promotes happiness often, paradoxically, causes us a lot of suffering. Common beliefs and messages like “think positive,” “happiness is a choice,” and “don’t worry, be happy” can set up unrealistic (and therefore doomed) expectations, disconnect us from our emotional lives, unwittingly ignore th...