> When he had ended, the holy hermit was a moment silent, then said: "My son, I have attended to thy story, and I know the maiden. I have myself seen her, as have many. Know, then, that her name, which she would not even permit thee to inquire, is Happiness. Thou saidst the truth to her, that she is capricious for she imposeth conditions that man can not fulfill, and delinquency is punished by desertion. She cometh only when unsought, and will not be questioned. One manifestation of curiosity, one sign of doubt, one expression of misgiving, and she is away! How long didst thou have her at any time before she fled?"
> "Only a single instant," answered Haïta, blushing with shame at the confession. "Each time I drove her away in one moment."
> "Unfortunate youth " said the holy hermit, "but for thine indiscretion thou mightst have had her for two."
Ambrose Bierce - Haita the Shepherd.
I strongly disagree.
We may agree, however, that the route many people take in pursuit may be somewhat... misguided.
Pursue something concrete. Set a measurable goal. Aim for small things. Remove the term "happy" from your vocabulary. Just be and do, and focus on things that are small, well defined, modest and not amorphous. Cast aside your distractions. Choose an identity for yourself. Write the obituary you'd want to have. Work toward it. Fulfill your being. All of a sudden, you might feel a certain nonchalance, a certain comfortability, you might find that you can get on just fine without fretting so much. Over time, your worries might even start to dissipate.
Oh, and stop spending so much time consuming and start spending more time producing, crucially, for yourself or for your loved ones, not for an employer. When you interact with other people, use your brain, don't turn it off. Think about them in a serious, focused way. Be present. Contemplate moments. Give good gifts. Break from patterns. Don't be afraid of embarrassment, corniness, or sentiment. Stop following prescribed modes of interaction and existence without even consciously acceding to them.
"Happiness" itself is a big part of the problem, it's just as problematic as every other hypostatized concept that's ever dawned in the course of human history.