Happiness

I've been studying Positive Psychology with a U3A group. We're doing a MOOC on it. Its early days yet but its very interesting. 'Happiness' and a right to it is a relatively new concept. Going back over millennia and in many cultures the word for luck was the same as for happiness. Gradually happiness became something to aspire to in the next life so you had to be really good in this one or else. Something the churches encouraged.
Recent studies seem to have found that to have a happy life it has to be meaningful too. Doing things with and for other people is very important.
All interesting and relevant. One downside is the concept of unhappiness. As in previous centuries people didn't expect to be happy it is posited that they didn't feel bad about it (although they probably felt cold, hungry etc they may not have expected actual happiness)
Nowadays with a western expectation of happiness, if one isn't, one can feel deprived or as if something has gone wrong and that its fixable in some way.
All interesting and theoretical. A lot rings true with me. I don't expect to feel happy : contentment is good!