Comment by Braxton1980

I believe that happiness comes from being content, at least as a basis.

As long as person's basic needs are met and they are covered in the case of an emergency (for example, not going bankrupt because of cancer) they can be happy.

The barrier though is other people who make you unhappy. Your friends or family can cause you to compare your wealth to others.

The news and politicians can make you feel unhappy by telling you things are worse than they used to be and/or theyre getting worse.

Media can show you things you don't have and worse make you feel as though you would be happier, more excited, or more relaxed if you had these things.

Even though it's possible to ignore this, it's extremely difficult. We aren't as strong as we think when it comes to negative emotions.