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Happiness is a complex topic. Why are some people happy in spite of bad circumstances, while others are always unhappy in spite of good circumstances?

What role does attitude play in happiness? Let's take a look at 7 reasons why people can't always be happy.

1. They Simply Choose not to Be

This is a tough one to swallow, but many people are unhappy because they simply have made the decision to be that way. Doesn't everybody know at least one person who is always upset or angry, and who has a negative outlook? Until somebody like this changes their mind or attitude, they will never be meaningfully happy.

2. They Have Life Circumstances Beyond the Obvious That Impact Their Happiness

Some people choose not to be happy. On the other hand, there are people who, based on appearances should be happy with their lives, but they aren't. This is because they are enduring inner struggles that interfere with their happiness. All too often, this isn't easily noticed by others.

3. They Are in a State of Growth or Change That Challenges Their Balance

When people are going through periods of growth and change, their world views change. The result is a feeling of uncertainty and imbalance that can block feelings of happiness or joy until things balance out again.

4. They Are Struggling with Mental Illness

This is another situation where appearances contradict reality. If somebody is struggling with mental illness, their circumstances may appear as if they should be totally happy. In fact, they may not be dealing with any external struggles at all. Unfortunately, what they are dealing with are internal struggles due to depression or other issues.

5. They Have not Taken the Steps to Create Their Own Happiness

Another reason why people can't always be happy is that some individuals are often in an in-between state. They haven't decided to be unhappy, but they haven't been able to get themselves to take the steps required to be truly happy.

6. Happiness Is not an Entitlement

Some people have a point of view that happiness is something that is owed to them. In this case, it is not simply that they don't work to find happiness, or that they have decided to become negative and sabotage their own happiness, these are people who are pathologically resentful that others do not actively work to make them happy.

7. They Have Yet to Recognize Their Blessings

Finally, there are the people who aren't lazy or ungrateful or entitled. These are simply the people who cannot see all of the reasons that they have for being happy. The good news is that if these people can see their blessings and get some perspective, they can almost always become generally happy people.

From these reasons why people can't always be happy, we can see how happiness is impacted by circumstance and attitude. However, what may be most interesting is how eager people are to presume to know whether or not somebody should or should not be happy.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Daniela McVicker is an author, psychologist and educator. She believes that success depends on knowing the ideas that allow you to manage and master the universe of information. She currently works as a freelance blogger for a number of sites that are related to educational and psychological backgrounds. You can get in touch with her on Facebook or Twitter.

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7 Psychological Reasons Why People Can't Always Be Happy

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Happiness is a complex topic. Why are some people happy in spite of bad circumstances, while others are always unhappy in spite of good circumstances? This is a tough one to swallow, but many people are unhappy because they simply have made the decision to be that way.

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The people around you are the ones who can affect how happy you are and will be the ones who influence your life the most either in a good way or a bad way.

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Misperceptions abound when it comes to what we think will make us happy. People often believe that happiness will be achieved once they reach a certain milestone, such as finding the perfect partner or landing a particular salary.

Humans, however, are excellent at adapting to new circumstances, which means that people will habituate to their new relationship or wealth, return to a baseline level of happiness, and seek out the next milestone. Fortunately, the same principle applies to setbacks-we are resilient and will most likely find happiness again.

Regarding finances specifically, research shows that the sweet spot for yearly income is between $60,000 and $95,000 a year, not a million-dollar salary. Earnings above $95,000 do not equate to increased well-being; a person earning $150,000 a year will not necessarily be as happy as a person earning a lot less.

The type of thoughts below exemplify these misconceptions about happiness:

"I'll be happy when I'm rich and successful."

"I'll be happy when I'm married to the right person."

"Landing my dream job will make me happy."

"I can't be happy when my relationship has fallen apart."

"I will never recover from this diagnosis."

"The best years of my life are over."

For more, see The Science of Happiness.

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Happiness is an electrifying and elusive state. Philosophers, theologians, psychologists, and even economists have long sought to define it. And since the 1990s, a whole branch of psychology-positive psychology-has been dedicated to pinning it down. More than simply positive mood, happiness is a state of well-being that encompasses living a good life, one with a sense of meaning and deep contentment.

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What Makes People Happy?

Think about a time when you felt particularly happy. What was it that made you happy? Was it because you had loved ones near? Because you were surrounded by a beautiful landscape? Because you had just accomplished something important? Or were you happy because you had lots of money?

'What makes you happy?' That seems like a simple question, but the truth is that many people don't know. Or, as psychologists have discovered, they think they know the answer, but really don't. Psychological research on happiness has identified several things people have in common: the types of things that make them happy, the things they think will make them happy, and the differences between the two.

Let's start by looking at what actually makes people happy. As you might expect, research shows that the best indicator of a person's happiness is the quality of his or her close relationships. Whether you're talking about romantic relationships, family dynamics, or simply close friendships, the happier you are in your social engagements, the happier you are in general.

Besides close relationships, there are two other things that predict happiness in people: having a job or hobby that they love and that challenges them and helping others through volunteer work, random acts of kindness or another type of prosocial behavior.

All three of these things make sense. I'll bet you weren't very surprised that solid relationships, engaging ways to spend your time and prosocial behavior all contribute to happiness.

But what about money? After all, if you don't have any money, it's very easy to believe that lots of money will make you happy. But that's not what psychologists have found.

Once your basic necessities are met, research has shown that additional money does not have a lot to do with happiness. So, while billionaires may fly on private jets to luxurious spas all over the world, it doesn't mean that they are any happier than people who drive 10-year-old cars and fly coach.

However, focusing on money and material things can make you profoundly unhappy. Research has shown that people who put a lot of emphasis on money and things are not as happy as non-materialistic people.

Affective Forecasting

The things that make people happy and unhappy seem pretty intuitive. But do people really understand what makes them happy?

Affective forecasting is the process of guessing how you will feel under specific future circumstances. Affect is just another word for emotion or mood. If I said that tomorrow you were going to lose your job, break up with your partner and fail a test, I'll bet you could pretty accurately predict what your emotional state would be.

But how effective are people at affective forecasting when it comes to happiness? Not very; research has shown that most people make consistent errors when guessing what will make them happy in the future.

Think about this: if you could either be a powerful CEO of a large company, making tons of money, or work part-time at a small company, barely making enough to cover your bills, which would you choose? Which do you think would make you happier?

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research on happiness: what makes people happy? - video & lesson transcript | study.com

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Research on Happiness: What Makes People Happy? - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

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Think about a time when you felt particularly happy. What was it that made you happy? Was it because you had loved ones near? Because you were surrounded by a beautiful landscape? Because you had just accomplished something important? Or were you happy because you had lots of money?