“An unbelievably large part of happiness/unhappiness is determined by semantics; e.g., the couple who used to be childless is now ‘child-free.’ A nudist colony (tacky) is now a ‘clothes-free resort’ (not quite so tacky). So…you are not dateless, you are date-free. Bald is dandruff immune. In starvation circumstances fatsos are better equipped than skinnies. Having more…

“[My guru] says that people universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will maybe descend upon you like fine weather if you are fortunate enough. But that’s not how happiness works. Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and more…