On the pursuit of happiness

Very intriguing. I'm not sure that I would agree with everything in this book (nor even most of it), but I do wonder why it is that we strive to be 100% happy all the time?

If we were supposed to feel only happiness, why would melancholy and sadness exist? Or, for that matter, mirth, indifference and cynicism (which I adamantly believe counts as an emotion sometimes)? They serve, in my opinion, as part of an emotional system of checks and balances. Furthermore, it is through the broad spectrum of human emotions that we learn to be whole people. Forget self-help books and commercials that promise happiness if we buy yet another bracelet or a pair of shoes or if we lose ten pounds. Shame on you, advertising.