As we muddle through our days, the quest for happiness looms large. In the U.S., citizens are granted three inalienable rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

In the kingdom of Bhutan, there’s a national index to measure happiness. But what if searching for happiness actually prevents us from finding it? There’s reason to believe that the quest for happiness might be a recipe for misery. In a series of new studies led by the psychologist Iris Mauss, the more value people placed on happiness, the less happy they became.

via The Pursuit Of Happiness May Be A Recipe For Misery | Business Insider Australia.