by Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

Happiness experts agree that people are happiest when helping other people and engaged outside themselves. They also note that increased material gain does not increase happiness.

“The unhappy person resents it when you try to cheer him up, because
that means he has to stop dwelling on himself and start paying attention
to the universe. Unhappiness is the ultimate form of self-indulgence.
When you’re unhappy, you get to pay a lot of attention to yourself. You
get to take yourself oh so very seriously.”

- Tom Robbins, Jitterbug Perfume