Erich Fromm says we pretend happiness because to be unhappy is to be a failure, which leads to shame.
We have made happiness into a necessity and marketable commodity, when it is a byproduct of purpose or meaning, according to Viktor Frankl.
attention awareness balance belief change choice contradiction creativity death desire discovery ego empathy fear freedom goals growth happiness identity individuality insight language life love nature pain perspective politics power present productivity psychology purpose rationality reality reason responsibility self self-awareness society stress time truth value work