I used to think the whole purpose of life was pursuing happiness. Everyone said the path to happiness was success, so I searched for that ideal job, that perfect boyfriend, that beautiful apartment. But instead of ever feeling fulfilled, I felt anxious and adrift. And I wasn't alone; my friends -- they struggled with this, too.
我曾以为人生的目标就是追求快乐。大家都说，成功是通往快乐的路，所以我就去寻找理想的工作、完美的男友、还有漂亮的公寓。可是，我不但没有感到圆满，反而觉得焦虑、茫然。而且不只是我，我的好朋友们也是一样。
Eventually, I decided to go to graduate school for positive psychology to learn what truly makes people happy. But what I discovered there changed my life. The data showed that chasing happiness can make people unhappy.
最后决定去研究生院读正向心理学，去寻找能让人开心的东西是什么。我在那儿的发现，改变了我的人生。数据显示，追求快乐会让人不快乐。
And what really struck me was this: the suicide rate has been rising around the world, and it recently reached a 30-year high in America. Even though life is getting objectively better by nearly every conceivable standard, more people feel hopeless, depressed and alone.
我真正让我震惊的是这点：全球的自杀率不断攀升，最近在美国达到三十年来的新高。虽然客观来说，生活变好了，无论用什么标准来衡量，结果都是一样的：有更多人感到无助、沮丧、及孤独。
……
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like is happiness