Folks in the dowdy world of academia have to be watertight with their research if they want their results to be credible, which is why typical studies into happiness will only target a few dozen people with lots of questions.

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And women an especially unhappy bunch of late may be especially vulnerable to keeping up with what they imagine is the happiness of the Joneses.

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"We believe that the first weddings will be beautiful and that they'll bring a breeze of joy, and that those who are opposed to them today will surely be confounded when they are overcome with the happiness of the newlyweds and the families, " she told the National Assembly.

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"To think that I had some important role to play in taking Salford to a new arena that will be there for future generations fills me with a lot of happiness, " he said.

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With well-being rather than happiness as the topic, interventions are now to be designed to increase flourishing, and not just life satisfaction, by increasing positive emotions, engagement with activities, meaning, positive relationships, and accomplishment.

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Inadvertently, Mr von Matt had put his finger on something big: that, at least in democratic societies, everybody does have the right to hold opinions, and that the urge to connect and converse with others is so basic that it might as well be added to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

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