Happiness

I don't think of myself as an unhappy person, but happiness is far from my primary emotion.  I'd say that I experience happiness anywhere from two to fifteen times a week, and I notice it precisely because it is unusual.  What I don't understand is why our culture promotes happiness so heavily.  It's great to feel happy, but part of happiness comes from the fact that we also experience apathy and sadness and anger.  To focus on only one of our emotions is to deny the nature of our humanity.  Instead of becoming whole, we become saccharin, diet soda.