George Mason University, USA.
Harv Bus Rev. 2012 Jan-Feb;90(1-2):104-9, 153.
In the 18th century, the Enlightenment ushered in the notion that happiness was the attainment of a worthy life. Since then the pursuit of happiness has spread to every aspect of behavior, from religion and politics to work and parenting. Today the happiness imperative creates pressures that, paradoxically, can make us miserable. Sadness is often mistaken for a pathology. Understanding the cultural commitment to good cheer as an artifact of modern history, not as an inherent feature of the human condition, opens new opportunities for understanding key facets of our social and personal experience.
在 18 世纪，启蒙运动提出了幸福是过上有价值的生活的观点。从那时起，追求幸福已经蔓延到行为的各个方面，从宗教和政治到工作和育儿。如今，幸福的必然性带来了压力，而这些压力却恰恰使我们感到痛苦。悲伤常常被误认为是一种病态。将对欢乐的文化承诺理解为现代历史的产物，而不是人类状况的固有特征，为理解我们的社会和个人经验的关键方面开辟了新的机会。
