Why happiness is a bad goal?

Happiness, at face value, is such a positive emotion that many of us are trying to achieve in our day-to-day life.  However, there are components of happiness that can be bad, so those are important to consider and be wary of.  One thing about happiness that is bad is that it is typically fleeting.  Pursuing joy is a long-term goal that can be helpful, but happiness tends to be momentary.  For example, a vacation typically makes someone happy, but vacations end, and the happiness around them wears off at a certain point.  In that way, happiness tends to be more superficial rather than more lasting things, such as joy. 

Another reason happiness can be a bad goal is that it can easily cross the line into ignorant optimism.  When someone is only focused on the happy things, they can become ignorant of the natural negatives in life that deserve attention.  Having some negatives in life is only natural, and when someone does not give attention to those, it can lead to other issues down the road.  Happiness does not always fit a situation, so it can be a bad goal to focus on all of the time.  Also, someone who is only focused on happiness will be disappointed because being unhappy is only natural.  Being a blind optimist can also negatively impact those around you if you are not careful.  If someone you care about is going through a rough time and you are focused on just being happy, that could come across as a lack of empathy and make things worse for both of you. 

It is also important to point out that there are negative forms of happiness.  For example, someone that is prideful and/or a narcissist will likely be really happy and focused on happiness in their life.  Someone who is prideful will likely only be focused on their own happiness, which can negatively impact those around them in many ways.  It is important to consider the negative forms of happiness to be weary of happiness turning into that in your own life.