I never thought that happiness was a sensible, reasonable, or practical goal; as well as being one impossible to achieve. Happiness is a change of state, not a status in itself. It can only be attained following sadness, and when attained can only precede sadness. Emotions fluctuate in all sorts of ways, and can no more attain stability than a feather in a flow of air.
Emotions are probes of another's state, so that we may judge their reactions to our actions. Emotions are always social tools, and of very limited use when alone. I barely spoke or had any meaningful social contact with humans from the age of 18 to 34 (and to an extent further back into childhood). During this time I was not sad; my emotions instead became dulled to a point of feeling very little, operating in a mode of pure reason. Once I began to interact once more, my feelings re-appeared and ultimately flooded back to what one might term a normal state.
Emotions are not solely for social use however, as psychologically we treat many other things as virtual people. Our emotions can be useful then. A beloved cup when broken, for example, may make us sad; an emotional guide to the utility of the object, a message that our lives may be a little harder from then on.
This is all emotions are, an informational guide as much as pain or pleasure. Rather than happiness, a more sensible goal for life would be to notice these messages for what they are, but to continue with our jobs of life with their guidance in mind. The sign of the civilised mind is one who is in command of their emotions in this way, rather than slaves to them.
