The Problem With Conditional Happiness

Stop seeing happiness as a series of if-then promises

Photo: CarlosDavid.org/iStock/Getty Images Plus

I used to think of my happiness as a series of if-then promises: If I had a partner, then I’d be happy. If I made six figures, then I’d be happy. If I moved to a big city. If I had a packed social life.

It’s an easy, and common, assumption to make — that happiness will come when your…