i've discussed threads about happiness, but why is it such an elusive state to attain?

what is it about humanity that prohibits us from attaining absolute happiness?

even when a person would seem to have it all, there's always some aspect of them self that's never quite content with what they have...whether it's all the money in the world..they want more. They experience love and pleasure with the company of another person, but are still unhappy...

My brother is a good example, he used to be a happy person, enjoying life...he then got married, got a job, bought a house and things sort of went downhill from there.

He began to work more and more, all the bills were paid and they had money to buy the toys that those who work in the lumber industry can enjoy...but it wasn't enough...he needed more. The more he worked, the more money he came to need...he became a bitter, abusive man...spending more time drinking than being a father or a husband, she eventually left him...and he didn't even register it, but to call her up late at night when he was off work to call her up and verbally abuse her, over the phone; states away.

why?

why do unhappy people persist in keeping those closest to them, incapable of finding any happiness, dragging them down into whatever psychological misery that the opportunity to attain happiness twisted into something ugly manifestation of anger and hate...it's not exclusive to money.

even when people are happy...they have what they need, in the amounts they need it...and things are going well for them, but even at the most, glorious moments in their life, there's a nagging, they're not quite complete, something is missing...even when surrounded by the most magnificent loves one can have...there's a longing for more.

what is it about man that has doomed us to eternally strive, occasionally find, but rarely posses an ability to enjoy complete happiness; with ourselves, the world and the truly unhappy, twisted people insist on inflicting their, disatisfaction with life upon others...who strive to keep happiness, they thought they found...even if it's with an unhappy person?

i believe i know the secret to happiness, as i'm more happy than...discontent with my life...but there are times when even i have a lingering, melancholy, and my life feels like it's missing something...i can't imagine what that is, but it does rumble in occasionally.

some eastern monks seem to have found the secret of absolute peace and happiness living in this world, but for those who are incapable of devoting a life free of any and all material needs...maybe that's the bane of happiness, material needs?