I think that many in the modern Western World have trouble accepting their life’s lot. And by that I don’t mean meekly accepting a position but remaining honest enough with yourself to set realistic and achievable goals.
For me many people attach the same emotions they feel for real events to what has appeared on their television or games console screen. Soaps can become as much part of their life as the woes of a neighbour. I believe this is because soaps and some games, unlike films which have a beginning and an end, are constant in life and have a longevity that makes them difficult to distinguish from reality.
This is really the crux of the matter for me. In the past, prior to the information age, people achieved the best they could in their area of the World. They knew how to measure their achievements and put them into context. Now because they have access to modern celebrities and sports stars the bar on realism has been raised and people have difficult distinguishing their lives from those who appear in the media. The more naive assume that they are only successful when they have matched their celebrity lifestyle. They become over ambitious and dissatisfied with their personal achievements and unrealistic in their expectations. They are unhappy with their considerable personal progress and crave more.
People in poorer parts of the world often appear more content with their lot because they have not been continually influenced by the media. They understand relative success and failure far more clearly than many in the media oriented Western World. Those who are happy live for the present, learn from the past and challenge themselves with realistic goals and are very content when they achieve them. Perhaps we should consider the impact the media makes on our own happiness?