Why does happiness feel so temporary, even after we achieve what we worked so hard for? We celebrate new cars, new houses, promotions, and upgrades. For a moment, there is joy. Then the feeling fades, and the desire for the next thing emerges almost instinctively. This pattern is so common that it feels natural—but what if it isn’t? What if our understanding of happiness itself has been shaped, conditioned, and redirected over time? Both academic research and philosophical th