Happiness is a gift that comes from within, and is not necessarily tied to circumstances.

@Tomfoolery33 It's hard to be happy when you are starving or homeless.
So I believe that, yes, circumstances can effect (not negate) happiness.

@Kymmacg True. There are always exceptions. I was speaking more of a relatively "normal" life.

@Tomfoolery33 I'm sorry. It's part of my personality that I look at the macro as well as the micro. I work with the homeless who have lost normalcy. But I must ask then, is happiness only unfettered by circumstance if one is living a relatively normal life?

@Kymmacg I don't think it's ever completely unfettered by circumstance, but I would say that barring extreme circumstances it is. I can be sad about something, but still have moments of happiness when the sadness is forgotten momentarily. It's complicated, lol.

@Tomfoolery33 It is indeed and a subject I tend to mull over. Sociologist by education, I am extremely interested in complicated! I was explaining in another thread that I really like movies for happiness and sadness, and the study of human behaviour. Movies/booke are like bottles of emotions that you can open, inhale and transport yourself to emotions that you need at the moment. Hm. I think I need to go write!

@Kymmacg I've been writing quite a bit lately myself. I have another book in the works.