There is also contentment - baseline of happiness.

Happiness is subjective, and who says you have a right to it?

Here is the US it’s talked about. You have the pursuit of happiness, but you don’t have a right to it.

Your happiness makes me unhappy.

1 + -1 = 0

You can chase offer that BS if you want.

I used to think the same as you. In my case, it was a rationalization for moving forward in adverse circumstances. However, over time, I learned that happiness can be absolute as long as you understand what allows you to achieve fulfillment. That is not the same for everyone and has little to do with the material aspect of life 🫂