The happiest people I’ve ever met lived on a primitive, remote Fijian island in the South Pacific. At first, I thought their happiness was a put-on, but after a week on that island I realized that their peace, contentment and deep-rooted joy were not only authentic, but far more robust than anything I had experienced in industrialized cultures (Asia, USA, W. Europe, etc.).
These villagers, about 150, have no electricity, no plumbing, no TV. They garden and fish and have a well. They have a common school and are bi-lingual (English / Fijian). They have a small dispensary staffed by a island-traveling nurse for medical emergencies. Some move to the big island of Vitu Levu for school or work, but most stay in the village, living and dying much like their Polynesian ancestors have for over 1000 years.
They possess a simple faith and a simple life, with a level of contentment and happiness totally unknown to most of us. They are what I would classify as “upscale third world.” When I think of our technology and industrialization, our manic use of fossil energy and natural resources, our consumerism and frenetic lifestyles — I also often think of my Fijian village friends and wonder: who is living more in harmony with creation? Who has the better life?

Oh.. so to answer the question, “why can’t people find happiness?” I would suggest (from Naugle’s list) that Materialism may be our chief impediment to living in harmony with creation, and experiencing the natural depths of happiness of contentment.

I know we’ve heard this before, but hasn’t God put in us a “God-size” hole that only He can fill? Then happiness and all other fulfillment can only be found in Him. And the reason humans have not found happiness is exactly what Romans 1:25 says, we “exchanged the truth of God for the lie”. Even today we still exchange God’s truth with the lie that working harder and longer will make us happier and more fulfilled. John L, i agree, materialism is just the fuel to burn the fire of the lie even hotter.

I just wrote an email to someone that was wrestling with this question. I think the passage that speaks of all of creation groaning and all of us groaning with it speaks to this deep longing in all of man. In the fall, we lost the perfection that we were made for, and all of our lives we fight to keep that deep longing from taking over.
In Christ we find hope and meaning, but even in Christ we are still in a broken world and so we still groan inwardly…

This is a depressing post on happiness. Ultimately I do think that it is “original sin” – but not impacting mind – rather impacting relationship. I guess this is mind in a sense – but it is not that we are incapable of realist thought, rational thought, but that self and idolatry and rebellion breaks and distorts relationships with each other.

One of the paradoxes of our time is that, though, as Scott says, there has been a significant increase in depression and anxiety, there has also been a worldwide increase in reported happiness (the figures for the US have stayed about the same). Mean scores on happiness in virtually every country are above the midpoint. I certainly believe that Naugle is right to claim that most people are ignorant concerning the chief good for humankind. Given the results of happiness surveys, though, I think the proper question to ask is not “Why can’t people find happiness?” but “Why do so many people who are living lives that seem seriously misdirected nevertheless state that they are happy?”