Big Question

So I recently realized that over summer I thought of a big question and after Friday's class discussion I wanted to go back to my post and see how in depth my thought was. Unfortunately I never actually typed it up... So here it is: What truly defines happiness? Is it different for everyone? Why do people have varying definitions of the word if it is a universal emotion, shouldn't it all feel the same? What determines what exactly will make someone happy? Has society changed what it means to be happy or have we simply lowered our expectations of what it feels like to be unhappy? There are lots of variations and branches associated with this question, which is why it is a thought that never seems to have a definite answer. It is a very intriguing and upsetting thought process.