[Margaret Pilkington]

That was my point Eric.......material things are not the way to happiness.
The roof over your head etc, I would consider to be the basics...though I know that there are children in the world who do not have the things we count as basic.......maybe the unhappy children should be made to live with these children and find out what real unhappiness is.

I also think that we need to experience a range of emotions as we grow up, in order to develop not only the coping strategies to deal with them but to realise that life isn't going to give what we want, just because we want it..........and hardship, unhappiness etc shapes our character and enables us to empathise....and be a more rounded individual.