Is happiness genetic?

a good solid enviroment matters

I'll definately agree with brain chemistry, and am inclined to believe genetics play a role.

Singing in the shower, 'happiness is, happiness is, happiness is, different things to different people , that's what happiness is', is no time to drop your aitches a bit.

What north said, the enviroment matter the most, have social security, good job, good friends, a partner, kids ..etc. Or being happily ignorent, often the greatest depressive factor is knowing one is inferior.

I'm thinking that a predisposition to having a low tipping point toward happiness may well be genetic. But that doesn't mean you can't be happy without it or that you will definately be happy with it.

Saying 'it's brain chemistry' is needlessly reductive imho. Nurture, attitude, personal history and environment have at least as big parts to play.

I wrote a reply and it got lost. I'm very unhappy about this.

But mostly I agree with Hinge here. I will return with a reply when I'm happier.

Yes, there is a lot of research on "happiness set points."

That is, context can shift things one way or another but people tend to revert to approximately their happiness set point.

Random Google result for "happiness set point," there is a lot more. Especially, look into Daniel Gilbert.

http://www.biopsychiatry.com/happiness/

It's not something that is written in stone, more of a predisposition -- inertia will get you there but if you're aware of it there are things you can do about it.

I don't know if happiness is genetic, but temperment is.