I wrote a paper on this a couple years ago and did a poll...Sure would have been nice to have known about this thread back then; it would have made my poll easier. Here's a small excerpt from it (I named the paper "Happiness is a full bag of weed"):

Lyubormirsky believed that happiness is one of life’s most cherished goals and I have to agree with this, especially after conducting a poll of 50 men and women, whether married, single, divorced or partnered, between the ages of 18 and 65. In my findings, nearly all concluded that love and having someone in love with them was the most important factor in achieving happiness. Coming in at #2 was having children and a family, with having close friends coming in third. Amazingly enough, having a good job, money and great sex came in at a relatively low importance. One man quite joyously stated that, “Happiness is a full bag of weed” whereas others believed communication, helping others, being stress-free, being alive, good health, and, “Not having a nagging, bitchy wife anymore” made them happy. One of my personal favorites was, “Happiness is an inside job. It took me over forty years to learn that no one or nothing else can make me happy.”

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Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet. ~Roger Miller