Dennis Prager suggests that happiness is a moral obligation.   He says: Whether or not you’re happy, and most importantly, whether or not you act happy is about altruism, not selfishness – because it is about how we affect others’ lives … Ask anybody who was raised by an unhappy parent whether or not happiness is a moral issue, and I assure you the answer will be “yes.” It is no fun being raised by an unhappy parent or being married to an unhappy person or being the parent of an unhappy child or working with an unhappy coworker.