Psychotherapist, psychoanalyst and author Susie Orbach on how to make a life full of substance and sustenance

We constantly absorb the idea that we need to be happier, but do we? The word “why” allows us to shift our perspective and think more broadly about why a “happier life” is the imagined goal, rather than a life that has more complexity, meaning and authenticity. In our consumer culture, it’s as though happiness is something we can buy, rather than contentment and interest, which we experience. This focus on happiness can negate what’s going on, how we feel, how many varied things we might be experiencing. That doesn’t make for a very sustainable or interesting life.