Does Anyone Else Ever Feel Like This...?

[Mr.Obvious]

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Our goal shouldn't be to strive for happiness, imho. Just try to remove and minimalize what actively makes you unhappy.

But that's the same thing.

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If you are content, you're not bound to put your own happiness into question.

But contentment is definitely a poor substitute for happiness in my experience. I'm often content to settle for less and I'm far from happy. Content is more like comfort, and in my experience I'm at my happiest when I get out of my comfort zone and experience adventure rather than contentment. And I'm a huge introvert in many ways. After all most of the time I do stay in my comfort zone, and I am miserable.

I understand why they'd come across as the same thing. But it's a fundamentally different approach. And its all in the approach. The mindset.
I don't look at happyness as a basic right given to us as humans. I don't view it as something to pursue, if that makes sense. I don't expect it, just because I happen to exist. I just get rid of the shit that's around me because I can, and that is plenty for me, personally.
I just find that we are told too much to be happy. By commercials, this individualistic culture I grew up in telling me that my own desires matter most in life, by self-help guru's and religions and scam artists (oops, tautology). I feel the world would get along much better if we weren't so damn set on our own happiness. It's not something god-given and its not something you can just acquire or define.
Yet we are sold this idea that we should be happy, that we can be happy and that if we are not; then who is to blame? Other people are happy, right? Other people seem to make it in this rat-race of life and come out smiling, right? The failure must be mine, right? I can't let people see I'm not fine. I'll just try harder to be happy and overcome these failures and in the meantime I'll match my empty smile to theirs and when someone asks how are you, I'll answer with 'I'm fine, how are you?' because no-one wants to hear I'm not fine. I shouldn't be 'not fine'.

No. No thanks. No, I'll have none of that.
I'll just live my life in quiet and not do things I don't want to do. I won't reach and fall and fail. I'll just keep my spot and make myself comfortable.

But hey, that's just my take :p