When I was a student at Berkeley in the late 90s, I often passed by a man in Sproul Plaza who stood on a crate or a bucket, held up a sign, and yelled nothing but, “Happy! Happy! Happy!” I don’t recall what was on the sign. I do remember thinking, “What is he going to accomplish just by yelling out that word?” “Happy” is a word that loses much of its meaning when you’re not feeling it. In the midst of sadness or anxiety, the word “happy” carries about as much flavor as “nice” or “fine.”

Some situations are impossible to solve with mere grit and optimism. Now there is a certain power to this belief, but when used to dismiss the needs of others, it can lead to neglect and cruelty.