Why am I happy?

Never ask that question!

The other day I was feeling a bit unhappy, but I didn't know why. So I asked myself, why am I unhappy? After some minutes of reflection, I identified why I was unhappy and my supposed solution to the problem.

Minutes later, I noticed a feeling of contentment out of nowhere. So I asked myself, why am I happy? I couldn't put my finger on it and I immediately lost my feeling of contentment. I became unhappy.

So then I asked myself, why am I unhappy? Then I realized - it's because I asked why I was happy! My feeling of contentment returned.

I think when you ask yourself why you are happy, and give a reason for it, you realize that your happiness hinges on a certain something - something that can be easily taken away from you for whatever reason. It is no longer a feeling of spontaneous joy.