From Newsweek
What we do need to be cautious of is leaping on the nascent science of positive psychology before we are certain that we are asking the right questions. The most recent findings, for example, are that wealth makes you happy but children do not.
So … more money and fewer kids. Can this really be the weight of our accumulated wisdom? Do we all want daisies-in-the-meadow happiness, or a less chirpy, quieter contentment?
The entire article is pretty interesting to read, but I think they confuse denial with happiness. You can choose to deal with your situation in a positive manner and only worry about what you can control, or you can ignore the letters from your mortgage company and other creditors or the warning from your doctor that you really should get that brain tumor removed, but that prabably wont lead to long term happiness; however, if you stay positive during any of these situations chances are you will handle them better.
The one thing I get out of the article is that kids almost always insure that you will have less money and probably more stress.