// HYPOTHESIS_LOADED

We ask "How are you?" at least 20 times a day.
The answer is always "Good," "Fine," or "Busy."
These are lies. They are scripts.
The Experiment: Break the script. Ask 100 random people (Strangers, Friends, Cashiers, Taxi Drivers) the real question:
"Are you truly happy?"

PROCESSING_EMOTIONS

> THE DATA (N=100)

RESULTS: YES: 22% (22 People)
NO: 34% (34 People)
"I DON'T KNOW": 44% (44 People)

> CATEGORY 1: THE "I DON'T KNOW" (44%)

This was the most shocking category. Almost half the people I asked froze.
They treated the question like a trick.

Subject #12: Male, 30s, Corporate Suit
"Am I happy? I mean, I just got promoted. So... I should be? But I'm exhausted. Does that count? Ask me on the weekend."
Subject #45: Female, 20s, Barista
"I don't think about it. If I stop to think about it, I might start crying. So I just make the coffee."

Analysis: For many, "Happiness" has been replaced by "Distraction" or "Safety." They aren't sad, but they are numb.

> CATEGORY 2: THE "NO" (34%)

These people were refreshingly honest. They didn't hesitate.

Subject #88: Male, 60s, Uber Driver
"No. My back hurts. My rent went up. My kids don't call. I am surviving, not living."

Poverty and loneliness were the two biggest drivers of "No." It wasn't existential dread; it was tangible hardship.

> CATEGORY 3: THE "YES" (22%)

Who were the 22%? I expected them to be rich. I was wrong.
The rich people I asked were mostly in the "I Don't Know" category (mostly stressed about staying rich).
The Happy ones had one thing in common: Connection.

Subject #101: Female, 40s, Sitting on a bench
"Yes. I just watched my dog chase a butterfly for 10 minutes. It was hilarious. I'm having a great day."
Subject #03: Male, 20s, Guitarist (Busker)
"I made $5 today. But I played music all day. Yeah, I'm happy."

> THE "PURPOSE" VARIABLE

I noticed a pattern. The people who said "Yes" were usually doing something they cared about, or being with someone they loved.
Happiness was not a state of being; it was a byproduct of action.
- The guy building a shed.
- The mom holding a sleeping baby.
- The artist covered in paint.

> FINAL_VERDICT

We have overcomplicated happiness. We act like it's a destination we arrive at once we have the car, the house, and the abs.
But the data shows that happiness is small. It's granular. It's a dog chasing a butterfly.

CONCLUSION: Stop asking "How are you?" Start asking "What are you working on?" or "Who do you love?" That's where the answer lives.