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I don't think it's an either/or proposition, either genetics or life circumstances, but rather a combination of both things, as other posters have said. Some people, no matter what befalls them, are able to "roll with the punches" and maintain their equilibrium and sense of enjoyment of life. Others in the same circumstances are thrown into depressions which can become clinical and life threatening. Differences in brain chemistry must account for it.
I also think there's probably population differences.(there are, of course, also differences within populations). You just need to compare the literature and film of different countries. You can see the operation of very different temperaments and attitudes toward life.
Of course, there's a limit to how much your brain chemistry can protect you. How happy can people be if they're in the middle of a war zone for years on end, or if hunger is always at the door?
On the other hand, I think expectations play a role in all of this. The more sophisticated and modern the society, the more that people expect from life, and the more likely they are to be dissatisfied. My parents often said that despite the fact that people had very little in terms of material possessions when they were growing up, they were more content with life, happier if you will. I think that's probably true.
Of course, this is all assuming we even know what happiness is...is it Cicero's "tranquility of mind"? One thing I'm pretty sure of...money, beyond the amount for the necessities of life, doesn't insure it. Rather, I think it involves feeling connected with one's world and specifically with other people. As Lord Byron put it, " all who joy would win
Must share it,—Happiness was born a twin."
Non si fa il proprio dovere perchè qualcuno ci dica grazie, lo si fa per principio, per se stessi, per la propria dignità. Oriana Fallaci