In recent years, there's been a switch in what society considers most important in life - no longer is wealth seen as the ultimate marker of success, but rather happiness.

近年来出现了一个变化，即社会认为，生活当中最重要的东西不再是被认为是成功的最终标志的财富，而是快乐。

But according to a Danish psychology¹ professor, our obsession² with happiness could have a serious dark side.

但是一位荷兰心理学教授却表示，我们对于快乐的沉迷可能会产生严重的阴暗面。

Svend Brinkmann from Aalborg University says forcing ourselves to be happy all the time could leave us emotionally stunted³. And what's more, happiness simply isn't the appropriate response for all situations in life.

来自奥尔堡大学的斯文·布林克曼表示，老是强迫自己变得快乐可能会使我们的情感出现问题。此外，快乐并非是对待生活当中所有情况的正确的回应方式。

"I believe our thoughts and emotions should mirror the world. When something bad happens, we should be allowed to have negative thoughts and feelings about it because that's how we understand the world," he says.

他说道：“我认为，我们的思想和情绪应该反映了这个世界。当坏事发生时，我们应当被允许产生消极思想，因为这就是我们理解世界的方式。”

Brinkmann believes that by desperately⁴ trying to be happy all the time, when something bad does happen, we won't be able to cope.

布林克曼相信，当坏事情确实发生了，我们老是努力试图变得快乐是无济于事的。

"Life is wonderful from time to time, but it's also tragic⁵. People die in our lives, we lose them, if we have only been accustomed to being allowed to have positive thoughts, then these realities can strike us even more intensely when they happen - and they will happen."

“生活有时会很精彩，但是有时也会很不幸。在我们的生命当中，会有人死去，我们失去了他们，如果我们只是习惯于被允许拥有积极的想法，那么当这些发生时，这些现实甚至会给予我们更为沉重的打击。”

Of course, there are people who seem naturally to have more cheery outlooks on life, and Brinkmann acknowledges that.

当然，布林克曼承认，有些人看起来天生就拥有更为乐观的人生观。

But he says there's a danger in happiness becoming a necessity and warns of the perils⁶ of companies insisting on employees being perpetually upbeat.

但是他表示，使快乐成为一种必需品是危险的，他还警告称，各大企业坚持要求职员们一直乐观也是危险的。

"I think this is a dark side of positivity. Our feelings tend to become commodities and that means we're very easily alienated⁷ from our feelings."

“我认为这是积极的阴暗面。当我们的感情倾向于成为商品时，这就意味着我们会很容易和自己的情感脱节。”

Because without the bad things in life you'd never appreciate the good, and it's fine to feel sad, angry, guilty, ashamed and happy too.

因为没有生活中的坏事，你就永远不会欣赏美好的事情，感到悲伤、生气、内疚、惭愧和快乐都是很正常的。