A little unhappiness is beneficial

Researchers found that the "most happy" college students had the best social lives but performed worse in school than those who were merely "happy."

Another study found that the "most cheerful" were not the highest earners. It again went to the second-highest groups, which rated their cheerfulness as above average, but not the "most cheerful."

The way to understand the studies is not to discount happiness, but to remember that a little bit of unhappiness has benefits.