Words, words...

How do you measure happiness? This is a question being much discussed at the moment, as a result of the Government's proposal to try and do just that.  I think the question is - can you measure happiness?  As I see it, happiness is a transitory state - I may be happy one moment, and not happy the next.  That doesn't necessarily mean I'm unhappy - I may be simply content, but no more.  I think contentment - or discontentment - is a ongoing state of mind, and you could measure that, but I'm not sure about happiness.