"Humans are simply NOT designed to _be_ happy, we are designed to _search_ for happiness."

If that were true, then all humans and the people in all cultures would be equally unhappy. And everyone would be equally unhappy all the time. But they are not, partly because of people's expectation levels.

That assumes that the cultures have similar conditions for striving towards happiness. I would not say this is the case, both for economic and idealistic reasons.

In what paradise do you live in? On average, people are equally unhappy. Why do you think there’s a saying that ‘money doesn’t buy happiness’? You could be rich, you could be poor, you could be healthy, you could be a cripple, you’ll still feel meh, on average, about the whole life business.

Happiness is an extreme, like sadness is another. You dip into those states for a bit, the homeostasis returns you to the middle. Now, we could discuss if anyone is content or not. The West sells happiness, the East tried to teach contentment. They are very different things.