How do you define happiness?

As today’s news article on page A8 brightly reveals, you’re living in the sixth happiest state in the entire nation.

That’s the official opinion of a website called WalletHub.com, which put all sorts of variables into its cybercomputer to determine Hawaii is the happiest state, West Virginia is pretty miserable, and we spudsters are up there snugly near the top.

Not that anyone feels competitive or anything, but Idahoans can be a little extra happy to be happier than our western neighbors: Washington is a wishy-washy 21, and Oregon is way down the chart at No. 39. Montana, our eastern neighbors, are a measly 31. Utah outshines us at No. 2, and to many Idahoans’ chagrin, California is rated a smilin’ No. 4.

While WalletHub goes into detail about its formula for happiness — see https://bit.ly/2cwl28T — here are some others’ thoughts.

“Happiness is a place between too much and too little.” — Finnish Proverb

“Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be.” — Abraham Lincoln

“Happiness is not a goal...it’s a by-product of a life well-lived.” — Eleanor Roosevelt

“The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet.” — James Oppenheim

“I discovered that joy is not the negation of pain, but rather acknowledging the presence of pain and feeling happiness in spite of it.” — Lupita Nyong’o

“A smile is the best makeup a girl could wear.” — Marilyn Monroe

“Happiness is an inside job.” — William Arthur Ward

“Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory.” — Albert Schweitzer

“7 Steps to Happiness: Think less, feel more; frown less, smile more; talk less, listen more; judge less, accept more; watch less, do more; complain less, appreciate more; fear less, love more.” — author unknown

“For every minute you are angry you lose 60 seconds of happiness.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

“There is no path to happiness; happiness is the path.” — Guatama Buddha