The American Dream debate has been recurring lately in U.S. headlines; more specifically, the quintessential pursuit of happiness.

Are people in general more pessimistic? Rising prices of food and gas, weather disasters, the war in Iraq, government corruption — there’s a moan and a gripe for everything. Americans are scornful of the leaders, skeptical of government, depressed about the economy … but in spite of the complaints, insults and general gloomy attitude, do we ever really think about how good we have it?

According to a University of Leicester study about world happiness, wealth and health were high indicators of well-being: Luxembourg and Switzerland scored in the top 10, while most African countries scored very low. The United States was ranked No. 23.

Perhaps we aren’t as miserable as we tend to make ourselves appear. Do some of us count our blessings — that we have family and friends dear to us, live in a place where poverty and disease are not customary, that we are privileged enough to own those vehicles that become the source of our gas woes? Is this general bad mood just a case of Americans who’ve had it darn good for too long?

Those who have experienced what an AIDS epidemic looks like, have seen Third World poverty, have walked the streets of a war-torn country — even the Great Depression and World War II — do not likely take what we have here for granted. We are extremely lucky in many regards, they may say.

Maybe, just maybe, we should step back and analyze our outlook. And this time, look on the sunny side.