[Aeolun]

Yes, the premise of what you read is correct, but the conclusion you make seems different.

People aren’t killing themselves, so even if their life sucks in many ways they must have found enough good things in the world to balance them out.

The original premise somewhere further up was that poor people are never happy.

I guess I should have used a less extreme point.

[tnzm]

The self-preservation instinct and general human will to live is strong enough to keep you going even in the absence of "enough good things". But good things aren't the only thing that balances out bad things, as anyone who has seen authoritarianism first hand could tell you. Bad things squared can work just as well.

For example, most religions have a taboo on suicide. "Your life sucks? Well tough shit bucko, you choose the easy way out and you end up in hell where it's infinitely worse forever." Absurd as it may sound, people can live against their will, too.

[thrwaeasddsaf]

Yeah I don't think people or animals have a built-in "suicide if life sux" instinct built into them. Most will just suffer and suffer until it ends.