[muzani]

I do think you need the dream to be happy. Money/career is a prerequisite of dreams.

Some want to live on the seas. They can be perfectly happy as a sailor, even if poor and single.

Some want a family, educated children, respect. They would likely need a nice house, enough resources to get a scholarship, a shot at retirement. This is obtainable working in public service, even without money.

But most have multiple dreams. That's what makes things complex. The man who wishes for a wife but also wishes to be on the seas will find much fewer paths available. Sailors also don't generally get respected by most in laws.

To mix the two, they try to find the dream-job. Perhaps work for a big oil company and be 'forced' to go offshore.

Eventually people learn that desire is suffering in some form and cut down on the number of dreams. They may even see this as mature and try to educate others that this is the way. Those who have kids often are forced to pick kids as the dream. So there's a selection bias as well.