The people are supposed to be the happiest on the planet. They talk about those who are not experiencing it as not doing enough--when it is blatantly obvious that being there is the source of much of the problems. Too many rules--how can anyone be happiest when not free to do anything?
Can a person be at their happiest just above the poverty level? I don't think so. Most people would like more money, and there are plenty of things that the witlesses think of as luxuries (and didn't even exist 10 years ago) that are what I call practical necessities. They are not bare necessities, but most people today would think of a computer with Internet access as a practical necessity. And there are the "niceties", which are things that people enjoy. A stereo system, CDs, the ability to download music on one's computer, porn, a big screen TV, Christmas decorations, and cell phones that play video games fit this category. While not true luxuries, they are also not true necessities.
People are at their happiest when they are busy creating value. Those who create a lot of value are going to work long hours, and yet it will not seem long (have you ever had a child watch the clock to get done with play time and be glad it's done for the day? I don't think so.) Think Henry Ford and Bill Gates. People like that are busy creating things that did not exist before, or facilitating mass-production of things. They work long hours on the jobs, often longer even than the pioneer witlesses. Yet, they do not trudge off to work and eagerly await quitting time. And, those people are not just above the poverty line--often, people that pioneer in value creation become rich in the process.
The whole Watchtower Society's idea of happiness is totally absurd. Ultimately, it contributed to my going apostate. At least, here I can do something that resembles creating value. If just one person that was going to progress to become a witless decides not to based on something I post, or one person who is an active witless and happy with it drops out because of one of my posts, then it will amount to creation of value. And the Watchtower Society will be the one that is unhappy.