On the Pursuit of Happiness

What is Happiness? Where and how do people find it? There are several ways I've seen people get it.

People find it in the material world; eating good food, buying that one thing we've been saving up for, living in a comfortable home. People also find Happiness in things outside of materialism; friendship, falling in love, getting married and starting a family, a fulfilling career, and positively changing the world.

In the world of academia, people find happiness through acceptances of papers to journals, funding, breakthroughs in their fields, learning about nature, solving difficult problems, connecting with other bright minds, and becoming wildly known for your work. Prestige, recognition, fame.

Is Happiness a state of being that is pursued though? From the previous examples, it seems like happiness is more of a byproduct of an action. We don't buy clothes to become happy; more so we buy clothes because we might want to look better for the purpose of being accepted by others (although clothes should not serve that purpose). We buy and eat good food because we want to feel satisfaction in our tummies and our minds, a short-lived pleasure....