Thought for a fortnight...
Because even when all our material and biological needs are satisfied, a state of sustained happiness will still remain a theoretical and elusive goal, as Abd-al-Rahman III, Caliph of Córdoba in the tenth century, discovered. He was one of the most powerful men of his time, who enjoyed military and cultural achievements, as well as the earthly pleasures of his two harems.
Towards the end of his life, however, he decided to count the exact number of days during which he had felt happy.
They amounted to precisely 14.