A poor man desires to own a bicycle and when he gets it he feels happy. A rich man desires to own the latest model luxury car. He too feels happy when he gets it. Now who is happier here? In any case I think it is wrong to judge that happiness is related to the absolute value of ones desires. A person feels happy when he gets what he desired. The amount of happiness depends only on the extent to which his desire has been satisfied not on the relative value of his desire and achievement. So smaller the desires easier to achieve; does not necessarily mean no desires max happiness.

There is another way to feel happy; that is to like what you have and be satisfied with it. But here the amount of happiness will be small but lasts longer. When a new desire is satisfied you feel very happy for some time but eventually the happiness wears off forcing you to desire for more. This is what has set the human society on a never ending pursuit of happiness.

Were our ancestors, without all our modern conveniences less happy than us?? I don’t think so.

There is no way to know for sure since we don’t have a measuring system for feelings.