Is it really negative though, when the majority see it as a positive? I mean, we base all of what we see as good and bad, on what society (the majority) say is so, so what's the difference?
FYI: One thing that makes me happy, is researching Philosophy.
I'd say it's negativity if its sole purpose is to look down on something.
I figure you can divide happiness into two rough categories (extreme simplification incoming):
- Positivity - Happiness derived from a stimulus you enjoy
- Negativity - Happiness derived from the derision of a stimulus you don't enjoy
They both fulfill similar social motives, whether the derision is widely socially acceptable or not. Take hipsters for example. They deride popular culture even though it's just that,
popular, and they still earn some sense of belonging from it because they surround themselves with a like-minded minority.