Many people think that their lives will take a turn for the better after some major events in their lives. But, sad to say, there is a set point in life. For example, I might think that marriage (or any other major event for that matter) is going to be a big life-changer and that I am going to be damn happy after that. It might, but only temporarily. After the initial heightened levels of happiness, your personal happiness returns to where you started off. So, your life will return to the level of happiness prior to the life-changing event, the set point.