Don't rely on people to be happy. Turn to them to be happier.  Notice the subtle difference in wording. Counting on someone to be happy-- whether it's a friend or partner -- means that everything from your mood to your self-value is inextricably tied to how that person makes you feel. You're essentially conditioning whether you have a great day (or life) on him or her. I don't know about you, but to me that seems like an awful lot of pressure placed on any one individual. If you do this, you're setting your expectations unreasonably high. People will disappoint you sooner or later -- there's no way around it. By expecting someone to think and act as you would want them to all the time, you're making it virtually impossible for them to meet your standards. You're setting them up for failure without even realizing it. People are human. They will do things sometimes that will leave you scratching your head in bewilderment. You may turn to them...