Excellent post, and I love this observation. Security is the main thing people need to have a chance at happiness.
For example I'm not happy unless I have at least 12 months of runway to survive in my current state without dipping into long term savings investments.
It just puts my mind at ease to know I don't have to think about rent, food, basic entertainment, etc. for a year at a time. Depending on what you do this could let you experiment without having financial motives. This is coming from someone who is a freelance developer for context.
What you describe as your requirement for happiness is possibly well above or below what is meant here (depending on your lifestyle).
Statements like yours downplay the actual needs of someone in need.
I'm in a safe bet now due to a couple contracts not going great. It's stressful enough that I'm spending money I shouldn't be on stress relief. But my emergency fund is full again, and I can't wait to get back to doing interesting, new, and/or important things.