What if that characterization is right? Sad but right?

Let's suppose that you feelings are summed up by a score, happiness is just score 0 and normality being between 0 and a very small negative interval; also suppose that you cannot go over zero and everything that can happen can either:

- decrease that score (you feel bad about something, and that feeling is related to a certain, possibly temporary, disorder);

- increase that score, but only up to them maximum value of zero (you feel bad, but that friend helped you and her jokes are actually funny).

It may be that positive traits and strengths do exists, but it is also possible that they are limited to being able to only putting you back on track once you have a problem, not making you more happy or "normal" that you can possibly be.