Well, you make an interesting point, but if your retort is to suggest that we should still take happiness seriously, I think you're missing the point. My original essay is suggesting that sometimes the opposite of the obvious strategy can be effective. Clearly, your argument is that this is not the case when it comes to happiness - and while on the surface that may seem right, if we look at it more deeply we can see that it is not.
Yes, dedicating one's life to activities, relationships, and experiences that bring them joy and satisfaction is important for achieving true and lasting happiness - BUT it's also important to note that those activities and experiences don't come from simply caring about and investing in happiness. That type of attitude can actually lead to complacency and depression.
Rather, focusing on positive experiences and activities and investing in relationships and personal growth is a result of truly not caring about happiness. That kind of attitude is what allows us to look at life with a fresh perspective and to truly appreciate all of the good moments it has to offer. This is why the opposite of the obvious strategy can be effective in certain cases - including achieving a lasting sense of happiness.
So, while it is true that happiness should be taken seriously and considered important, it's also important to remember that in some cases it pays not to care about it too much. After all, the key to true lasting happiness is UrRong - it's to not care about it at all!