Big smiles wait behind the doors of Wal-Marts across the United States. But when the company opened its first German stores, the enthusiastic greeters stationed at the entrances startled customers, who thought the salespeople were openly flirting with them. Happiness may be a universal emotion, but it has an accent, with every culture interpreting it—and expressing it—differently.

Money. Family. A great job. A big house. Many Americans would say those are the essential elements of happiness—and the realization of the “American dream.” But beyond our borders, the view shifts.