Unhappy for No Reason?

A gentleman in his mid-fifties came to me saying that he has everything a man could possibly ask for, but he is still restless and dissatisfied in general.  He found absolutely no reason for his unhappiness.  Whenever he spoke to anyone they admonished him not to be so ungrateful when he had received all blessings in life and everything is going so well.

When I checked, he had a good job, salary and savings.  He had a loving mother and wife, two lovely children doing extremely well in life.  He had good health, status in society, membership of best clubs, respected by his colleagues in office. He had good hobbies, travelled to many places, and had some very good friends since decades.

I checked whether he had any setbacks or challenges and found none. He had fulfilled his ambitions, spent quality time with his family, and welcomed his mother whenever she came to stay with him (otherwise she stayed with his elder brother, with who also he had a very harmonious relationship).

In such situations, I inevitably take the person all the way back to his childhood, and ask him to narrate all significant and insignificant experiences. He had lost his father at an early age and his mother had worked hard to bring up his elder brother and him. She gave them a good education. His brother always used to be a little better than him in academics as well as extra-curricular activities.  His mother would always compare the two and would keep asking him why he can’t be as good as his brother.  He spent years and years trying to impress his mother and win her love, but he always felt that she appreciated his brother more.

Many decades had gone by.  Both brothers were married, had children, and were doing well in their respective careers in two different cities.  But he could not overcome his deep desire to prove to his mother that he is better than his brother.  Unable to succeed in this goal, he was unhappy with any other success, happiness, or relationships.