Sounds like a bad cultural fit for you then. Values are subjective. One could easily turn it around and say that a life spent in the pursuit of happiness is a waste. Hedonism is not a universally accepted value. One could equally say that Duty or hard work is the measure of a life well lived.

I don't want to come off as critiquing you, but this is an important point if you want to understand other people and their value systems