I feel like it's the same issue, just using different words. For example, the concept of suffering extends well beyond things like physical and economic needs. It's like happiness in how difficult it is to actually assess it as its own quality. But I do see the value in minimizing these associated things rather than trying to maximize things like "life satisfaction rates"!

I think what you are expressing is minimizing suffering as opposed to unhappiness.

Unhappiness like happiness can be very subjective, as the other commenter rightly suggested.

The most elemental types of suffering you listed are much more universal. If we were able to free people from physical and temporal suffering, hopefully more people would be well and functional, and have a shot at something like actual happiness or fulfillment.

I wonder if societies can be relied upon to pursue intellectual development if they aren't fighting against need and suffering, or if more people would accept some degree of comfort or contentment and remain apathetic?

Unhappiness, or at least dissatisfaction, can be very important for growth and development. Maximizing happiness would be going to the gym and living a long healthy life, minimizing unhappiness would be avoiding the discomfort of the gym and enjoying daily gluttony.

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So tackle things in which unhappiness exists. To reach the more abstract happiness.

I like that.

I am not sure how well this approach works. I currently live in India and I notice that a lot of emotionally suffering and depressed folks are those that have a comfortable, financially well off setup (perhaps too well off). On the other hand, I also get to interact with labourers and poor people. Somehow most of those folks seem quite content and peaceful with their life (as long as they are able manage day to day survival). So I don't think physical or material suffering equate mental suffering although they may be a driver. Perhaps the poor don't live as complicated a life as the rich folks and perhaps they don't have the luxury or patience to go through existential crisis like the rich folks.

I think we should focus on tech, as in transhumanism or transanimalism, because no matter how much we try to philosophize about it, the body and mind will react to pain and suffering in a negative way, unless we tech up and make our body and mind resilient, just like a robot cant feel pain and can easily repair or replace damaged parts.

We could at least get rid of the physical aspect of pain and suffering, our minds could greatly improve with AI integration too (brain chips), making it far better at processing stimuli than what nature could do.

Become as strong and as durable as machines but as smart and wise as humans.

Johnny Depp Transcendence.

Unhappiness is a product in our modern consumer culture. How can they sell you something to make you happy unless you are unhappy? They manufacture unhappiness through advertisement and other manipulative practices like limited time offers to create FOMO.