The sociological approach to the study of happiness makes it possible to include sociocultural factors in the subject fi eld of felicitary research. Considering happiness as a multi-level and dynamic phenomenon allows us to raise the question of its nonlinearity and temporality. The article puts forward the hypothesis about the infl uence of social fears and the level of subjective self-esteem of happiness on the formation of models of delayed happiness. The article is based on the results of the sociological survey of the residents of Russian cities aged 18–60 (n = 1170). The typology of the respondents was constructed the basis of their emotional state, and fi ve types were identifi ed on the basis of their dominant emotions. The repertoire of social fears and the frequency of their manifestation are described, the relationship with emotional type and assessment of the level of happiness is shown. The generational approach made it possible to record the points of diff erence in the manifestation of emotions, fears and postponement of happiness among representatives of three generational groups. A higher severity of signs of delayed happiness was recorded in the younger generation. The infl uence of social fears on the formation of delayed happiness was proved. As the feeling of fear represses felicitary emotions, their dualism reveals dynamism through the emergence of patterns of postponing happiness.