I’m not happy all the time, and I wouldn’t want to be because that would make me a shallow person. But I do try to find the good in everybody.

Parton distinguishes between constant cheerfulness and genuine emotional depth. By rejecting the idea of being “happy all the time,” she frames sadness, frustration, and complexity as part of a fully lived life, not a personal failure. The second sentence pivots from emotional realism to an ethical practice: choosing to “find the good in everybody.” The quote thus balances honesty about one’s inner life with generosity toward others, suggesting that optimism is not naïve positivity but a deliberate, humane discipline—especially valuable for someone in the public eye who encounters criticism, conflict, and disappointment.