Everyone wants something, apathetic or not. Some people just don't realize what it is that they want.
On a more broad scale, i think it's safe to say that all people, whether they admit it or not, want to be happy. However, the route to happiness can be different for every person.
I think a lot of people get discouraged in their search for happiness because they fail, or things; results are not what they expected them to be. Nobody gets it right all the time, and indeed happiness can be a very hard thing to achieve. Just as with anything else, if you give up half way, you will never succeed. Happiness is very rewarding when you do obtain it.
Also, tied in to becoming discouraged, people a lot of the time come to think that "it's society's fault, or the world's fault, etc;" trying to pin the reason that they're unhappy on someone else. While i'd agree that there are things out of your control that can greatly influence your ability to be happy, or not... i think people have enough control over their lives to be happy at some level anyway.
The hard part is finding what makes you happy. I'd think though that, criticism, judgement; apathy... is not a good means to happiness. If you really want to be happy (everyone does) you need to get past those ideals and keep exploring. You will find what you're looking for eventually. Also, a helpful hint (at least something that worked for me)... use your pessimistic attitude to solve problems and make life better for yourself or others. Pessimism is powerful, you can notice details that many others may not. So, put it to some good use!
