Money Buys happiness. (...doesnt it?)
IN honor of Valentines day..
The hippies," claimed an economist recently, "are having their quiet revenge."
This professor at Warwick University in England, is one of a building number of people fascinated by the question of what makes people happy.
Economists have suddenly realized that money can't get you happiness? This is like the loser at school suddenly discovering that college and drive can get you an income in his late 30s. The rest of the world had figured it out already.
One of the things that gets economists excited is the ability to compare info on income, education and marital status with the results of happiness stats. In these surveys, people are asked such cool questions as " would you say you are very happy, a little happy, not very happy, pissed off?" Economists have been trying to make sense of the results across all individuals, across countries and across the timeline. The headline: Once a country gets fairly rich (though much poorer than the United States), further economic growth does not seem to make its citizens any happier...hmmmm.
So, money does not garner happiness. Or does it?
Richer people, after all, tend to have kick ass jobs. They tend to have more control over their lives at work--why pay someone six figures if you're not going to ask him to use his own judgment? They also have higher expectations and goals and will be comparing themselves to wealthier people. It's hard to measure what is really driving the results: money, status or goals.
Maybe each society's wealthier people are also happier because happiness comes not from absolute wealth but from an overall relative wealth--
A more limited view is that while it means something to compare my happiness with that of the guy asking me for change on the street, it means nothing to compare my feelings today to those of my grandfather in 1940--or those of a Mexican shopkeeper or a Korean salesman.
Many scholars are thinking about the policy implications of happiness research. My own interest is a little different: Can the new breed of happiness scholars offer us any useful information for happier living..heck, life is limited in scope, so we need to maximize all seconds, right?
Much of the advice is pretty edgy at best. For instance, married people are much happier than single people, but a few weeks ago, the opposite was reported. So perhaps you should get married, or ummm, not?
Now wait... More sophisticated and educated surveys show that the relation runs two ways: Happy people tend to find wives, while those suffering from depression don't find it so easy. Wow..theres some breaking information. As an educated civilian, I'm afraid I have no idea whether you should propose to that hot girl you've been seeing or not.
Some also suggest self-employment, if you can pull it off without losing out financially. This may bring more happiness, but shorter term of life since there is more stress inherent with self employment. "Oh goodie..im happier, but now im dead."
Some experts argue that relationships are more important than money--and that includes professional relationships. Many think the old fashion view of romance is grand and will supercede cash, while others, like Trumps wife, think that cash is king of the heart, or apparently.
If you're depressed, why not just wait a bit? "There's a kind of bell curve describing happiness over time. Your late 30s are the most unhappy period of your life, but then the older you get the happier you are. Life really does begin again at 40, or at least I hope it does!
Someone recently asked nearly 1,000 working women in Texas to reflect on their previous day, list the different episodes in it, what they were doing and how they were feeling.
Some results are predictable enough: Work is miserable, and traffic is worse. Others are not so clear. For instance, praying is fun, but looking after the kids is not (huh?).
Spending time with your friends is one of the most enjoyable things you can do, but spending time with your spouse is just OK (That I do understand!). In fact, parents or other relatives turn out to make more enjoyable company than the supposed love of your life.... maybe its quality and QUANTITY of time with that spouse, eh?
What is perfectly clear, though, is that socializing with anyone except your boss or supervisor makes you feel better. Sex is king, to be sure. Here is the best advice, at last. But what if you are getting it on with your boss?
I dont have an answer for you there, son.
The hippies," claimed an economist recently, "are having their quiet revenge."
This professor at Warwick University in England, is one of a building number of people fascinated by the question of what makes people happy.
Economists have suddenly realized that money can't get you happiness? This is like the loser at school suddenly discovering that college and drive can get you an income in his late 30s. The rest of the world had figured it out already.
One of the things that gets economists excited is the ability to compare info on income, education and marital status with the results of happiness stats. In these surveys, people are asked such cool questions as " would you say you are very happy, a little happy, not very happy, pissed off?" Economists have been trying to make sense of the results across all individuals, across countries and across the timeline. The headline: Once a country gets fairly rich (though much poorer than the United States), further economic growth does not seem to make its citizens any happier...hmmmm.
So, money does not garner happiness. Or does it?
Richer people, after all, tend to have kick ass jobs. They tend to have more control over their lives at work--why pay someone six figures if you're not going to ask him to use his own judgment? They also have higher expectations and goals and will be comparing themselves to wealthier people. It's hard to measure what is really driving the results: money, status or goals.
Maybe each society's wealthier people are also happier because happiness comes not from absolute wealth but from an overall relative wealth--
A more limited view is that while it means something to compare my happiness with that of the guy asking me for change on the street, it means nothing to compare my feelings today to those of my grandfather in 1940--or those of a Mexican shopkeeper or a Korean salesman.
Many scholars are thinking about the policy implications of happiness research. My own interest is a little different: Can the new breed of happiness scholars offer us any useful information for happier living..heck, life is limited in scope, so we need to maximize all seconds, right?
Much of the advice is pretty edgy at best. For instance, married people are much happier than single people, but a few weeks ago, the opposite was reported. So perhaps you should get married, or ummm, not?
Now wait... More sophisticated and educated surveys show that the relation runs two ways: Happy people tend to find wives, while those suffering from depression don't find it so easy. Wow..theres some breaking information. As an educated civilian, I'm afraid I have no idea whether you should propose to that hot girl you've been seeing or not.
Some also suggest self-employment, if you can pull it off without losing out financially. This may bring more happiness, but shorter term of life since there is more stress inherent with self employment. "Oh goodie..im happier, but now im dead."
Some experts argue that relationships are more important than money--and that includes professional relationships. Many think the old fashion view of romance is grand and will supercede cash, while others, like Trumps wife, think that cash is king of the heart, or apparently.
If you're depressed, why not just wait a bit? "There's a kind of bell curve describing happiness over time. Your late 30s are the most unhappy period of your life, but then the older you get the happier you are. Life really does begin again at 40, or at least I hope it does!
Someone recently asked nearly 1,000 working women in Texas to reflect on their previous day, list the different episodes in it, what they were doing and how they were feeling.
Some results are predictable enough: Work is miserable, and traffic is worse. Others are not so clear. For instance, praying is fun, but looking after the kids is not (huh?).
Spending time with your friends is one of the most enjoyable things you can do, but spending time with your spouse is just OK (That I do understand!). In fact, parents or other relatives turn out to make more enjoyable company than the supposed love of your life.... maybe its quality and QUANTITY of time with that spouse, eh?
What is perfectly clear, though, is that socializing with anyone except your boss or supervisor makes you feel better. Sex is king, to be sure. Here is the best advice, at last. But what if you are getting it on with your boss?
I dont have an answer for you there, son.
posted by fatass at 9:26 PM
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