- Rich Countries Are Happier: Higher per capita income can help, but it is less important towards happiness than having good healthcare and social safety nets. And lower socioeconomic inequalities. This is a factor behind unhappiness levels in the US; they aren’t explained by that country’s great wealth and high per capita income.
- Your Income Matters: It has only a small effect on subjective well-being. A US survey of college grads showed those who valued high income, job success and prestige above close friendships and a loving marriage were twice as likely to be fairly or very unhappy. Wealth (often a better guarantee of economic security) affects happiness just as income does.
- Marriage Cures Unhappiness: Settle down, get married? The jury is still out on the benefits of matrimony, though its many advocates will swear by its causal powers to bring true happiness—primarily to an audience of singles. Yet happy singles are more likely to get married, and very large differences between couples on the benefits from marriage aren’t uncommon.
- Everyone Can Be As Happy: Individuals differ in their long-term happiness levels, or "happiness set points", which are genetically inherited and remain stable over their life-span.
- Major Events Change Everything: Events like death of a loved one or great success were believed to affect long-term happiness; actually the impact typically lasts from six months to a year.
- Competition Is Positive: Competitive people are comfortable with lowering another person’s relative gain from something below their own—by definition. But such competitive behaviour is linked with unhappiness.
- More Is Better: Nope, you can have too much of a good thing. Whether it’s rising gdp or more sex, research is clear: additional amounts produce rapidly diminishing returns of happiness.
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Happy Myths List
Happy Myths List
