WhyWearehappy.docx
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WhyWearehappy.docx
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WhyWearehappy
WhyWe’reHappy
ByArthurC.Brooks
Youwanttobehappy.I'mgoingtomakethisassumption,andIthinkI'minprettysmartcompanytodoso.Socratesonceaskedhisstudents,"Donotallmendesirehappiness?
"Astudentansweredhim,"Thereisnoonewhodoesnot."
IfSocrateswasright,isn'titreasonabletoassumethatadecentnationwill,atminimum,createtheconditionsinwhichitscitizenscanbestpursuehappiness?
IntheDeclarationofIndependence,theFoundersdidn'ttreathappinessassomefuzzyconcept;theybelievedthatpeoplewantedhappinessandhadtherighttopursueit.Alongwithlifeandliberty,happinesswastheconnectionbetweentheCreatorandournation'sdestiny,andtheabilityofitscitizenstopursueandachievehappinesswasameasureoftheeffectivenessandmoralityofthestate.
Whatmattersmostforhappinessisnothavingalotofthingsbuthavinghealthyvalues.
Buttoday'sleadersandpolicymakersseemtohaveforgottenthis.Tohearpoliticianstalkaboutgrossdomesticproduct,health-carereform,andSocialSecurity,you'dthinkthatthisnation'sFoundingFathersheldasself-evidentthatweareendowedbyourCreatorwiththeabilitytopurchasenew,high-qualityconsumerdurableseachandeveryyear,ortoenjoyhealthyeconomicgrowthwithlowinflationandfullemployment.TheFoundersdidn'ttalkaboutthesematters,notbecausethey'reunimportant,butbecausetheybelievedhappinesswentdeeper.
Asaprofessorofbusinessandgovernmentpolicy,I'velongbeeninterestedinthepursuitofhappinessasanationalconcept.Accordingtohundredsofreliablesurveysofthousandsofpeopleacrosstheland,happypeopleincreaseourprosperityandstrengthenourcommunities.Theymakebettercitizens--andbettercitizensarevitaltomakingournationhealthyandstrong.Happiness,inotherwords,isimportantforAmerica.SowhenIchancedupondataacoupleofyearsagosayingthatcertainAmericanswerelivinginamannerthatfacilitatedhappiness--whileotherswerenot--Ijumpedonit.
Iwantedtobeabletoarticulatewhichpersonallifestylesandpublicpolicieswouldmakeusthehappiestnationpossible.Ialsowantedtoknowwhichofmyownvalues,learnedduringmychildhoodinSeattleandpracticedduringmycareerasauniversityprofessor,werethemostconducivetohappiness.IhadalwaysthoughtthatmarchingtothebeatofmyowndrummerandmakingupmyownvaluesasIwentalongweretherightthingstodo,andthattraditionalvalues,toputitbluntly,wereforsuckers.
TurnsoutthatIwasinforsomesurprises.
First,justwhatishappiness?
Mostresearchersagreethatitinvolvesanassessmentofthegoodandbadinourlives.It'stheemotionalbalancesheetwekeepthatallowsustosayhonestlywhetherwe'relivingahappylife,inspiteofbadthingsnowandthen.
YoumightsuspectthatAmericansaregettinghappierallthetime.Afterall,many(thoughclearlynotall)aregettingricher,andthisshouldmakethembetterableandequippedtofollowtheirdreams.Ontheotherhand,there'salotoftalkaboutthegoodolddays,whenkidscouldplayoutsidewithoutanyworryaboutbeingkidnapped.Andthere'sagreatdealofstressinthiscountryrightnow,duetofinancialconcerns,negativeworkplaceenvironments,andchronichealthproblems,amongotherpressingissues.
ButaveragehappinesslevelsinAmericahavestayedlargelyconstantformanyyears.In1972,30percentofthepopulationsaidtheywereveryhappywiththeirlives,accordingtotheNationalOpinionResearchCenter'sGeneralSocialSurvey.In1982,31percentsaidso,andin2006,31percentsaidsoaswell.Thepercentagesayingtheywerenottoohappywassimilarlyconstant,generallyhoveringaround13percent.
Thefactorsthatadduptoahappylifeformostpeoplearenotwhatwetypicallyhearabout.Thingslikewinningthelottery,gettingliposuction,andearningamaster'sdegreedon'tmakepeoplehappyoverthelonghaul.Rather,thekeytohappiness,andthedifferencebetweenhappyandunhappyAmericans,isalifethatreflectsvaluesandpracticeslikefaith,hardwork,marriage,charity,andfreedom.
HappinessPredictor1:
Faith
Roughly85percentofAmericansidentifywithareligion,andaboutathirdofAmericansattendahouseofworshipeveryweekormore.Thesestatisticshavechangedrelativelylittleoverthedecades.Byinternationalstandards,America'slevelofreligiouspracticeisexceptionallyhigh.InHolland,forexample,just9percentofthepopulationattendschurchonaregularbasis;inFrance,it's7percent;inLatvia,3percent.
Ingeneral,religiousAmericans(thosewhoattendaplaceofworshipalmosteveryweekormore)arehappierthanthosewhorarelyorneverattend.In2004theGeneralSocialSurveyfoundthat43percentofreligiousfolkssaidtheywereveryhappywiththeirlives,comparedwith23percentofsecularists.Religiouspeoplewereathirdmorelikelythanseculariststosaythey'reoptimisticaboutthefuture.Andsecularistswerenearlytwiceaslikelyasreligiouspeopletosay"I'minclinedtofeelI'mafailure."
Theconnectionbetweenfaithandhappinessholdsregardlessofone'sreligion.AllnonpartisansurveysonthesubjecthavefoundthatChristians(Protestants,Catholics,Mormons,andothers)andJews,aswellasmembersofmanyotherreligioustraditions,arefarmorelikelythanseculariststosaythey'rehappy.Italsodoesn'tmatterifwemeasurereligiouspracticeinwaysotherthanattendanceatworshipservices.In2004,36percentofpeoplewhoprayedeverydaysaidtheywereveryhappy,versus21percentofpeoplewhoneverprayed.
Ofcourse,noteveryreligiouspersonishappy;neitheriseverysecularistunhappy.Nonetheless,it'sclearthatfaithisacommonvalueamonghappyAmericans.
HappinessPredictor2:
Work
Ifyouhitthelotterytoday,wouldyouquityourjob?
Ifyou'relikemostAmericans,youprobablywouldn't.Whenmorethan1,000peopleacrossthecountrywereaskedin2002,"Ifyouweretogetenoughmoneytolivecomfortablyfortherestofyourlife,wouldyoustopworking?
"fewerthanathirdoftherespondentsansweredyes.
Contrarytowidelyheldopinion,mostAmericanslikeorevenlovetheirwork.In2002anamazing89percentofworkerssaidtheywereverysatisfiedorsomewhatsatisfiedwiththeirjobs.Thisisn'ttruejustforthosewithhigh-paying,highlyskilledjobsbutforallworkersacrosstheboard.Andthepercentageisalmostexactlythesameamongthosewithandwithoutcollegedegreesandamongthoseworkingforprivatecompanies,nonprofitorganizations,andthegovernment.
FormostAmericans,jobsatisfactionisnearlyequivalenttolifesatisfaction.Amongthosepeoplewhosaytheyareveryhappyintheirlives,95percentarealsosatisfiedwiththeirjobs.Furthermore,jobsatisfactionwouldseemtobecausingoverallhappiness,nottheotherwayaround.
Thebottomlinehere:
Ifwewanttobehappy,weneedtowork.Andthat'sadviceworthsharingwithourkidsaswell.
HappinessPredictor3:
Marriage&Family
Matrimonyhastakenalotofhitssincethe1960s.It'sbeensaidtoholdmanypeople,especiallywomen,backfromtheirfullpotentialtobehappy.Don'tbelieveit.
In2004,42percentofmarriedAmericanssaidtheywereveryhappy.Just23percentofnever-marriedpeoplesaidthis.Thehappinessnumberswereevenlowerforothergroups:
Only20percentofthosewhowerewidowed,17percentofthosewhoweredivorced,and11percentofthosewhowereseparatedbutnotdivorcedsaidtheywerehappy.Overall,marriedpeopleweresixtimesmorelikelytosaythattheywereveryhappythantoreportthattheywerenottoohappy.Andgenerallyspeaking,marriedwomensaythey'rehappymoreoftenthanmarriedmen.
Marriageisn'tjustassociatedwithhappiness--itbringshappiness,atleastforalotofus.One2003studythatfollowed24,000peopleformorethanadecadedocumentedasignificantincreaseinhappinessafterpeoplemarried.Forsome,thehappinessincreaseworeoffinafewyears,andtheyendedupbackattheirpremarriagehappinesslevels.Butforothers,itlastedaslongasalifetime.
Whatabouthavingkids?
Whilechildren,ontheirown,don'tappeartoraisethehappinesslevel(theyactuallytendtoslightlylowerthehappinessofamarriage),studiessuggestthatchildrenarealmostalwayspartofanoveralllifestyleofhappiness,whichislikelytoincludesuchthingsasmarriageandreligion.Considerthis:
While50percentofmarriedpeopleoffaithwhohavechildrenconsiderthemselvestobeveryhappy,only17percentofnonreligious,unmarriedpeoplewithoutkidsfeelthesameway.
We'veallheardthatmoneydoesn'tbuyhappiness,andthat'scertainlytrue.Butthereisonewaytogetit:
Givemoneyaway.
Theevidenceisclearthatgiftstocharitableorganizationsandotherworthycausesbringsubstantiallifesatisfactiontothegivers.Ifyouwant$50inauthentichappinesstoday,justdonateittoafavoritecharity.
Peoplewhogivemoneytocharityare43percentmorelikelythannongiverstosaythey'reveryhappy.Volunteersare42percentmorelikelytobeveryhappythannonvolunteers.Itdoesn'tmatterwhetherthegiftsofmoneygotochurchesorsymphonyorchestras;religiousgivingandseculargivingleavepeopleequallyhappy,andfarhappierthanpeoplewhodon'tgive.Evendonatingblood,anespeciallypersonalkindofgiving,improvesourattitude.
Inessence,themorepeoplegive,thehappiertheyget.
HappinessPredictor4:
Freedom
TheFounderslistedlibertyrightuptherewiththepursuitofhappinessasanobjectivethatmeritedastruggleforournationalindependence.Infact,freedomandhappinessareintimatelyrelated:
Peoplewhoc
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