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Life’s Ups and Downs May Stick
In recent years, psychologists have been fond of stating that human happiness, what they call subjective well-being, is largely independent of our life circumstances. The wealthy aren’t much happier than the middle class, married people
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Steps Toward a Science of Well-Being
Are you happy right now? Is reading this article an enjoyable use of your time or are you already reaching to turn the page? What about your life in general? Are you satisfied? Daniel Kahneman
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Happy in Spite of Ourselves
Fans of the long-running TV sitcom Seinfeld will remember the episode in which Jerry realizes he is “Even-Steven.” Everything in his universe balances out. He has an important work gig cancelled, but before he can
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Income and Happiness
Martin Seligman and I, as well as many others, have now collected a substantial amount of data on the relation of money and well-being, but these data are often misunderstood. Below I clarify some of
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Observations
Evolution Says Men Marry Down Men are more likely to marry women below them on the corporate ladder, rather than their colleagues or bosses, researchers at the University of Michigan found. The study highlights male
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Affect Valuation: Theory, Measurement, and Cultural Variation
Most people want to feel good. What people actually do to feel good, however, varies considerably. For example, some people surf, while other people sunbathe. Differences in people’s behavioral choices may be in part due
