The Politics of Happiness: What Government Can Learn from the New Research on Well-Being

is that average levels of happiness in the United States have risen very little if at all over the past 50 years despite substantial growth in per capita incomes.13

In one recent experiment, for example, two groups of subjects were given a sum of money and instructed to spend it all in the next 24 hours.58 One randomly selected group was asked to spend the money on themselves; the second was told to spend it on others in need. When the subjects were tested a day or two later, those who gave to others were sign

The second discovery of psychologists (including the Nobel Prize-winning Daniel Kahneman) is that people are often surprisingly bad judges of what will make them happy.14

In particular, they seem unable to predict the duration of the happiness or unhappiness brought on by many common events or changes in their lives.

Instead, they attach too much importance to the immediate effects of a happy or unhappy experience without realizing how quickly they will adapt and grow used to what has occurred.

Repeated surveys have found that married couples are more satisfied with their lives than individuals who are single, divorced, separated, or cohabiting but unwed.29

Rather, apart from such basic conditions as how well people feel, how much freedom they enjoy, and whether they possess the necessities and comforts of life, the most important sources of happiness seem to include having close relationships with family and friends, helping others, and being active in community, charitable, and political activities.

the percentages of Americans who declare themselves “very happy,” “pretty happy,” or “not too happy” are almost exactly the same as they were half a century ago.

Several familiar lifestyle choices also have surprisingly little effect on well-being. Moving to warmer climates does not help. Likewise, hours spent watching television or going to the movies do not make much positive difference and yield less satisfaction than exercising, gardening, or playing sports.28 Other experiences, such as a good meal at a