Married People Are No Happier Than Singles
January 15, 2008 9:14 pm Source of happiness
My youngest daughter is in that phase of her life where many of her friends are getting married. If any of these newlyweds expect that they’ll be happier being married than they were being single, they’re in for a big surprise.
Psychology Today featured a review of a study that appeared in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
The study, conducted with 24,000 people in Germany, measured life satisfaction levels to see how well they adapt to positive and negative life events. While we may experience a spurt of happiness during our wedding and a deep sadness over the death of a loved one, we all eventually return to a “set point of happiness.”
Two important points from this study confirm what I believe: happiness is not external and no one is ecstatic all the time.
What do you think?
