IF YOU WON THE LOTTERY, WOUL YOU BE HAPPIER?
Probably not.
At least that’s the implications of an creasing body of research on subjective well – being. This research shwos that although winning the lottery brings an initial surge in happines, a year later winner’s level of happiness seems to return to what it was before. The converse phenomenon occurs for people who have suffered serious injuries in accidents : Despite an initial deline in happiness, most victims return to their prior levels of happiness over time (Diener et al, 1999).
Why is the level of subjective well bring so stable? One explanation is that people have a general “set point” for happines, a marker that establishes the tone for one’s life. Although a particular wvent (a suprise promotion or a job loss, for example) might temporarily elevate or depress one’s mood, ultimately people return to their usual general level of happiness.
Although it is not certain how people’s happiness set poin are initially established, some evidence suggests that genetic factors play a role. Specifically, identical twins who grow up in widely different circumstances turn out to have quite similar levels of happiness (Diener et Diener, 1996 : Lykken et Tellegen, 1996; Kahneman, Diener, et Schwarz, 1998).
Most people’s well being set point is relatively high. For example, some 30 percent of people in the United States rate themselves as “very happy”, and only one in ten rate themselves to be “pretty happy”. Such feelings are graphically confirmed by people declare themselves to be “ pretty happy “. Such feelings are graphically confirmed by people asked to place themselves on the measure of happiness illustrated in Figure 11-5. The scale clearly illustrates that most people view their lives quite positively.
Similar results are found when people are asked to compare themselves to others. For example, when aske “Whoo of the following people do you think is the happiest? Survey respondents answered “Oprah Winfrey” (23 percent), “Bill Gates” (7 percent), “the pope” (12 percent) “Chelsea Clinton” (3 percent), and “your self” (49 percent), with 6 percent saying they didn’t know (Black et Mc Callerty 1998)
Demograph groups don’t differ much from each other on this measure. Men and women respont being equally happy and African Americans are only slightly less likely than white Americans to rate themselves as “very happy”. Furthermore, happiness is hardly unique to U.S. culture. Even countries that are far from economically prosperous have, on the whole, happy residents (myers et Diener, 1996; Mroczek et Kolarz, 1998; Schkade et Kahneman, 1998, Staudinger, Fleeson, et Baltes 1999; Diener 2000).
The bottom line : Money does not seem tobuy happiness. Despite the ups and downs of life, most people tend to be reasonably happy, and the adapt to the trials and tribulations and joys and defights of life by returning to a steady state level of happiness.
Why do you think people cosistently rate themselves happier than they rate wealthy and powerful people like Oprah Wifrey and Bill Gates? Do you think Winfrey and Gates would agree?
source: essentials of understanding psychology by robert s. feldman
