don's report archive

by Donald B. Ardell, Ph. D.

Wellness in the Headlines
(Don's Report to the World)

A Penn State University sociologist and a Harvard graduate student recently combined their scholastic talents to demonstrate, scientifically, that good health, above average income, higher education and sound marital status contribute to happiness. Isn't that amazing? Who would have guessed?

Using data from the 1972-2002 General Social Survey, the scholars analyzed varied factors and interviewed people in the age range 20-to-64 years. Data on health, education, the effects of getting older, race and marital status were assessed. Respondents were asked to self-report on a continuum from "very happy," "pretty happy" to "not too happy."

The researchers found a clear and unmistakable income effect -- the richer a person is relative to his/her age peers, the happier the person will tend to be. (Indo Asian News Service, 8/15/05)

I thought carefully about this, and concluded, after much reflection, that I would probably feel the same way. 

In an interview, one of the researchers said, "We find, with and without controls for age, physical health, education and other correlates of happiness, that the higher the income of others in one's age group, the lower one's happiness." Misery may love company, but the rich would rather be without company. The rich are happier being in a class a cut above the rest.

I suppose this study means that someone could be nearly broke, living under a bridge, in poor health, under-educated, feeling a bit broken down by the effects of age and still be "very happy" if nearly everyone else in his age group were even poorer, lived under a less desirable bridge, were in appalling ill health, had less education and was even more disabled by old age. OK, maybe not "very happy," but "happy enough."

While all this seems pretty obvious and not so earth shaking, it was noteworthy that physical health was the best single predictor of happiness. Physical health, of course, is affected by many factors outside of our personal control, such as genetics, the vicissitudes of medical care, environmental safety and chance, but lifestyle investments also play a key part. OK, maybe it's not big news that income, education and marital status, in that order after physical health, affect human happiness or that being wealthy lends itself to happiness more than does being poor. Yet, it IS worthwhile to be reminded that health is not an end in itself, but a first, foundation factor in the mysterious complex of variables affecting our chances for experiencing happiness.

A related study released about the same time offered another take on the rich and poor theme related to happiness. It seems that "higher levels of obesity and personal debt, chronic time shortages and a degraded environment" all hint that excessive consumption is diminishing the quality of life for many people. How happy will consumers be if quality of life continues to slip as a consequence of the growth of the "consumer class" on a worldwide basis? (See the Worldwatch Institute's annual report, State of the World 2004.)

Nobody really needs a scholarly study to recognize that, other things being the same, it is better to be rich, happy and alive than poor, sad or dead. It's easy to make fun of a study with such a self-evident set of conclusions, but such research can also remind us that happiness comes, when it does, in a larger context, one associated with higher physical health, increased meaning and purpose, better managed stress and higher quality of life -- all closely associated with wellness lifestyles.

Be well and always look on the bright side of life. 
 

(Note: This essay will be filed in the archives in the MENTAL DOMAIN under the skill area of emotional intelligence. Additional articles related to this theme may be found there.)

(Ed. Note: Views expressed in this and other columns are those of the author and not necessarily those of the SeekWellness Editorial Board.)

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