Today I look at how health, wealth and happiness are linked.
New reserach shows that for the vast (85%) of us, (the log of) wealth and happiness have a linear relationship, all the way up. Unlike previous, much quoted, research that has us believe the wealth-happiness correlation petered out around 70 to 90k USD p/a.
So, unless you’re coping with an existential threat (death, disease, divorce/heartbreak) like the unlucky unhappiest 15% of outliers, more money means, well, more.
What does this say about our values? (And about the priceless parts of our lives - namely Life! And Love!?)
What does this mean for Degrowth / managed decline and global happiness? Will choosing unhappiness ever be a popular policy position?
What does it say about the ethics of wealth taxes? (If removing “excess” money actually does make people sad? And do we care about the happiness of the rich anyway?)
I think this is very, very interesting indeed.
Let me know your thoughts…
Read more:
Sustainability served 2 ways : https://fluxtrends.com/sustainability-served-2-ways/
More is, well, more : https://x.com/timothycbates/status/1722677724785913871?s=46&t=4ZnlXYawVpFiG2SlapEWwg
And more : https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2208661120
More is more!