Around 1 month ago, I wrote a similar Forum post on the Easterlin Paradox. I decided to take it down because: 1) after useful comments, the method looked a little half-baked; 2) I got in touch with two academics – Profs. Caspar Kaiser and Andrew Oswald – and we are now working on a paper together using a related method.
That blog post actually came to the opposite conclusion, but, as mentioned, I don't think the method was fully thought through.
I'm a little more confident about this work. It essentially summarises my Undergraduate dissertation. You can read a full version here. I'm hoping to publish this somewhere, over the Summer. So all feedback is welcome.
TLDR
- Life satisfaction (LS) appears flat over time, despite massive economic growth — the “Easterlin Paradox.”
- Some argue that happiness is rising, but we’re reporting it more conservatively — [...]
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Outline:
(00:57) TLDR
(02:11) 1. Background: A Happiness Paradox
(04:02) 2. What is Rescaling?
(06:23) 3. My Approach: Life Events would look smaller on stretched out rulers
(08:10) 4. Results: Effects Are Shrinking
(10:46) 5. How much might we be underestimating life satisfaction?
(12:42) 6. Implications
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First published:
May 26th, 2025
Source:
https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/wSySeNZ6C7hfDfBSx/rescaling-and-the-easterlin-paradox-2-0
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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.
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