Uncharted with Hannah Fry 6. The Happiness Curve
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Oct 2, 2023 The podcast explores the U-shaped curve of happiness in human lives, comparing patterns in happiness data to wage data and discussing the impact of responsibilities, health, money, family, and career on well-being. It also delves into the concept of a midlife crisis in orangutans and great apes, highlighting the similarities in happiness assessments between humans and primates.
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Happiness Patterns
- Happiness is not as subjective as it seems, showing stable patterns across large datasets.
- Economist David Blanchflower found these patterns comparable to wage data, revealing consistent trends across countries.
The U-Shape of Happiness
- Happiness follows a U-shape, declining from youth to midlife (around 48-50) then rising again.
- This pattern holds across genders, races, and countries, regardless of socioeconomic factors.
Universality of the U-Shape
- The U-shape is consistent across cultures and demographics, suggesting a deeper underlying cause.
- Menopause doesn't significantly alter the curve for women, contrary to expectations.