Studies tracking changes in a population's reported level of happiness over time have also dealt a huge blow to the money-buys-happiness claim. Since World War II the gross domestic product per capita has tripled in the United States. But people's sense of well-being, as measured by surveys asking some variation of "Overall, how satisfied are you with your life?," has barely budged.
http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2007/10/the_happy_facts |