Saturday, July 16, 2005
Running out of obvious answers
First they tell us that money doesn't bring you happiness, now apparently being smart doesn't either:
What makes you happy?
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A study published yesterday in the British Medical Journal found the levels of satisfaction with life recorded by 550 Scottish men and women aged 84-85 were unaffected by their mental abilities, either when they were young or much later.I'm sure that some research has been done in this area, but even anecdotal evidence suggests that being famous or being beautiful is no guarantee of earthly satisfaction either. So is it really down to such "boring" and "ordinary" things like having good and satisfying career, having a good partner, family and friends, helping others, or being at peace with God?
The authors said the findings were contrary to previous thinking that "cognitive vitality" was important in maintaining a good quality of life in old age. A link between happiness and intelligence "might have been expected" because of the high value society placed on cleverness.
The lack of such an association might be because smarter people were more likely to be aware of alternative lifestyles, or to have higher expectations or aspirations, the authors suggested.
What makes you happy?
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