What The Ultimate Study On Happiness Reveals

Asking people what would make them happy is a waste of time. If I knew that, I'd be happy. Duh.

In case anyone is interested the $75k happiness study would equate to $106k when inflation adjusted.

It's probably not completely accurate as some things that are happiness related would inflate at different rates but it likely gives a close idea

I enjoyed this video but I can't help but feel it should have talked about the requirements to sustain some of these things that are needed for happiness.
The current study about if money buys happiness touched on it but I think the video could have gone into it a bit more (maybe that would go too long though).

Most people aren't chasing money for the badge, they are wanting it for the freedom it provides them.
While money won't make you happy it provides you with the opportunity to prioritise the things that do bring happiness.

For example, taking care of your health was brought up. For that you need the time to both exercise and think about your food/lifestyle. You need to be able to the things in that plan like the healthier food and exercise related expenses. You need the money for the preventative healthcare, and so on.

Having a partner was also a major theme in the study and video. Many studies show that one of the most common reasons for separation is financial troubles. On top of that people in more stable financial situations are more likely to enter relationships. Again, this showcases the importance of money.

I think the people you interviewed had it right. Many of them knew that people, relationships, and connections would bring them happiness but they also understood that in order to have a chance for that they likely would need financial stability

Harvard sucks. Antisemites.

Dating again and although my life is very challenging I’m happy and some guy told me I’m not happy!!! Big red flag!!!! 🤦‍♀️🤣

Having money isn't everything, but not having it is

Notice how he says "alcoholic drugs". Most people do not realize alcohol is a hard drug.
If it were to be invented today it would be illegal in most countries.

money is the important thing, same for us as for our corrupt masters 😂

I'd say to be able to do what you like for the sake of having fun at it and not so much because you have to do it to feed your family. Sure, if money is a scarce thing people often think that money can buy you happiness. If you are in a situation where money isn't the limiting factor per se usually other factors become more important, i.e. like the self-determination over your time and energy to do what you actually like. I even argue that one of the most common issues in our today's society is that people always want more. More money, more recognition, a bigger house, more cars and so forth. I at least don't find much pleasure in buying or owning stuff nor in constantly competing with others. I'm more a minimalistic person who prefers to have less and therefore a more simple life than anything else.

No magic pill…. Sad
lol

This video stresses me tf out…

Money does indeed make you happy, not because of the number, but because of the things you are able to do with that number. You can't help someone in need if you don't have money. You can't help your kids in difficult circumstances if you don't have money. You can't have a healthy social life if you need to work three jobs to make ends meet. Money is vital for overall happiness and life satisfaction. 

Also, straight up, that kid saying he needs a million dollars? Maybe ten or twenty years ago, but not now, dude. You need much more than that saved up in order to pay for healthcare and living expenses after you retire. A million is the starting point.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs best describes how happiness is dynamic. Once basic needs are met, one can pursue self actualization. The pursuit of happiness never ends. One must remain productive and make achievements and make and maintain relationships to maintain happiness.

being rich + (Insert anything here) is better than being poor + (Insert anything here)

not a bomb on your roof while sleeping

I agree with your evidence for physical exercise, adequate income, and personal relationships for helping to achieve happiness but these are largely selfish factors. How could there be absolutely no mention of serving others, finding purpose/meaning in our existence, and achieving spiritual fulfillment? An innocent oversight or willful denial? These factors are far more important in my experience.

A feminist society is a dead one. I can be shut-in my whole life, have good physical health, and I'll never be happy in a relationship that I might never get to see. Seeing a bias against the unmarried dehumanizes, and spreads toxic traits of having something some people will never have. I'm just mad if I never get the chance to even date. I contribute to society just for the rest of humanity to take credit for my work and own more than I do.

Video Summary - Things that make people happy:
1. Exercise - keeps healthy both body and mind
2. Eating well
3. Meaningful relationships - good ones particularly spousal make people happier and protect their brains from memory loss and dementia, also stave off loneliness and regulates stress/emotions all of which increase risk of heart disease and stroke, etc
4. Meaningful work
5. Money - more doesn't make the least happy people happier but does increase happiness in those that are already happy

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I’ve always felt giving was the greatest source. Giving what little I had, without money. Simply being open to giving in service out of the good of my heart, brings me joy and happiness.
Knowing if I didn’t give my service of good, I would face a more grim reality and so would my neighbor.

AND HUMAN WHAT????????

Without a purposeful life one is destined to live an unhappy life. You need a greater purpose which goes beyond this life to be content. "I did not create jinn (another creation of God) and humans except to worship Me." The Noble Qur'an 51:56

I consider myself an introvert. I'm a single dad though, so idk if living with a kid can be considered "introverted", but either way I'm happy spending a lot of time alone doing my own thing. That said, I have four close friends and we communicate multiple times a week through text and hangout a 1-2x a month. For me this is a great balance and fulfills all my social needs while balancing my need to be alone, devoted to my passions and studies as well as raising my kid. I feel fulfilled. So the necessity of having relationships even for an introvert is key. I just think that ppl such as myself are more content with alone time, despite still needing some social outlet.

The Minister of Loneliness is the most emo job title in the world.

Alright... so.... What's the issue with premature death and why are we trying so hard to postpone it? Asking for a friend

In simple terms I was always taught by my father that you must find true happiness within yourself, if someone can take your happiness away then you are never truly happy. Happiness like many things in life is fluid, you will have ups and downs but you can still be happy with aspects of your existence, and if you are totally unhappy with everything in your life it may not be a bad thing. Maybe you suffer this unhappiness for long enough that it becomes a driving force to change your life for the better. I hope everyone reading this comment section can find some happiness in their life.

If everyone had money then everyone would want more money. Happiness is forfillment, family, friends, experiences, spirituality ect… Self Respect is also key. If you like who you are is pretty hard to be depressed.

Happiness for me is a by effect of trying to be a good enough person every day. That's enough happiness for me.

I thought betterhelp was practically a scam?

Am I the only one thinking of fulfilment? Be it mental or physical health, relationships, your hobbies or career. As examples; I would find it very fulfilling if my hobbies became a career and find it fulfilling to see myself in the mirror looking healthy and good. I love the level of variety, balance and routine I have, it's fulfilling. I am happy and I feel healthy. Something this video and this study appears to be missing is belief. Belief has been shown academically to be hugely influential on the human body and mind.

There are 'wealthy' people in the world that do not own a boat or go fishing. Believe it or not.

Disagree with the women in marriage research.

And some of us are patiently waiting to die😃

I have a bit of a gripe to raise with cohort studies. He points out - married people live longer because there's people around to keep them mentally active, and get on their back about their health. We know that the certificate doesn't improve your health, marriage status is a individual characteristic not a health or illness factor. The illness factor is isolation, lack of medical care (you don't notice something wrong, or you do but you put it off and noone's there to remind you, or you have an accident and a partner would be there to call an ambulance).

He mentioned a stat about isolation being as bad for you as being obese. We DO NOT KNOW that obesity (an arbitrary and pretty stigmatising word) actually CAUSES illness, there's a correlation. We DO know that avoiding medical care which would be preventative because of social stigma is bad for you, we also know that poor people, uneducated people, and social minorities experience higher rates of obesity and lower access to healthcare. Maybe... the stress of social stigma and lack of access to medical care because you can't afford it and otherwise avoid it are really bad for your health.

I come from a family with health issues, and truly the people with extra fat and muscle on their bodies do far better. They call it "the obesity paradox" but that makes absolutely no sense to me. Of course a person with extra energy on their body fare better, even just elderly people falling do better with extra padding, and not wasting away after injury, surgery, or chemo. When they don't, it's usually low income people and those who experience social and medical discrimination. If you're an elderly person, a chronically ill person, or even an otherwise healthy person who gets taken down by an acute illness, you will fare better if you are overweight than if you are underweight, and the research shows this.

Also, the BMI is messed up, self-report data is notoriously unreliable, and cohort studies are regularly flawed in methodology or interpretation. I love research and methodology and analysis, I'm studying sciences and anticipating conducting my own research. And part of my education has led me to read research in a very different light. I know this isn't directly related to this video, but its just food for thought.

No-one said money made life meaningful, but money often makes a meaningful life possible. If I don't have money to see a doctor, or afford to house and feed myself, how do you think this would affect my mental and physical health? Exercise and non-smoking/drinking improve your health... you need disposable income, to live in a safe neighbourhood, and time to yourself to exercise. Smoking and substance use is higher among low-income and older people. These are social factors. We cannot claim causation on any of this, there's too many factors involved.

The biggest takeaway for me is that money doesn't make deeply unhappy people happy.

People are concerned with having more admirers instead of cultivating deeper, meaningful friendships. Chasing popularity = a recipe for loneliness. It only takes one person to make you feel un-lonely. Find at least one person or coworker and build a relationship based on mutual respect. Take the time to get to know each other, have compassion for each other's faults, learn from each other, and be vulnerable. Trust is the foundation.

The Gross National Happiness (GNH) framework, introduced in Bhutan in 1972, was seen as a response to the negative impacts of economic growth on the environment and society. It aims to set the country on a development path that is more than just about material well-being... Let's learn from Bhutan!?!
We probably need to implement a policy that also attributes to how people define happiness and evaluate a good life (more focus on the well-being of every individuals in a society, rather than "every man for himself, focused on his own material wealth").

I love your videos, Derek. I'm also a psychotherapist, and I feel obliged to say I'm really disappointed to see Veritasium taking ad money from Betterhelp, especially in a video with this subject matter. For anyone considering getting mental health support, do your research before using a platform like this. "Betterhealth criticism" will get you started.

getting a girlfriend

I had too many friends, a few girlfriends, no money, and I was unhappy.
Now I am 36, I am married, I have money, no friends, and still unhappy.
So what is the point of me? I have no idea. So what is the point of this research? I have no idea.
Happiness is just a result of some chaotic chemical reactions. So that means 'Happiness is just random'. Like always, we look for a pattern but base on my experience and observation, there is no pattern here. Stop searching for it. You can't find it; it finds you or doesn't. Maybe in the future, pills can do this for us, but until that time: If you are happy, you are happy; if you are not happy, you are not happy. Write that down and stick it on your wall.

The trope that winning the lottery doesn't make you happy/you end up wasting everything, is just correlation.

What kind of people buy the most lottery tickets? Poor people that are terrible at managing their money, and have large families of similar tendencies. So they blow money on crap, and alienate their poor relatives, who are like crabs in a bucket.

I'm sure that those times where someone with basic sense buys the odd ticket for fun, and happen to win, they end up perfectly happy and don't become poor. Because they were already fairly stable, and the cash just frees them from financial worries.

Okay, but it's Harvard, and we just got proof from the Zuckerberg foundation that Harvard publishes what makes it more money and blocks what it is paid to block. Can we really accept any conclusions from Harvard researchers?

I am completely missing Philosophy in this discussion.

I'm primarily focussed on Buddhism and Stoicism. And just reading or listening to a few nuggets of wisdom can have such a calming effect, such an immense boost to my happiness and satisfaction. It truly as if, no matter where I am or what I do, there are islands to retreat to and be serene and content.

Physical wellbeing, yes ofcourse. But mental wellbeing, as in a good life philosophy, to properly interpret the events in life. From trivial things such as a person scolding you in traffic, or somebody praising you, or serious things such as death. All require proper understanding and interpretation, else you can be thrown around by every other person either complimenting or insulting you; or the loss of a pet can bring great depression while he/she lifted your spirits for so many years.

I'd say, as much as I agree with all these points, that mental wellbeing = life philosophy = interpretation of life events. That is absolutely in the list to make for a happy healthy long life.

In fact, I don't know how you can even do without! That would be akin to living a random life.

study shows that money does indeed buy it

Guess im gonna die early, I cant seem to make friends

Americans not realizing car dependency keeps them isolated

People feel happiness in various ways.... and many think they are experiencing happiness when in fact they are feeling satisfaction or gratification. Long term "happiness" is best described as human flourishing. In order to flourish, the number one factor involved is: PURPOSE. Feeling that we have a purpose is why our relationships work (or don't). Purpose is why a job feels meaningful (or not). Purpose is why you feel important (or unimportant) in every aspect of life. I can go on.... but you get the idea. Everything else is just desire and fulfillment - and those do not last.