What The Ultimate Study On Happiness Reveals

You did not discuss the massive problem of separating cause from effect. Married people are happier. Is this because they are married, or because happy people are more likely to attract a spouse? Are people lonely because they are sad or sad because they are lonely? Happy people find it easier to make friends, so do the friends make them happy, or or does their happiness gain them friends? Without addressing this problem, you haven't got to grips with the subject.

I think it's really interesting how the guy at 20:54 says we wants a ton of kids, and then clarifies "as many as I can afford". I think this is the reason people first think of money for what makes us happier, because the lack of money is the biggest limiting factor in our lives. It's not that having more money will directly make us happier, it's that it will extend the limit to the things we can do to make us happy

I find I'm happiest when I'm looking forward to something I like. And also when most problems in my life are resolved.

I used to get frequent panic attacks few years back, and I still get anxiety attacks today. At times, it felt like life was not worth living, because I felt so disconnected from this world. I am trying to understand what it means to have a meaningful life. So it doesn't really matter, just do your thing, do the things you love doing, chase your goals without thinking twice, have no regrets in life. And, if there is nothing you wanna do for yourself, do little good things for the people around you.

This is probably the most important educational video I have ever seen. As an introvert myself, I used to discount the value of relationships. But as I am growing older I am realising that this has REAL consequences.

When you cite the study that said that beyond $75,000 there is little increase in happiness (or however you want to frame it), you have to remember that the referenced study was performed in 2010. I just did the conversion between December 2010 and October 2023 (the approximate time of this comment) on the US Bureau of Labor Statistics website. $75,000 in 2010 is equivalent to just over $105,000 today. Keep that in mind folks.

I have to say... I love that Mr.Waldinger eradiates such happiness and well being.. he's been smiling the whole video. It's somewhat soothing

This video is really accurate at least for me and especially at around 22:15 when hes talking about how fast peoples lives change for the better and how much I resonate with that. I'm still in high school but I was extremely depressed from 2021 - 2023 because I had no friends and nobody to talk to and I would see people on instagram going to the mall or hanging out with their friends and cry over it because it was my dream to do that with someone, but one day in feb of 2023 I randomly messaged this person in my french class about how annoying our teacher was and we started talking more and more from there and now we are best friends and I'm extremely happy with life since I met him and joined his friend group with one of my friends I hadn't seen in years. I never would have thought that such a small thing would lead to me being finally happy but it did.

My life changed when I understood that the key to solve my loneliness problem was to stop expecting people to come to me, and to make the effort to go to them and actually get interested in them I can't stress how miraculous the results are. Basically everyone is craving for attention. If you give it to them, they will be your best friends

"Relationships protect our Brains" really hit me hard. I had Grandparents that lived long happy lives, when they moved into a nursing home they were put in separate rooms. When my Mom finally got the staff to get them a shared room, Grandpa unfortunately passed due to health complications before they got their room. Grandma's dementia (which was minimal to nonexistent before Grandpa's passing) ramped up and she was never the same. She too passed within a year of Grandpa's passing. It was pretty much accepted by our family that losing Grandpa was the cause of her fall into dementia and her eventual goodbye. That to me is the strongest proof how powerful relationships are to people.

i'm isolated and have no career the last 2 years, but i'm happy. not the happiest in my life, but the longest period of happiness. my mom also has money, so money helps a lot in not making me worry. so minimal money for survival and lack of social pressure is my formula for happiness

Happiness largely consists in prevailing over one’s enemies, vanquishing their men, conquering their land, plundering their resources, and feasting with one’s mates while bards compose epic poems about one’s exploits.

"Maybe the real treasure was the friends we made along the way" is a comment that is now getting old, ok, now it is time to reverse it. Maybe the real existencial crysis was the friends we didn't make along the way

Money doesn’t buy happiness, but it removes a lot of sources of unhappiness

All that said, I cannot visualize myself as being happy without a stable financial situation, without having to worry about how much I'll spend going out, buying things I like and just living in general. That, for me, is the most important thing right now

I've been watching this channel from when I was 19. I'm now 24. Thank you, Veritasium, for the wealth of high-quality information you've provided me with., and thank you particularly for this video. It was so fulfilling to watch ! It is never lost !

Wow... I am obese, don't exercise, highly introverted, and feel extremely lonely all the time. This was such a wake-up call. This could possibly be the most important video of my life.

I have always felt that being close to friends and family as well as a life-long (I'm 81 now) continued learning of any subject I was curious about, contributes to my overall satisfaction, self-confidence, and the awareness that all people are connected. Being involved with those in our local “village” seems to be built into our DNA, and quickly becomes the source of feeling we belong and generally happy with our lives.

After watching this I've noticed more how much power and happiness I can find in spending time with family. I subconsciously knew since I never skipped those moments, but now I really notice it and feel it.

I am happiest when overcoming adversity. As long as there is something to overcome, I will always be happy.