Minimizing misery vs maximizing happiness By Morgan Burford

Should public policies focus on reducing unhappiness? Or should they focus on promoting happiness?

Well-being indicators were typically traditional measures Why does this matter? Well-being indicators were typically traditional measures GDP Income Resources Replaced or complemented with People’s own assessment of their lives (quality of life)

All things considered, how satisfied are you with your life as a whole nowadays?

Findings Income level strongly correlated with “misery”, but less so with “bliss” Suggests that high income levels may help to avoid low psychological well-being However, high income means less of a guarantee to achieve high well-being

Findings Students currently in education have lower chance of being dissatisfied Unemployment increases probability of being dissatisfied Separation, divorce, and widowhood have higher chance of severe dissatisfaction Health problems have higher probability of dissatisfaction and a lower probability of high satisfaction Men are less likely to be among the most satisfied tenth of individuals Ethnic minority backgrounds are more likely to have low life satisfaction

Key Takeaways Varies across social groups more than happiness Mental illness or physical impairments Broad social issues (unemployment, poverty, social isolation) Bliss is a private matter More efficient to target unhappiness Complement with community strategies for promoting happiness