"Some people may think that getting rich and owning a large house, several cars, and luxury clothes is the key to a happy life. Others would say that living a life full of adventures and traveling the world to see beautiful places and experience exciting activities is the key to happiness. Another way to find happiness in life could also be having a stable relationship and a cozy little home, shielded from the stressors of the modern world."
"A new study, just published in the Journal of Happiness Studies, has now explored which type of life makes people the happiest ( Delhey et al., 2026). In the study, entitled "Which Life Makes You Happy? The Satisfaction Dividend of the Prosperous, the Exciting, the Cozy, and the Sustainable Life," the research team, led by scientist Jan Delhey from the Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg in Germany, analyzed data from a large-scale German panel study."
Analysis of a large German panel dataset of more than 3,900 volunteers examined associations between life satisfaction and four life concepts: prosperous, exciting, cozy, and sustainable. Prosperous life emphasized wealth, large houses, cars, and luxury clothing. Exciting life emphasized adventures, travel, and stimulating activities. Cozy life emphasized stable relationships and a sheltered home. Sustainable life emphasized living responsibly and preserving resources for future generations. Participants reported life satisfaction levels for their current life concept. Prosperous, exciting, and cozy lives showed comparable levels of life satisfaction. Sustainable life showed lower life satisfaction than the other three life concepts.
Read at Psychology Today
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