#life-satisfaction

#life-satisfaction

It shows up in songs, films, ads, social-media posts-but it says more about Americans' idealization of youth than it does about what it actually feels like to be young today. The 2024 World Happiness Report found that when American adults were asked to rate the extent to which they were living their "best possible life," those over 60 answered the most positively, followed by 45-to-59-year-olds. People younger than 30 trailed behind.

Earlier this week, the 2025 Happiness Atlas found that people in Germany are once again more satisfied with their lives than they were in the past few years. The mood has noticeably brightened since the coronavirus pandemic begun. One in two people now describe themselves as very satisfied. Satisfaction has grown more markedly in eastern Germany than in western states. People in Hamburg are the happiest.

But one of the simplest, most personal considerations is whether, and how, having a child will affect a person's quality of life. Here, psychologists studying well-being have encountered what's sometimes called the parenting paradox: parents report lower mood and more stress and depression in their daily lives than adults without children; yet parents also tend to report higher life satisfaction in general.

The data shows that having a pet companion can increase life satisfaction significantly, with a value comparable to regular interactions with friends and family.

When faced with too many choices, dissatisfaction grows—not due to the choices themselves, but because each option creates a sense of loss and regret over paths not taken.

Subjective age, how old we feel versus our chronological age, significantly influences our happiness and well-being, suggesting that youthfulness in perspective can lead to greater life satisfaction.

Indonesia ranked highest in flourishing due to strong social connections, contrasting with Japan, where wealth is high but social ties are weak.