The results are in: married people are happier than single people. But which came first, the marriage or the happiness?
A new study wanted to answer just that. Several studies have looked at the effects of marriage on happiness and life satisfaction, but critics have claimed there are flaws in the research. First, they claim that happier people are more likely to marry than less happy people, and that marriage itself doesn’t cause happiness. Second, they argue that the benefits of marriage aren’t lasting and the studies don’t accurately portray couples in all stages of life.
The National Bureau of Economic Research wanted to know the truth, so they researched on pre-marital happiness. And guess what they discovered?
Stress buster
Being married makes people happier with their lives than those who remain single — particularly during stressful periods, like mid-life crises. And this is the most important part of the finding. According to the Nobel-prize winning economist Gary Becker, the marriage dynamic has drastically shifted over the past century, evolving from women looking for men to provide and men looking for women to run a household, into equally-contributing partners looking for companionship.
John Helliwell of the Vancouver School of Economics explains that this deeper friendship shared between spouses is especially important during middle age where many people report diminished life satisfaction. “The benefits come in high-stress environments, and people who are married can handle mid-life stress better than those who aren’t because they have a shared load and shared friendship,” he said.
Living in also helps
Those who were married were not the only ones who reported higher levels of happiness. Living with a romantic partner, regardless of legal marital status, was the true predictor of happiness. Friendship seems to be the underlying factor in the whole study, as those surveyed who reported their spouse or partner as their best friend also reported being twice as happy and satisfied compared to others. “Maybe what is really important is friendship, and to never forget that in the push and pull of daily life,” Helliwell said.
Everyone has the ability to increase their happiness and life satisfaction by developing and nurturing long-lasting relationships. Overcoming the difficulties of life and finding enjoyment may just be a matter of finding someone to share the ride with.
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