When Economic Growth Doesn’t Make People Happy
That economic expansion leads to greater well-being is a central tenet of modern thought. And yet, that’s not what is happening in America today.
In 2013, UNICEF released a report comparing the well-being of children in 29 of the world’s most advanced nations. The report compiled data on health, safety, education, behavioral factors, living environments, material well-being, and subjective “life satisfaction” surveys from children themselves. The United States landed near the bottom on almost all measures, ranking 26th out of 29 countries; only Lithuania, Latvia, and Romania performed worse.
.. Early cities appear to have been fairly egalitarian. Engong Ismael, a Balinese anthropologist, describes them as characterized by a horizontal caste system with clearly defined roles—each caste respected for its contribution to the health of the community.
.. Easterlin’s paper, which analyzed the comparative happiness of nations, indicated that rising incomes increase the happiness of individuals in lower-income countries, but that as the prosperity of nations rises it hits a point beyond which additional income doesn’t make people any happier. This phenomenon has come to be known as the Easterlin paradox.
.. Happiness is tied to what Deaton calls emotionally enriching social experiences. Kahneman says, “The very best thing that can happen to people is to spend time with other people they like.