A Key Factor in Well-Being: Others' Apparent Wealth
Writing in the journal Psychological Bulletin, researchers describe an association between people’s subjective socioeconomic status — how they perceive their own income, education, and occupation standing in comparison with others — and happiness. That association, they say, is significantly larger than the connection between people’s objective socioeconomic status — as measured by income and educational attainment — and their level of happiness. “There is a conventional wisdom that relationships and experiences are more important than money in producing happiness. But ...