The Science of Happiness: Are Married People Happier?

10/23/15: Are Married People Happier?

This article was published by Stacey Kennelly to the Greater Good website in June of 2012. Go ahead and read it now.

English: Happy couple Noel and Norma Hawke on their wedding day, Brisbane, May 1940. You marry between watches when you're in the Navy. Leading Seaman Noel Hawke and Miss Norma Brooke have made two attempts to get married in the last three weeks. They succeeded at the second attempt. (Description taken from: Courier Mail, 4 May 1940). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So what it comes down to is that most sigificant life changes will affect your happiness, for good or ill, in the short term, but in most cases -- with the exception of widowhood -- you bounce back to you prior happiness level.

The difference is, people who are unmarried tend to have a gradual decline in happiness as they age.  People who are married do not.

So being married doesn't make you happy, but it an buffer you from a measure of unhappiness.

Does this ring true to you?

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