3 ms·
> The world is more materially abundant than ever, we’ve eliminated several diseases, lifted millions out of poverty. > Yet, people aren’t reporting higher le
by cuchoi 7y ago
> The world is more materially abundant than ever, we’ve
eliminated several diseases, lifted millions out of poverty.
> Yet, people aren’t reporting higher levels of meaning or happiness than before.
I don't know about meaning but richer people (within and across countries) do report being happier: https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/gdp-vs-happiness https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/gdp-vs-happiness
Complete article: https://ourworldindata.org/happiness-and-life-satisfaction https://ourworldindata.org/happiness-and-life-satisfaction
- paraschopra 7y agoThe X axis is on a log scale. On a non-log scale, happiness tapers off and reaches a plateau https://images.app.goo.gl/aPzq1HaJz3Ejxopz6 https://images.app.goo.gl/aPzq1HaJz3Ejxopz6
- hjk05 7y agoTrue, so in the spirit of discussion let me phrase a hypothesis from the two facts we have established: 1. Material wealth grows without the number of happy people growing, and 2. Happiness increase tapers off as a function of wealth. The hypothesis: material wealth increase in the world is concentrated with people who are already happy. I don’t have numbers or regencies to back this up, but I have read countless times now that inequality is on the rise. Could it be simply that even as material wealth increases we are just horribly bad as a society at spreading that wealth to the bottom tiers where it would actually make a tremendous difference?
- paraschopra 7y agoYes, I'd contend you're right.