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Can you cite any studies that demonstrate this? This is often stated as fact, and I'm sure 'many' lottery winners are less happy, but I would still assume the v

Can you cite any studies that demonstrate this? This is often stated as fact, and I'm sure 'many' lottery winners are less happy, but I would still assume the vast majority would see massive gains in their quality of life and would report increase in their overall happiness. I'd love to read up on any actual data gathered on the topic if you know of any.

mattm 17y ago
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/dan_gilbert_asks_why_are_we_happy.html http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/dan_gilbert_asks_why_are_w... "Here's two different futures that I invite you to contemplate, and you can try to simulate them and tell me which one you think you might prefer. One of them is winning the lottery. This is about 314 million dollars. And the other is becoming paraplegic. So, just give it a moment of thought. You probably don't feel like you need a moment of thought. Interestingly, there are data on these two groups of people, data on how happy they are. And this is exactly what you expected, isn't it? But these aren't the data. I made these up! These are the data. You failed the pop quiz, and you're hardly five minutes into the lecture Because the fact is that a year after losing the use of their legs, and a year after winning the lotto, lottery winners and paraplegics are equally happy with their lives." http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?sched=1235 http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?sched=123... Act two (This is a very fascinating story) "This American Life producer Alex Blumberg talks with Ed Ugel, who had a very unusual dream job: he bought jackpots from lottery winners. When you win the lottery, your prize is often paid out in yearly installments. And Ed would offer winners a lump sum in exchange for their yearly checks. He's talked with thousands of lottery winners, and the vast majority, he says, wish they'd never won. Ed is writing a book about his years in the "lump sum industry" called Money for Nothing: One Man's Journey through the Dark Side of Lottery Millions. It comes out in September 2007."
fallentimes 17y ago
Even if it's true [1], lottery winners are a completely different group of people than startup founders who built massively successful companies. Here are some more examples: http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveMoney/8lotteryWinnersWhoLostTheirMillions.aspx?page=all http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveMoney...
- tylerhwillis 17y ago
  Agreed. Money earned is a different game than money won.

mattm 17y ago

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/dan_gilbert_asks_why_are_we_happy.html http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/dan_gilbert_asks_why_are_w... "Here's two different futures that I invite you to contemplate, and you can try to simulate them and tell me which one you think you might prefer. One of them is winning the lottery. This is about 314 million dollars. And the other is becoming paraplegic. So, just give it a moment of thought. You probably don't feel like you need a moment of thought. Interestingly, there are data on these two groups of people, data on how happy they are. And this is exactly what you expected, isn't it? But these aren't the data. I made these up! These are the data. You failed the pop quiz, and you're hardly five minutes into the lecture Because the fact is that a year after losing the use of their legs, and a year after winning the lotto, lottery winners and paraplegics are equally happy with their lives." http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?sched=1235 http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?sched=123... Act two (This is a very fascinating story) "This American Life producer Alex Blumberg talks with Ed Ugel, who had a very unusual dream job: he bought jackpots from lottery winners. When you win the lottery, your prize is often paid out in yearly installments. And Ed would offer winners a lump sum in exchange for their yearly checks. He's talked with thousands of lottery winners, and the vast majority, he says, wish they'd never won. Ed is writing a book about his years in the "lump sum industry" called Money for Nothing: One Man's Journey through the Dark Side of Lottery Millions. It comes out in September 2007."

fallentimes 17y ago

Even if it's true [1], lottery winners are a completely different group of people than startup founders who built massively successful companies. Here are some more examples: http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveMoney/8lotteryWinnersWhoLostTheirMillions.aspx?page=all http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveMoney...

tylerhwillis 17y ago
Agreed. Money earned is a different game than money won.