【Overthelast70yearsresearchershavebeenstudyinghappyandunhappypeopleandfinallyfoundouttenfactorsthatmakeadifference.Ourfeelingsofwell-beingatanymomentaredeterminedtoacertaindegreebygenes.Howeverofallthefa】

　　Overthelast70yearsresearchershavebeenstudyinghappyandunhappypeopleandfinallyfoundouttenfactorsthatmakeadifference.Ourfeelingsofwell-beingatanymomentaredeterminedtoacertaindegreebygenes.Howeverofallthefactorswealthandagearethetoptwo.

　　Moneycanbuyadegreeofhappiness.Butonceyoucanaffordtofeedclotheandhouseyourselfeachextradollarmakeslessandlessdifference.

　　Researchersfindthatonaveragewealthierpeoplearehappier.Butthelinkbetweenmoneyandhappinessiscomplex.Inthepasthalf-centuryaverageincomehassharplyincreasedindevelopedcountriesyethappinesslevelshaveremainedalmostthesame.Onceyourbasicneedsaremetmoneyonlyseemstoincreasehappinessifyouhavemorethanyourfriendsneighborsandcolleagues.

　　“Dollarsbuystatusandstatusmakespeoplefeelbetter”concludesomeexpertswhichhelpsexplainwhypeoplewhocanseekstatusinotherways—scientistsoractorsforexample—mayhappilyacceptrelativelypoorly-paidjobs.

　　InaresearchProfessorAlexMichalosfoundthatthepeoplewhosedesires—notjustformoneybutforfriendsfamilyjobhealth—rosefurthestbeyondwhattheyalreadyhadtendedtobelesshappythanthosewhofeltasmallergap(差距).Indeedthesizeofthegappredictedhappinessaboutfivetimesbetterthanincomealone.“Thegapmeasuresjustblowawaytheonlymeasuresofincome”saysMichalos.

　　Anotherfactorthathastodowithhappinessisage.Oldagemaynotbesobad.“Givenalltheproblemsofaginghowcouldtheelderlybemoresatisfied?”asksProfessorLauraCarstensen.

　　InonesurveyCarstenseninterviewed184peoplebetweentheagesof18and94andaskedthemtofilloutanemotionsquestionaire.Shefoundthatoldpeoplereportedpositiveemotionsjustasoftenasyoungpeoplebutnegativeemotionsmuchlessoften.

　　Whyareoldpeoplehappier?Somescientistssuggestolderpeoplemayexpectlifetobeharderandlearntolivewithitorthey’remorerealisticabouttheirgoalsonlysettingonesthattheyknowtheycanachieve.ButCarstensenthinksthatwithtimerunningoutolderpeoplehavelearnedtofocusonthingsthatmakethemhappyandletgoofthosethatdon’t.

　　“Peoplerealizenotonlywhattheyhavebutalsothatwhattheyhav