I strongly suspect there are probably a few comparable studies out there that draw quite different conclusions and I think it's too bad the author didn't do a better job of covering the actual details of the studies as well as the results of the overall research in this area.
Happiness is subjective, and frankly my happiness is dependent on what I achive in life, as I expect most people on here are. People on here are trying to set up companies, most of whom will likely fail as most start-ups do in the first couple of years and they bring a lot of stress and depression, but everyone on here seems positively extatic that they're doing something that in two decades they can say they did something with their life.
I would hate myself if I got to 80 and realised I'd never accomplished anything. If I have kids, I know I'll have done at least _something_ with my life, I'll be able to say 'I raised my 2.4 kids well' and be proud of it. Just like I'm proud that I've moved to a different country.
I'm proud of my life already and I'm only in my 20's, having kids is only going to make me more proud of my life, just as many other things I aim to accomplish will. So I really don't care if I'm not as smiley happy for a few years as I'll be happy that I've done things other people haven't.
Actually, I think I remember an article claiming that having a startup does make entrepreneurs happy. It's everything else (income, social life, stress level) that gets worse for entrepreneurs when they start their own business.
Working for myself has definitely lowered my income, at least for the short term. But I'm fairly happy.
It always amuses me when people point to their kids as their proudest achievement. It puts me in mind of this:
function generation(input) {
output = input + 0;
generation(output);
}
Lots of activity, no progress. Your greatest achievement should be something you did that any kids you have would be proud of. Merely spwaning offspring is something that anyone can do - and some of the best kids in every generation come from the worst homes so 'doing it right' is hardly a value added activity.
Raising a child is a lot more than "spwaning offspring." You're obviously not a parent and have no appreciation for what your parents have done for you.
In the meantime keep playing halo and wanking to online porn.
There is always lots of talk 'round these parts about "how are you going to change the world?" Many people, parents included, don't realize that the simple act of raising children is loaded with this very possibility.
As mentioned below, yes, plenty of people simply spawn offspring, and that's problematic. But there are also plenty of parents who take their task very, very seriously.
Having children is easy, and obviously billions of unremarkable people do it. But raising children well is extremely difficult. It requires hard work, deep thinking, and dedication.
"...some of the best kids in every generation come from the worst homes so 'doing it right' is hardly a value added activity."
And many of the worst people in every generation come from the worst homes. Doing it right is most definitely a value-added activity.
At my old job we used to play basketball once a week after work. I can't say either this article is true or not, but one thing for sure: guys with kids were much less eager to leave the court and go home. They were the last to leave and first to beg others (kidless) to stay and play a little longer.
Scariest remark so far. I have long had the same suspicion about those co-workers who love the extra-long hours: they are simply afraid to go home and meet the family(?).
That might also (among other things) be the reason employers love to hear that you have a family.
Every single study on couples that choose not to have children confirms that they tend to be well-educated and well-off. If you pick a group that's better off than most in every important category (money, social rank, health, etc), you would expect them to be happier, duh. Correlating one of their many choices with happiness is a classic example of selection bias.
Well let's hand it to Newsweek for enforcing a crappy version of the page because I'm viewing it from my iPhone. It doesn't take me to a mobile version of the story, just a mini-list of "mobile stories".
Schopenhauer knew this - fulfilling our biological urges (to pair off and multiply) is in no way related to human happiness. Where biology and happiness butt heads biology is more likely to win.
Are self-filled surveys accurate in finding out whether someone is happy? I my experience, verbal responses, action and body language often contradict each other. Which is right?
Even having a very beautiful girlfriend can't make you happy all the time. You can still cry while you are at the Disney Land.
All those studies failed to recognize that the state of happiness is not something infinite. And how can you understand and appreciate the happiness if you have never taste the wrath of sadness?
Yes, the studies show us the correlation between having kids and less happiness in people. But remember, correlation does not imply causation.
What this leaves out is the elder years. I believe there is evidence that looking back on an achievements like raising a family lead to happier grey years. Additionally, having someone to care for you when your spouse is gone, and having family to be a part of seems pretty likely to increase happiness. I'd be willing to bet that having grandkids makes people happier. (all play, no work!)
This article is a positive. Those people who read it and decide not to have children, they are at least not replicating there DNA meaning future generations will not have to deal with those who only have love for themselves.
Reminds me of the story of Narcissus where Narcissus fell in love with himself once he saw his reflection. He was so in love with his reflection he didn't leave to eat and died.
I would characterize a person who decides to make partial copies of himself to care for as more self-loving than a person who takes a sober look at resource depletion and decides to seek other means of self-fulfilment, whether that means taking care of already-existing humans or just self-actualizing in solitude.
The article cites longitudinal studies showing randomly selected couples are happier before they have kids and after kids leave the house than while the kids are home. It shows a significant portion of randomly selected parents would rather do chores (e.g., grocery shopping) than spend time with their kids. Neither of those is adequately explained by selection bias.
Selection bias may explain why childless couples, on average, are happier than couples with children. But not any of the dozens of corroborating data points presented in the article.
Don't forget cognitive dissonance: if you have paid a price for something, you have to tell yourself it was worthwhile, or you would feel like an idiot. Hence I am not sure if statements of parents about their happiness can be believed.
Much better to measure these things indirectly (without a questionnaire). I don't know how the cited study did it.
Agreed, happiness has been proven to be subjective. Paraplegics are happy 1 year after their disability causing accident, so wouldn't parents of newborns be the same? It's not a change in circumstances that makes the paraplegics happy, they're still disabled, they didn't magically gain the ability to walk and just not mention it so they keep getting disability. No the paraplegics happiness is subjective, they become happy being a paraplegic just as a parent of a newborn will become happy being a parent.
It's also safe to assume you'll only be happy for a year after your kids leave, and this likely explains the newlywed syndrome that they're happy for the first year and then reality kicks in.
[+] [-] axod|17 years ago|reply
Personal experience says being a parent is one of the coolest and most enjoyable things you can do with your life.
You could also say that "being in a relationship makes people less happy" - quite likely true if you pick out the right statistics.
[+] [-] timr|17 years ago|reply
[+] [-] bayareaguy|17 years ago|reply
[+] [-] electromagnetic|17 years ago|reply
I would hate myself if I got to 80 and realised I'd never accomplished anything. If I have kids, I know I'll have done at least _something_ with my life, I'll be able to say 'I raised my 2.4 kids well' and be proud of it. Just like I'm proud that I've moved to a different country.
I'm proud of my life already and I'm only in my 20's, having kids is only going to make me more proud of my life, just as many other things I aim to accomplish will. So I really don't care if I'm not as smiley happy for a few years as I'll be happy that I've done things other people haven't.
[+] [-] electric|17 years ago|reply
;)
[+] [-] mechanical_fish|17 years ago|reply
Working for myself has definitely lowered my income, at least for the short term. But I'm fairly happy.
[+] [-] jimbokun|17 years ago|reply
"Parents still report feeling a greater sense of purpose and meaning in their lives than those who've never had kids."
So "happiness" or "sense of purpose and meaning." Take your pick.
[+] [-] reazalun|17 years ago|reply
[+] [-] notauser|17 years ago|reply
function generation(input) { output = input + 0; generation(output); }
Lots of activity, no progress. Your greatest achievement should be something you did that any kids you have would be proud of. Merely spwaning offspring is something that anyone can do - and some of the best kids in every generation come from the worst homes so 'doing it right' is hardly a value added activity.
[+] [-] a10|17 years ago|reply
In the meantime keep playing halo and wanking to online porn.
[+] [-] bmj|17 years ago|reply
As mentioned below, yes, plenty of people simply spawn offspring, and that's problematic. But there are also plenty of parents who take their task very, very seriously.
[+] [-] andrewl|17 years ago|reply
"...some of the best kids in every generation come from the worst homes so 'doing it right' is hardly a value added activity."
And many of the worst people in every generation come from the worst homes. Doing it right is most definitely a value-added activity.
[+] [-] qaexl|17 years ago|reply
function generation(input) { output = input - 1; generation(output); }
... particularly in cases of dysfunctional families.
[+] [-] axod|17 years ago|reply
[+] [-] tx|17 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Tichy|17 years ago|reply
That might also (among other things) be the reason employers love to hear that you have a family.
[+] [-] ivankirigin|17 years ago|reply
[+] [-] blurry|17 years ago|reply
[+] [-] geuis|17 years ago|reply
Dear Newsweek, get a clue.
[+] [-] unknown|17 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] sygzzy|17 years ago|reply
[+] [-] DaniFong|17 years ago|reply
[+] [-] reazalun|17 years ago|reply
All those studies failed to recognize that the state of happiness is not something infinite. And how can you understand and appreciate the happiness if you have never taste the wrath of sadness?
Yes, the studies show us the correlation between having kids and less happiness in people. But remember, correlation does not imply causation.
[+] [-] ericb|17 years ago|reply
None of this was covered in the study.
[+] [-] gscott|17 years ago|reply
Reminds me of the story of Narcissus where Narcissus fell in love with himself once he saw his reflection. He was so in love with his reflection he didn't leave to eat and died.
[+] [-] khafra|17 years ago|reply
[+] [-] newt0311|17 years ago|reply
[+] [-] smanek|17 years ago|reply
The article cites longitudinal studies showing randomly selected couples are happier before they have kids and after kids leave the house than while the kids are home. It shows a significant portion of randomly selected parents would rather do chores (e.g., grocery shopping) than spend time with their kids. Neither of those is adequately explained by selection bias.
Selection bias may explain why childless couples, on average, are happier than couples with children. But not any of the dozens of corroborating data points presented in the article.
[+] [-] Tichy|17 years ago|reply
Much better to measure these things indirectly (without a questionnaire). I don't know how the cited study did it.
[+] [-] electromagnetic|17 years ago|reply
It's also safe to assume you'll only be happy for a year after your kids leave, and this likely explains the newlywed syndrome that they're happy for the first year and then reality kicks in.