Secret to Happiness?

[Dr. Shane]

I got this email today.

Good morning. What do very happy people have in common? The Wall Street Journal followed up with the 12% of respondents in a WSJ-NORC survey who called themselves “very happy”  and asked them what they were all about. Here are the traits they share.

• Companionship: 67% of the happiest people said that marriage was very important to them, compared to 43% of overall respondents.
• Religion: Two-thirds of very happy people characterized themselves as moderately or very religious. The overall share: less than half.
• Closer to death: People 60 and over accounted for 44% of the happiest group, but represented 30% of total survey respondents.
• Gym rats: Fitness was a common interest among very happy people.

What doesn’t seem to matter to being very happy? Political party affiliation or avoiding following politics.

—Neal Freyman