Power Beats Happiness
From Time‘s new cover:
If women had known that more power would be bundled with less happiness, would they have knowingly chosen this bundle? Seems to me the obvious answer is: yes, if they had made the choice incrementally and in private, and hence in near mode. But perhaps no, if they had made the choice visibly together all at once for a distant future, in far mode. People seem to choose other things over happiness all the time, but this is somewhat at odds with their ideal self-conception. Ideally people say they want happiness, but really they choose power. Which choice reflects their “real” preference?
The new data showing women are less happy is from Wolfers and Stevenson – more here.
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What a joke.
So if there is a decrease in the happiness of women, it could be because, not in spite of, their increasing power. They have higher expectations, and better circumstances, probably meaning it takes larger successes to make them happy.