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As Dostoevsky wrote in "Notes from Underground, "If all man had to do was sleep, eat cake and create the next generation, he would perform some evil trick and tear it all down. " Material satiation is not the answer to happiness. Humans need challenges. They need something to push against and to accomplish.

As an older man I have a sense that life has many phases. One major phase, which takes place in one's 20s and 30s, is that of narcissism and that "everything is about me." If you were lucky and had good parents, they told you how special you were and you believed them.

Humans, and particularly young men, often transition out of this narcissistic phase when they meet a wonderful woman and get married. Suddenly, they have responsibilities beyond their own, personal petty wants. They now have some responsibilities for another human being.

Having children is the next major step in civilizing men. They now learn the real meaning of "sacrifice" and commitment to others. Often later in life both men and women must provide support and help for aging parents, which is another life lesson in the move away from narcissism.

Some folks eventually learn that the real road to happiness is one lined with sacrifice, commitment and dedication. Best put: Service to Others. If one lives their life in such a way that even one other person breathed a bit easier because they existed , then and only then may they even consider that they lived a moral, honorable, worthwhile life. A successful life.

Just an old soul livin' in a new world.

PS: I just turned 77 in May 2024. I currently am in good health both physically and cognitively. I go to the gym every day. I write essays, short stories and commentaries. I essentially live my life in the service of 1) My Wife 2) Our Grown Children 3) Our Grandchild 4) My elderly sister 5) My dear friends 6) My neighbors 7) My community 8) My nation. Me? Where do I rank myself? Somewhere in the top 20.

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No, Michael, you can not. I will be Muting and Blocking you, because I don’t like to be solicited on Substack. That is not the primary purpose of this site. Shame on you.

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Whoever that was was not me…

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Great perspective and data. Clarifying question:

I realize you said: “Economic growth leads to declining levels of happiness inequality, even if income inequality is also increasing."

Is this true even in the Wealthy 12 (only), or true across all nations?

Wondering if there’s a point where the economic growth + increasing income inequality = increasing unhappiness… at least among certain nations who’ve hit a minimum economic growth level.

Thanks again.

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Thanks for the comment.

I must confess that I do not know too much about the data related to happiness inequality. I have just seen the conclusions referenced in the research. My guess is that the data comes from wealthy Western nations, since relatively little detailed happiness studies have been done elsewhere.

I am not convinced that there is a causal connection between individual happiness and economic inequality.

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Thank you for the detail!

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It’s great that economic growth leads to declining levels of economic inequality - it suggests that our obsession with economic growth is a step in the right direction.

However, sometimes I wonder whether the question of happiness is better solved on the individual level, by the individual.

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author

Thanks for the comment.

Economic growth by developing nations leads to greater global equality, but it is not clear of its impact within each society.

Yes, I agree with you that Happiness is best understood and solved on the individual level, but it is important to understand that material conditions that individuals are born into plays an important role as well.

I plan to write more articles on happiness in the future.

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"Economic growth leads to declining levels of happiness inequality, even if income inequality is also increasing."

Perhaps the most meaningful sentence in the whole post?

Did I miss something or are China and India repeated in your 2nd and 4th categories?

Modest duplication because the perspective or question for each category is different?

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Good points.

Yes, I think the importance of that statement is neglected. I must admit, though, that I cannot square that statement with the persistence (and perhaps increase) of mental disorders, which I will discuss in upcoming posts.

Yes, China and India are duplicates, but given how important those two nations are, I do not see that as a problem. The categories are not meant to be exclusive. I am trying to use categories that capture different types of nations, rather than using international averages (which conceal national variations) or listing out 200+ nations, which is tedious.

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