Happiness is not only a stick of sausage

When I was little, my parents often said: “Happiness is a stick of sausage.” Well, then getting this cherished stick, especially a raw smoked one, was really considered happiness. Now the situation is different. And what does a modern person need for complete happiness: health, love, money, social recognition? The authors of the study “The Economics of Happiness: Demand for Positive Emotions is the Main Factor in Consumption in 2023” tried to answer this question.

According to the author of the study, Olga Konyushkova, the average happiness index of Russians is 6.6 out of 10 points.

“This is above the median, so we can conclude that Russians are more likely to be happy than not,” says Olga Konyushkova. – 12% of respondents are absolutely happy, about the same number – 13% – are unhappy. Interestingly, women feel happier than men. If the dependence of happiness on age is not so radical, then the feeling of happiness changes more significantly depending on the type of occupation: those who are engaged in creativity and have their own business are happier. Retired and unemployed people are less likely to feel happy.

According to the survey data, and it was attended by men and women aged 18 to 65 with an income of 30,000 per month, the highest index of happiness in people aged 25 to 35 years, it is slightly lower in people aged from 35 to 55 years, and the lowest is among young people aged 18 to 24 years. As for the happiest professions, in the top are such professions as creative workers, representatives of trade, top and middle managers, civil servants and businessmen. The military, security guards, students, specialists with higher education feel average. The most “unhappy” are pensioners, unskilled workers and the unemployed. In financial terms, people with an income of 100 thousand rubles a month are happier, people with an income of 41 to 100 thousand rubles a month consider themselves average happy, people with an income of 30 to 41 thousand rubles a month consider themselves the most unhappy.

If we analyze the “happiness” of the inhabitants of Russia by region, then the most satisfied people live in the North Caucasus Federal District, in particular in Makhachkala, Stavropol, Vladikavkaz. They have a happiness index of 7.21 points. The most unfortunate are in the Central Federal District, for example, in Voronezh, Yaroslavl, Ryazan, Lipetsk. They have a happiness index of 6.41. In Moscow, this index is 6.49 points, in St. Petersburg – 6.6. According to the scientific director of the Institute of Regional Problems, Dmitry Zhuravlev, such an index is determined by “a different range of values.”

“In the Caucasus, an indicator of happiness is the presence of a large number of children in the family, and not money,” says Dmitry Zhuravlev. – It is also more important for residents of the Northwestern Federal District to buy a car, not an apartment. But the situation is different for residents of the Central Federal District: residents of the central region of the country are more focused on material values, they care about the amount of money they earn, the opportunity to buy an apartment, get a good education, and have the opportunity to play sports.

Psychologist Elena Novozhilova explained why women are usually happier than men. In fact, it’s all about education.

How are girls raised? From infancy, she is beautifully dressed up for every holiday or birthday. And what happens to the boys? Before the holiday, his mother got him the dirtiest pants to play with his friends. As a result, girls, girls and women experience positive emotions when they adorn themselves at least a little – do their hair, buy mascara or lipstick. For boys and men, happiness is physical activity, an adrenaline rush. But I would explain the not very high index of happiness in Moscow by the fact that in the capital the criteria for the success of people’s lives are high. I even know cases when young people, after meeting, are immediately interested in their partner, what are his goals in life.

People refer to the “ingredients” of happiness: health, recreation, development prospects and opportunities, the opportunity to travel and engage in tourism, theaters, cinema, personal security, shopping, clothing, sex. (It is curious that shopping is higher than personal life in this gradation). The “generators” of the negative are: advertising, transport, the Internet and network communication, banks and insurance services, public services, loans and borrowings, exchange rates in banks. Market prices such as Wildberries, Ozon, AliExpress, some alcohol stores and discounters make people happy. Buyers of Yandex, Detsky Mir, Lenta, Avito and FixPrice get less pleasure.

By the way, according to the study, 56% of respondents hope to become happy in 2024. Undecided on the answer – 29% of respondents. And only 14% of respondents do not hope to become happy.

Summarizing the presentation of the study, Olga Konyushkova said that happiness is a very important component of human life. And his motivating force.

“We hope that our research will help everyone who is interested to realize the “formula of happiness” and, possibly, make someone happier: relatives, friends, clients,” Olga Konyushkova clarified.

Mona Platonov.

Photo by Moskovskaya Pravda