Happiness hinges on the lives of others

People's happiness is significantly bound up with that of their "significant others", a new study into men and women's differing attitudes to well-being has found. Sociologists at the University of Cambridge found that although men and women give different answers when asked about what affects their quality of life, many in fact associate personal happiness with the welfare of families and loved ones at a deeper level. The study compiled the views of more than 10,000 people. Taken at face value, their responses appeared to confirm gender stereotypes, with more men for example mentioning "finance" in connection with their well-being and women more commonly referring to their families. Closer analysis, however, revealed that many respondents were linking their own happiness with that of the people closest to them, but phrasing that link in gender-specific terms. Men, for instance, often connected financial security with well-being because they still see themselves as "breadwinners". Similarly, women were more likely to mention the family itself, because they still perceive themselves as the principal carers of children or elderly relatives.