Does intelligence boost happiness? Smartness of all pays more than being smarter than others

Ruut Veenhoven and Yowon Choi

International Journal of Happiness and Development, 2012, vol. 1, issue 1, 5-27

Abstract: We invest much in maximising intelligence and we get ever smarter: but does this make us any happier? The relation between intelligence and happiness is explored on two levels, at the micro-level of individuals and at the macro-level of nations. At the micro-level, we looked at the results of 23 studies and found no correlation between IQ and happiness. At the macro-level, we assessed the correlation between average IQ and average happiness in 143 nations and found a strong positive relationship. Together these findings mean that smartness of all pays more than being smarter than others.

Keywords: individual happiness; happiness of nations; life satisfaction; intelligence; cross-national study; research synthesis; IQ; intelligence quotient; smartness. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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