Dr. Bill von Hippel

These are among couples who stay together. They're a little bit happier for the first few years of their marriage than they were before they met. And then they slowly settle down to about where they were. So it's not plus or minus. It's basically where they were. If you look at the really lucky folks, they get happier every single year for almost 10 years.

These are among couples who stay together. They're a little bit happier for the first few years of their marriage than they were before they met. And then they slowly settle down to about where they were. So it's not plus or minus. It's basically where they were. If you look at the really lucky folks, they get happier every single year for almost 10 years.

So the year of their marriage was happier than before they met. And the next year is happier still. And it just keeps working its way up. And so... When you average all that together, getting married doesn't make you happy. It's a zero. So how could it be that marriage is a zero?

So the year of their marriage was happier than before they met. And the next year is happier still. And it just keeps working its way up. And so... When you average all that together, getting married doesn't make you happy. It's a zero. So how could it be that marriage is a zero?

And I think the answer to that question is that people who don't marry, it's not the fact that they didn't marry that's the problem. It's that they're overweighting autonomy. And overweighting it is probably what they're doing everywhere else in their life as well.

And I think the answer to that question is that people who don't marry, it's not the fact that they didn't marry that's the problem. It's that they're overweighting autonomy. And overweighting it is probably what they're doing everywhere else in their life as well.

So when they're making decisions about what to do with their friends, about whether they live with somebody else or live alone, all those decisions, they keep going with autonomy rather than going with connection.

So when they're making decisions about what to do with their friends, about whether they live with somebody else or live alone, all those decisions, they keep going with autonomy rather than going with connection.

Now, that doesn't necessarily mean they're going to be unhappy, but it makes, on average, it means that they're about half as likely to be very happy as somebody who would go and get married.

Now, that doesn't necessarily mean they're going to be unhappy, but it makes, on average, it means that they're about half as likely to be very happy as somebody who would go and get married.

And so it's just a different kind of person who's doing that. In the same sense, interestingly, if you look at divorce, we can also see that the people who are going to get divorced were also less happy before they even met their partner. So on average, happier people tend to stay together in marriages.

And so it's just a different kind of person who's doing that. In the same sense, interestingly, if you look at divorce, we can also see that the people who are going to get divorced were also less happy before they even met their partner. So on average, happier people tend to stay together in marriages.

We don't know why that is, but my guess is that happier people just tend to be happier about everything. And so they're less like they find ways to make their marriage work, even if it's no better than the marriage of the less happy folks.

We don't know why that is, but my guess is that happier people just tend to be happier about everything. And so they're less like they find ways to make their marriage work, even if it's no better than the marriage of the less happy folks.

Yes. So neurodivergence is a complicated one. It seems to be much more common now. When we look at the epidemiological data, it seems to be associated with high toxin environments. So if you live in areas where there's lots of pollutants, people are more likely to be neurodivergent. But I think neurodivergence has always been with us. I think it's just become more common.

Yes. So neurodivergence is a complicated one. It seems to be much more common now. When we look at the epidemiological data, it seems to be associated with high toxin environments. So if you live in areas where there's lots of pollutants, people are more likely to be neurodivergent. But I think neurodivergence has always been with us. I think it's just become more common.

Now, why would it become more common with these various toxins? I don't know. My guess is that... The brain is a social organism. The human brain is. We've evolved. Connection is our most important need.

Now, why would it become more common with these various toxins? I don't know. My guess is that... The brain is a social organism. The human brain is. We've evolved. Connection is our most important need.

And it requires all sorts of different parts to work right, which means that if you break the brain in any way, you're going to break your sociality because it's so implicated in so many different areas. And if these toxins that we're exposed to cause any damage to the brain, I think you're particularly likely to end up with social problems because the brain is a social organ.

And it requires all sorts of different parts to work right, which means that if you break the brain in any way, you're going to break your sociality because it's so implicated in so many different areas. And if these toxins that we're exposed to cause any damage to the brain, I think you're particularly likely to end up with social problems because the brain is a social organ.