Dr. Bill von Hippel

And praying actually makes you happier among people who don't go to church than not praying. And in my mind, life has meaning versus it doesn't. People who have religion have meaning. People who don't often don't. Sometimes they do, but they often don't. But there's a social component to religion as well, and I think it's way more important. And so now you can't do it quite as cleanly.

And praying actually makes you happier among people who don't go to church than not praying. And in my mind, life has meaning versus it doesn't. People who have religion have meaning. People who don't often don't. Sometimes they do, but they often don't. But there's a social component to religion as well, and I think it's way more important. And so now you can't do it quite as cleanly.

Now you want people who go to church, and you want to look at the effect of going to church. And there the data are remarkable. The effect of going to church is huge. It's like you're like twice as likely to be happy if you go to church regularly than if you never go to church at all. Now, I don't think going to church would have made our ancestors any happier at all. Why does it make us happier?

Now you want people who go to church, and you want to look at the effect of going to church. And there the data are remarkable. The effect of going to church is huge. It's like you're like twice as likely to be happy if you go to church regularly than if you never go to church at all. Now, I don't think going to church would have made our ancestors any happier at all. Why does it make us happier?

Well, the way to answer that question is to then dive a little deeper into the data. And so what I did is I separated people by whether they're poor or whether they're rich. Now, remember, earlier we talked about how the fact that poor people live in these tight, interdependent networks because they count on each other all the time. They borrow things from each other.

Well, the way to answer that question is to then dive a little deeper into the data. And so what I did is I separated people by whether they're poor or whether they're rich. Now, remember, earlier we talked about how the fact that poor people live in these tight, interdependent networks because they count on each other all the time. They borrow things from each other.

They rely on each other to keep the boat afloat. And so they get together. Poor people get together with their neighbors much more often than rich people, right? Rich people don't do that.

They rely on each other to keep the boat afloat. And so they get together. Poor people get together with their neighbors much more often than rich people, right? Rich people don't do that.

So what that means is that if now—if you think that God wants you to go to church, because remember, we're talking about religion now, then you're going to go to church even if you don't necessarily want to see the people there, even if you don't necessarily feel a need for them. But you're going to be forced into socializing.

So what that means is that if now—if you think that God wants you to go to church, because remember, we're talking about religion now, then you're going to go to church even if you don't necessarily want to see the people there, even if you don't necessarily feel a need for them. But you're going to be forced into socializing.

So it's sort of like this experiment that's being played on you, whether you believe in— If you believe you should go to church, that's kind of coming from on high. It's not because you necessarily want to socialize. And we see that the effects of going to church, they have bigger happiness effects on rich than on poor.

So it's sort of like this experiment that's being played on you, whether you believe in— If you believe you should go to church, that's kind of coming from on high. It's not because you necessarily want to socialize. And we see that the effects of going to church, they have bigger happiness effects on rich than on poor.

Because poor people are getting a lot of the benefit already of socializing, whereas rich people have separated themselves from others. And so those rich people who go to church several times a week are like twice as likely to be very happy as rich people who never go to church at all. So rich people need to go to church. Yeah. Yeah. or, you know, whatever they call church.

Because poor people are getting a lot of the benefit already of socializing, whereas rich people have separated themselves from others. And so those rich people who go to church several times a week are like twice as likely to be very happy as rich people who never go to church at all. So rich people need to go to church. Yeah. Yeah. or, you know, whatever they call church.

They need to go somewhere where they're socializing regularly, in person.

They need to go somewhere where they're socializing regularly, in person.

Yeah, that's a great question. People talk about in psychology what they refer to, well, not just in psychology, but in psychological terms as a God-shaped hole. There's a hole in your psyche that can only be filled by God. Whatever God is for you. And I think lots of people have that hole, but not everybody. And why do I think lots of people have it?

Yeah, that's a great question. People talk about in psychology what they refer to, well, not just in psychology, but in psychological terms as a God-shaped hole. There's a hole in your psyche that can only be filled by God. Whatever God is for you. And I think lots of people have that hole, but not everybody. And why do I think lots of people have it?

Well, remember those prayer data we talked about. People who pray are happier on average than people who don't. And so if you have a God-shaped hole but you don't believe, that's going to make you unhappy. Whereas if you have that need for that and you do believe, that's going to make you happy. It's like anything else. What do you think the meaning of life is? I think it's devoid of meaning.

Well, remember those prayer data we talked about. People who pray are happier on average than people who don't. And so if you have a God-shaped hole but you don't believe, that's going to make you unhappy. Whereas if you have that need for that and you do believe, that's going to make you happy. It's like anything else. What do you think the meaning of life is? I think it's devoid of meaning.