Dr. Bill von Hippel

Or if you don't like that person, there's somebody else in your building you ought to be good buddies with. But we're just not. Whereas in the country, we connect with each other. Similarly, if you say, how satisfied are you with your friendships? People are more satisfied with their friendships in the country than they are in the city.

Or if you don't like that person, there's somebody else in your building you ought to be good buddies with. But we're just not. Whereas in the country, we connect with each other. Similarly, if you say, how satisfied are you with your friendships? People are more satisfied with their friendships in the country than they are in the city.

Yeah, which is amazing, right? And so the thing is that the problem is that if you're rich, you don't need your neighbors. You know, if I'm out of coffee beans, I want to borrow some, I can just drone them in or whatever. I can call Instacart or whatever, whoever your favorite deliveries are. program is, but if you're poor, you can't afford to do that. And so poor people literally need each other.

Yeah, which is amazing, right? And so the thing is that the problem is that if you're rich, you don't need your neighbors. You know, if I'm out of coffee beans, I want to borrow some, I can just drone them in or whatever. I can call Instacart or whatever, whoever your favorite deliveries are. program is, but if you're poor, you can't afford to do that. And so poor people literally need each other.

They live in these neighborhoods and these complex webs of interdependence where they borrow each other's tools. They look out for each other's kids. They look out for each other's pets because they can't afford to outsource any of that. And that's actually how humans evolved. We evolved to need each other all the time.

They live in these neighborhoods and these complex webs of interdependence where they borrow each other's tools. They look out for each other's kids. They look out for each other's pets because they can't afford to outsource any of that. And that's actually how humans evolved. We evolved to need each other all the time.

And so ironically, although rich people are happier than poor people, so it's not giving away all your material goods will not make you happy. Nonetheless, poor people are happier with their friendships. They're more likely to get together with their neighbors. And we see the exact same effect with education as well. The more educated you are, the less you get together with your neighbors.

And so ironically, although rich people are happier than poor people, so it's not giving away all your material goods will not make you happy. Nonetheless, poor people are happier with their friendships. They're more likely to get together with their neighbors. And we see the exact same effect with education as well. The more educated you are, the less you get together with your neighbors.

But of course, wealth and education tend to go hand in hand in our society. So money does make you happy. It's a funny thing. So money makes you a lot happier in real time. So if you start to make more money, you get happier. And the more important money is to you, the bigger that effect is. And it keeps going well past where we thought it did.

But of course, wealth and education tend to go hand in hand in our society. So money does make you happy. It's a funny thing. So money makes you a lot happier in real time. So if you start to make more money, you get happier. And the more important money is to you, the bigger that effect is. And it keeps going well past where we thought it did.

We used to think it ceilinged at around $100,000 a year. It doesn't. Past $600,000 a year, money still makes you happier. It's remarkable. It makes a difference. But... There's this thing known as the Easterlin paradox, and that is that as society gets richer, people get no happier.

We used to think it ceilinged at around $100,000 a year. It doesn't. Past $600,000 a year, money still makes you happier. It's remarkable. It makes a difference. But... There's this thing known as the Easterlin paradox, and that is that as society gets richer, people get no happier.

So if you look at the United States going back to around 1940, people earned about a third what they earn today in real terms. So we're three times richer than we used to be. And we've been measuring happiness in the United States since the 1940s on representative samples, so we know that that holds true for the whole country. We know what the country looks like. It hasn't moved an inch.

So if you look at the United States going back to around 1940, people earned about a third what they earn today in real terms. So we're three times richer than we used to be. And we've been measuring happiness in the United States since the 1940s on representative samples, so we know that that holds true for the whole country. We know what the country looks like. It hasn't moved an inch.

So real terms, money gone way up. Happiness, exactly flat.

So real terms, money gone way up. Happiness, exactly flat.

Well, the problem is this. There's a couple of things. First, we can come back to the big issue, which I think is this balance. That's the underlying issue why I think hunter-gatherers are happier than we are, is this balance that they maintain between autonomy and connection, which we can return to. But in direct answer to your question, part of the problem with humans is that...

Well, the problem is this. There's a couple of things. First, we can come back to the big issue, which I think is this balance. That's the underlying issue why I think hunter-gatherers are happier than we are, is this balance that they maintain between autonomy and connection, which we can return to. But in direct answer to your question, part of the problem with humans is that...

We're this wonderful species in many ways that we can avoid the zero-sum game that is life. And by zero-sum game, I mean that my gain is your loss. Like there's only so many goods out there, and for me to have more means you have to have less. And in the animal world, lots of the world works that way. And they're able to cooperate with each other when they can create positive some relationships.

We're this wonderful species in many ways that we can avoid the zero-sum game that is life. And by zero-sum game, I mean that my gain is your loss. Like there's only so many goods out there, and for me to have more means you have to have less. And in the animal world, lots of the world works that way. And they're able to cooperate with each other when they can create positive some relationships.