Editor: Zhou Qi
Money, or the level of economic development is indeed subjective well-being of residents by the impact, but the impact is not small. Several different cross-country studies have shown that per capita GDP and subjective well-being of citizens positively correlated (rs ≥ 0.58). From this perspective, the money does not work.
But money is not a panacea, it can not indefinitely increase people's subjective well-being. Research shows that people's income and subjective well-being is logarithmic growth relationship. When you hand the money into 10,000 from 1,000, your well-being is improved significantly; but when money into the hands of 110,000 from 100,000, your happiness will not be so obvious upgrade a.
Research European countries and East Asian countries contrasts are not many, but there are many to explore North America and East Asia.
Researchers with the US and Japanese people compared to subjects to study whether there is a cross-cultural effect of life satisfaction. It was found that the United States pay more attention to the subjects of the "feel", ta think they feel good about themselves, they feel social status will let myself be happy. Japan, however, the subject was not so good "feel." ta who cares more about the real catch is in the hands of objective indicators, such as my actual social status, income, and so real. This conclusion just shows the characteristics of the interdependence that exists among Japanese culture (interdependent)
In fact, the entire East Asian countries are very similar in this cultural dimension. We can think of we Chinese people are not well. We are happy to evaluate more from the outside world vision or objective indicators, rather than their feelings. For example, to open luxury cars, live in the ward, a million a year, married a rich handsome, married white Formica and so on.
Similarly, individualism and collectivism this dimension also plays an important role. As we analyzed above, interdependent self is a form of collectivism, which is particularly evident in the performance of East Asian countries. And independent self is a manifestation of the individual culture in the form of the United States and Europe is more prominent.
A study published in PNAS in 2018 confirmed our basic judgment is that in collectivist cultures, people are more interested in social comparison.
To a large extent, anxiety is a comparison brings.
Go to school achievements and after work than income, with children than children's achievements ...... everything can not fall on the starting line, income is limited, but the comparison is not the end. Always someone better than you, better resource occupied, or harder, more desperate.
So when two people from different cultures to sit together to talk about the time, it might look like this:
A (individualism): I have the hands of a 1w, very happy, very happy, feeling flew to the sky, in the sky ......
B (collectivism): With my hand 1w, but C has 1.5w, D have 3w, is simply no way to live ......