From: ralph@eddlewood.demon.co.uk   
      
   Credit Suisse (for some unknown reason) have been quoted in today's FT   
   in a graph showing the average per capita income of US citizens and the   
   percentage declaring themselves "very happy" - over a fifty-five year   
   period.   
      
   The income graph is an almost straight line from about $12,000 in 1945   
   to about $36,000 in 2000. The "very happy" line varies more, starting at   
   around 23%, rising to a peak of about 37% in 1957, sliding back to 29%   
   in 1972, rising abruptly to 37% again in 1973, and then oscillating   
   downwards to 30% in 2000.   
      
   This may have been the source of the "income does not increase happiness   
   above $15,000" which I quoted in an earlier post. This would be an   
   over-simplification, since clearly $15,000 in 1962 (when that average   
   was achieved) was worth a lot more than $15,000 today.   
      
   Nevertheless, the fact that the increasing affluence of the last twenty   
   years of the last century produced NO increase in the percentage feeling   
   "very happy" does bear out the general principle pretty well.   
      
   This idea is catching on with some European politicians - and may cross   
   the Atlantic soon.   
      
   --   
   ralph   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)