The shelf · Living alone and single life
Does Happy Ever After hold up?
Happy Ever After: Escaping the Myth of the Perfect Life, by Paul Dolan (2019)
A behavioural scientist challenges the stories we are told about marriage, wealth and success as routes to happiness.
The short answer
Its most quoted finding does not hold. Critics showed it rests on a misread survey variable, and other data point the other way.
The claims, checked
Women who never married and had no children are the healthiest and happiest group.
Does not hold Critics, including the economist Gray Kimbrough, said the analysis misread a time-use survey variable for whether a spouse lives in the household. General Social Survey data for 2010–18 show 45% of married childless women 'very happy', against 24% of never-married childless women.
Evidence: Report of researchers' analysis
Married people are happier only when their spouse is in the room.
Does not hold The variable records whether the spouse lives in the household, not whether they were present during the interview.
Evidence: Report of researchers' analysis