Wealth? Youth? Marriage?
Wealth? Research shows that once basic needs are met, more income does little to raise one's sense of satisfaction with life.
Youth? Older people more consistently say they're satisfied with their lives than the young, and they are less prone to dark moods.
Marriage? Maybe. Married people are generally happier than singles, but that may be because they were happier to begin with.
On the other hand, religious faith was found to "genuinely lift the spirit" and a 2002 University of Illinois study found that "the 10% of students with the highest levels of happiness and the fewest signs of depression [had] strong ties to friends and family" ( Time magazine, Jan. 17).
