Men ARE Happier Than Women - It's Official

If the New York Times prints it, then it's true. That's my rule. Researchers have identified a "Happiness Gap" between men and women. In just over 30 years, women and men have switched places on the satisfaction scale.

At the core are work/balance issues. Men appear to be working less and relaxing more, whereas women are still doing double duty.

What has changed — and what seems to be the most likely explanation for the happiness trends — is that women now have a much longer to-do list than they once did (including helping their aging parents). They can’t possibly get it all done, and many end up feeling as if they are somehow falling short.

I think the difference boils down to expectations. Dust bothers me, for example. As the writer of this article points out, since there has been no dust-related technology in the last four decades, houses are probably dirtier than they were when we were growing up. Apparently, the new American dustiness is affecting women's happiness more than men's.