Comments on: Happiness, Adaptation, and Bigger Breasts http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2005/08/30/happiness-adaptation-and-bigger-breasts/ The Sweet Release of Reason Tue, 22 May 2012 20:28:45 +0000 hourly 1 By: Breast reduction http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2005/08/30/happiness-adaptation-and-bigger-breasts/#comment-6606 Breast reduction Mon, 29 Jun 2009 06:55:56 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=800#comment-6606 Alternatively, men may prefer women with large breasts for the same reason ... A new study of Polish women shows that women with large breasts and tight ... Alternatively, men may prefer women with large breasts for the same reason … A new study of Polish women shows that women with large breasts and tight …

]]> By: Luke Lea http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2005/08/30/happiness-adaptation-and-bigger-breasts/#comment-6614 Luke Lea Fri, 02 Dec 2005 10:27:00 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=800#comment-6614 My comment is beyond the expiration date, but I just discovered your blog. Anyway, in my own life marriage and kids were a much bigger contributor to happiness than income level. I drank the same beer (Heiniken)and had a better sex life when I was young, with an income of $20K/yr, as now, with an income of $100K/yr. True,I don't have the same economic anxieties. OTH, absence of anxiety has a kind of lulling effect: there is a rhythm to happiness, such that you can't separate the bad times from the good. And keep in mind what Aristotle said: happiness is not something that belongs to the moment, but to an entire life well lived. None of this is to disparage the concept of the declining marginal utility of income, or, what is closely related, the concept of a general welfare function for a society as a whole. My comment is beyond the expiration date, but I just discovered your blog. Anyway, in my own life marriage and kids were a much bigger contributor to happiness than income level. I drank the same beer (Heiniken)and had a better sex life when I was young, with an income of $20K/yr, as now, with an income of $100K/yr. True,I don’t have the same economic anxieties. OTH, absence of anxiety has a kind of lulling effect: there is a rhythm to happiness, such that you can’t separate the bad times from the good. And keep in mind what Aristotle said: happiness is not something that belongs to the moment, but to an entire life well lived. None of this is to disparage the concept of the declining marginal utility of income, or, what is closely related, the concept of a general welfare function for a society as a whole.

]]> By: jjayson http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2005/08/30/happiness-adaptation-and-bigger-breasts/#comment-6613 jjayson Sat, 17 Sep 2005 20:03:00 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=800#comment-6613 If breast implants lead to a permanent increase in happiness while things like auto ownership doesn't, then why aren't we subsizing cosmetic surgery. Thank you Will! A propose a new national strategy of boob jobs for all! And in light of the devastation from Katrina, everybody displaced from Katrina should be able to get them entirely as government expense. It's the least we can do. If breast implants lead to a permanent increase in happiness while things like auto ownership doesn’t, then why aren’t we subsizing cosmetic surgery.

Thank you Will! A propose a new national strategy of boob jobs for all! And in light of the devastation from Katrina, everybody displaced from Katrina should be able to get them entirely as government expense. It’s the least we can do.

]]> By: Will Wilkinson http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2005/08/30/happiness-adaptation-and-bigger-breasts/#comment-6612 Will Wilkinson Tue, 30 Aug 2005 20:53:00 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=800#comment-6612 Eric, I considered the relative status point. But would it be BAD if we had an "arms race" in breast size? Gil, you're right to point out the positive externalities, and the fact that it's a joke. Eric, I considered the relative status point. But would it be BAD if we had an “arms race” in breast size? Gil, you’re right to point out the positive externalities, and the fact that it’s a joke.

]]> By: Gil http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2005/08/30/happiness-adaptation-and-bigger-breasts/#comment-6611 Gil Tue, 30 Aug 2005 19:53:00 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=800#comment-6611 Eric, You're forgetting to factor in the effect on the sum of men's happiness. And, also, the fact that this is really just a joke to point out how ridiculous this sort of project is (I hope). Eric,

You’re forgetting to factor in the effect on the sum of men’s happiness.

And, also, the fact that this is really just a joke to point out how ridiculous this sort of project is (I hope).

]]> By: Eric http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2005/08/30/happiness-adaptation-and-bigger-breasts/#comment-6610 Eric Tue, 30 Aug 2005 18:29:00 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=800#comment-6610 Let's assume that the boob job gives a permanent increase to the recipient's happiness. That still doesn't get us to Will's Benthamite conclusion as the study tells us nothing about whether the happiness comes from relative status. And I'd put at least even money on this being a relative status thing -- my prior is that women are happier to the extent that they look better than other women. As consequence, the effects of breast augmentation on the sum of womens' happiness will be neutral at best. Let’s assume that the boob job gives a permanent increase to the recipient’s happiness. That still doesn’t get us to Will’s Benthamite conclusion as the study tells us nothing about whether the happiness comes from relative status. And I’d put at least even money on this being a relative status thing — my prior is that women are happier to the extent that they look better than other women. As consequence, the effects of breast augmentation on the sum of womens’ happiness will be neutral at best.

]]> By: Will Wilkinson http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2005/08/30/happiness-adaptation-and-bigger-breasts/#comment-6609 Will Wilkinson Tue, 30 Aug 2005 18:09:00 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=800#comment-6609 I'm trusting Loewenstein and Frederick in their paper on "Hedonic Adaptation" in the Kahneman, Diener, & Schwarz <em>Well-Being</em> volume. They say, "Young, Nemecek, and Nemecek (1994) found that reported satisfaction [from cosmetic plastic surgery] remained constant." I’m trusting Loewenstein and Frederick in their paper on “Hedonic Adaptation” in the Kahneman, Diener, & Schwarz Well-Being volume. They say, “Young, Nemecek, and Nemecek (1994) found that reported satisfaction [from cosmetic plastic surgery] remained constant.”

]]> By: Andrew http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2005/08/30/happiness-adaptation-and-bigger-breasts/#comment-6608 Andrew Tue, 30 Aug 2005 18:00:00 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=800#comment-6608 I'm sorry, I can't get the whole article and I may have missed something in the abstract, but: where does it say that the women stay happier? The abstract doesn't mention how long after the surgery the surveys were carried out. I’m sorry, I can’t get the whole article and I may have missed something in the abstract, but: where does it say that the women stay happier? The abstract doesn’t mention how long after the surgery the surveys were carried out.

]]> By: Gil http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2005/08/30/happiness-adaptation-and-bigger-breasts/#comment-6607 Gil Tue, 30 Aug 2005 17:45:00 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=800#comment-6607 If I'm being forced to pay for something, I should definitely get to (at least) see the results of the spending. If I’m being forced to pay for something, I should definitely get to (at least) see the results of the spending.

]]> By: Gil http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2005/08/30/happiness-adaptation-and-bigger-breasts/#comment-6598 Gil Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=800#comment-6598 If I'm being forced to pay for something, I should definitely get to (at least) see the results of the spending. If I’m being forced to pay for something, I should definitely get to (at least) see the results of the spending.

]]> By: Andrew http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2005/08/30/happiness-adaptation-and-bigger-breasts/#comment-6599 Andrew Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=800#comment-6599 I'm sorry, I can't get the whole article and I may have missed something in the abstract, but: where does it say that the women stay happier? The abstract doesn't mention how long after the surgery the surveys were carried out. I’m sorry, I can’t get the whole article and I may have missed something in the abstract, but: where does it say that the women stay happier? The abstract doesn’t mention how long after the surgery the surveys were carried out.

]]> By: Will Wilkinson http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2005/08/30/happiness-adaptation-and-bigger-breasts/#comment-6600 Will Wilkinson Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=800#comment-6600 I'm trusting Loewenstein and Frederick in their paper on "Hedonic Adaptation" in the Kahneman, Diener, & Schwarz <em>Well-Being</em> volume. They say, "Young, Nemecek, and Nemecek (1994) found that reported satisfaction [from cosmetic plastic surgery] remained constant." I’m trusting Loewenstein and Frederick in their paper on “Hedonic Adaptation” in the Kahneman, Diener, & Schwarz Well-Being volume. They say, “Young, Nemecek, and Nemecek (1994) found that reported satisfaction [from cosmetic plastic surgery] remained constant.”

]]> By: Eric http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2005/08/30/happiness-adaptation-and-bigger-breasts/#comment-6601 Eric Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=800#comment-6601 Let's assume that the boob job gives a permanent increase to the recipient's happiness. That still doesn't get us to Will's Benthamite conclusion as the study tells us nothing about whether the happiness comes from relative status. And I'd put at least even money on this being a relative status thing -- my prior is that women are happier to the extent that they look better than other women. As consequence, the effects of breast augmentation on the sum of womens' happiness will be neutral at best. Let’s assume that the boob job gives a permanent increase to the recipient’s happiness. That still doesn’t get us to Will’s Benthamite conclusion as the study tells us nothing about whether the happiness comes from relative status. And I’d put at least even money on this being a relative status thing — my prior is that women are happier to the extent that they look better than other women. As consequence, the effects of breast augmentation on the sum of womens’ happiness will be neutral at best.

]]> By: Gil http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2005/08/30/happiness-adaptation-and-bigger-breasts/#comment-6602 Gil Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=800#comment-6602 Eric, You're forgetting to factor in the effect on the sum of men's happiness. And, also, the fact that this is really just a joke to point out how ridiculous this sort of project is (I hope). Eric,

You’re forgetting to factor in the effect on the sum of men’s happiness.

And, also, the fact that this is really just a joke to point out how ridiculous this sort of project is (I hope).

]]> By: Will Wilkinson http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2005/08/30/happiness-adaptation-and-bigger-breasts/#comment-6603 Will Wilkinson Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=800#comment-6603 Eric, I considered the relative status point. But would it be BAD if we had an "arms race" in breast size? Gil, you're right to point out the positive externalities, and the fact that it's a joke. Eric, I considered the relative status point. But would it be BAD if we had an “arms race” in breast size? Gil, you’re right to point out the positive externalities, and the fact that it’s a joke.

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