Consequences of Hedonic Well-Being, Life Satisfaction, and Eudaimonia

Abstract

An impressive body of work shows that happy people function better in life than less happy people; they are more productive and socially engaged, and they have higher incomes. Happy people are healthier than unhappy people. Much of this work is summarized in several literature reviews (e.g., Diener, 2000; Judge, Thoreson, Bono, {\&} Patton, 2000; Kesebir {\&} Diener, 2009; Lyubomirsky, King, {\&} Diener, 2005; Lyubomirsky, Sheldon, {\&} Schakade, 2005). This chapter summarizes much of this evidence and addresses the adaptive significance of happiness using evolutionary psychology.