Happiness Is a Stochastic Phenomenon

&tract-Happiness, or subjective well-being, was measured 311 u birth-record-based sample of several thousand middieaged twins using the Well-Being ( WB) scale of the Muitidimenrionai Personality Questionnaire. Neither socioeconomic status. educational attainment, family income. marital status, nor in indicant of religious commitment could account for more !/tan about 3% of the variance in WB. From 44% to 52% of the Lkunce in WB, however, is associated with genetic variation. Based on the retest of smaller samples of twins after intervals of g.5 and 10 years, we estimate that the heritability of the stable romponent of subjective well-being approaches 80%. liid not reach the eighth grade. whereas others have doctorates; they live on farms, in small towns. in big cities, and in foreign lands; their socioeconomic levels are representative of Minnesota-born adults.