Keirsey’s Results Show Wealthy Extroverts Are Happiest Americans

In Dr. Grupta’s blog, he wrote about: Who are the happiest Americans? According to a new study, they may be extroverted, earning more than $75,000 a year, healthy, and engaged. The analysis was conducted by Keirsey Research, an organization that looks at how personality relates to a person’s preferences in  consumer choices, political opinion, and a variety of other factors. Click here for the rest of Grupta’s article.

In our book about personalities, my daughter, Toni Rothpletz, and I discuss Keirsey’s temperament research.  If you are interested in reading more about the results of Keirsey’s study that showed “Wealthy Extroverts are the Happiest Americans” click here.  Some highlights from the results of this study showed:

• Personality. 63 percent of Americans rate themselves as very or somewhat happy. Extroverts (74 percent), however, are much happier than introverts (56 percent).
• Wealth. In general, the higher the household income, the happier the individual. 72 percent of those with an annual household income of $75,000 or more are very or somewhat happy, compared to 59 percent of those with an annual household income of $50,000 or less.
• Love. Not surprisingly, being engaged promotes above average happiness (71 percent very or somewhat happy). Those who are separated but not divorced are least happy when it comes to love (48 percent).
• Age. Americans get progressively happier as they get older, with one exception. Happiness takes a dip between the ages of 35-44 (58 percent are very or somewhat happy), when parental and career pressures are typically at their peak.
• Family. “Empty nesters” are most happy (73 percent very or somewhat happy), while those who are divorced and sharing custody are least happy (56 percent). Individuals who do not have children cite average happiness (62 percent).
• Education. In most cases, more education means more happiness. There was no difference, however, between the happiness of those with a bachelor’s degree and those with a graduate degree (68 percent very or somewhat happy).
• Politics. Democrats and Republicans are equally happy (roughly 70 percent very or somewhat happy), while Green Party affiliates are the least happy (52 percent).