somervta comments on Happiness and Children - Less Wrong

3 Post author: Carinthium 26 June 2014 07:36AM

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Comment author: somervta 27 June 2014 06:53:58AM 1 point [-]

I don't have the citation to hand, but IIRC there's research suggesting higher variance among parents is the most significant effect.

Comment author: chaosmage 27 June 2014 09:04:41AM 4 points [-]

This fits to something Dan Savage (not a scientist but someone worth listening to on matters of family relationships) said:

Kids are like heroin, a little heroin addiction. When it's bad, you've never been so miserable, but when it's good you've never been so high.

Comment author: Carinthium 27 June 2014 09:33:26AM 0 points [-]

Good to know, but does that research clarify whether happiness is overall higher or lower in the long run?

Comment author: somervta 27 June 2014 10:51:53AM 0 points [-]

You mean on average? The studies I'm thinking of had small or no differences, but I'm pretty sure there are other results out there.