According to the Pew Research Center, 2023 marked a record high of Americans over 40 who have never been married. In a related study earlier in the year, a majority of Americans said that an enjoyable career and friendships were at the top of the list of things that would provide a “fulfilling life,” but thought that having children or being married was “not too or not at all important.”  

This while plenty of other studies are showing that these expectations are not yielding the expected results. American happiness is at an all-time low and the most consistently happy people in the U.S. are the married ones. Meanwhile, job satisfaction varies wildly based on income, age, and sense of meaningful contribution. 

Of course, marriage alone cannot make the unhappy happy or the unfulfilled fulfilled, but there’s a clear picture in these numbers. Those who live for more than themselves tend to find more satisfaction and more happiness. It’s as if we were made that way.