The happiness gap

[sawyl]

David Mitchell has concluded that happiness is relative:

...the only explanation for my feeling less chipper, despite no net reduction in sources of joy, is that other people are being made happier because they like the relentless football. Their enjoyment-rich June has raised the misery line and suddenly I'm the wrong side of it. This was confirmed to me by the definite pang of pleasure I felt when I heard that England had failed to beat the USA. National happiness had fallen, so I was, in relative terms, happier, even though I'm British, live in England and would, on balance, rather England won the World Cup than, say, Honduras.