The key to happiness...

It has been a question human beings have been asking since time began: how do we make and keep ourselves happy?
If we are to believe the media – particularly certain TV programmes and the marketing world – modern-day ‘happiness’ increasingly seems to be centred around possessing material things and being seen to be ‘successful’.

Yet a new study of middle-aged Brits – men and women aged between 50-75 – would appear to turn that assumption on its head. For, according to respondents, the answer to happiness would appear to be a lot simpler than we all envisage.

Almost 48 per cent of all respondents (and 60 per cent of men) say ‘loving’ and ‘being loved’ helps them to live their happiest life.

Having ‘knowledge’ – something typically acquired as we get older – also registered highly in the study of 1,000 individuals from across the UK, as did having ‘wealth’, which was one of the two least important factor in achieving a happy life.

The other unimportant contributor was ‘havin...