Is there a positive correlation btw expected years of working life and self reported life satisfaction?

[wolf]

Hi Folks,

I'd like to get your opinion about a possible positive correlation between
- average expected years of working life
- and the self reported life satisfaction
observed in Europe by Statistics from Eurostat (see links)

It seems, that Island, Swiss, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Netherland works longest and they do have the highest scores of life satisfaction.
Same positive correlation goes for the countries which work the least and have the lowest scores of life satisfaction.

If there is a positive correlation, why do people want to achieve FIRE? (Note, that I don't say ERE, because there is a big difference between FIRE and ERE, as many of us see it)

Do you have a guess, why there could be a positive correlation btw expected years of working life and life satisfaction?


Average expected years of working life 2016

Life satisfaction, by country, 2013

[slsdly]

No job, no purpose, little money, and you are scraping by on welfare? I'm pretty sure if you surveyed those people, they aren't going to be the happiest bunch. In part, I would say poor economics correlates with fewer years in the workforce, which in turn reduces happiness due to the above.

[IlliniDave]

I'm not at all surprised that there is a positive correlation between reported satisfaction and people who have the opportunity for a long, productive, profitable, working life. I would guess the majority of people (me included) see that as a privilege rather than a penal sentence. For me FI is about moving towards something rather than fleeing from something. So employment and "life satisfaction" are not diametrically opposed to each other. It's not hard for me to envision things being just slightly different where there would be no need for me to pursue FI. FIRE is the means to an end but not the end in itself.

[7Wannabe5]

Purposeful or fulfilling work is like physical exercise. It is difficult to be happy and healthy without engaging in something that at least roughly meets this description. Financial independence, frugality and systems-thinking-ERE expand possibilities for engaging in work that is inclusive of more positives and fewer negatives. For simple instance, if you want to compose a symphony, and you can support yourself on $600/month, then you maybe only have to devote one 8 hour day of life-energy/vigor to driving a truck around pumping out sewer tanks each week, and you can devote the rest of your life-energy to your self-defined purpose.