Mediation analyses showed that satisfaction with climate and cultural opportunities explained the higher overall life satisfaction predicted for Californians. And in fact, Californians report that they love their climate and that those in the Midwest detest theirs. However, despite that, the overall satisfaction with life in the two regions turns out to be almost identical, according to a 1998 survey by Kahneman. It turns out that the weather is not that important for happiness.
The fact that it heavily influences people's predictions of relative happiness in California vs. The Midwest comes from something called the “illusion of focus,” Kahneman explains a bias that sums up with the concise: “Nothing in life is as important as you think it is when you think about it. So can moving make you happier? Probably yes, if it's general improvements to your living environment, social media, and work-life balance. But it's far from being a cure for everything, and you're unlikely to notice a change in how you feel if your move offers nothing but a superficial change of scenery.
There is a famous psychological study that looked at the differences in happiness between California residents and residents of the Midwest. People who lived in California weren't happier than those harsh winters in the Midwest. So, of course, move to California, but don't assume that doing so will magically bring about a radical change in you. But the rest is, you know, being human.
Humans are quite resilient creatures, and they will return to an affective set point, or general level of happiness, practically no matter what, as long as you give them enough time. And therapy, in more extreme cases. This helps us explain the general observable lack of brand loyalty (a mythical beast of advertising, if ever there was one). Nothing you focus on will make as much difference as you think.
He found a direct correlation between the time people spent traveling and greater amounts of unhappy days, suggesting that if you want to move to be happier, a great way to do that is to shave off a little free time from how much time you're spending in the car or on the train to and from work. Since studies have shown that sunlight positively influences mood, perhaps everyone should move to California, as it could make the world a happier place. However, feeling that you would be happier in an apartment with a washer and dryer in the unit than having to load all your dirty laundry into the laundry room is very different from feeling that all of life's ills would dissipate if you could move to another house, city, or state. Research shows that you're more likely to be happier in a tight-knit community and that having a social support group where you live can be very helpful.
This difference between mood and satisfaction explains why moving to California doesn't necessarily make people happier. The objective of the research was to test the belief of their Midwestern subjects that their California peers were undoubtedly happier because they lived in a more attractive climate and culture.
