REALITY SUCKS
SPECIAL REPORT
YOU’LL NEVER BE AS HAPPY AS KIM
SHE’S the ultimate spoiled princess – a multi-millionaire reality TV star, famous for being famous, who seems to spend most of her time posting glamorous selfies on social media.
So in the narcissistic age in which we live, it is perhaps not that surprising that a major study using computer algorithms to analyse human characteristics has concluded the archetype of modern human happiness is none other than Kim Kardashian.
The research, which will be presented at the British Psychological Society’s annual conference on Wednesday, found that women of high socio-economic status, who are married, extrovert, exercise frequently and eat fresh food are likely to be the most contented in society. Another famous name who is said to epitomise happiness is Hollywood star Ryan Gosling, with positive effects found from being Canadian.
Researcher Matthew Samson said the study was different from others which tried to pinpoint the characteristics which promote happiness, as his work looked at the “whole person” rather than just individual traits.
The study looked at happiness levels of around 4,000 people in the US, the UK and Canada, and used statistical software to find out the “character constellation” – or set of personality traits – which create the most content people.
Samson said: “A good example of the kind of character constellation that we found promotes happiness is one that looks a lot like Kim Kardashian.”
Daughter of OJ Simpson’s defence attorney Robert Kardashian, she was once personal assistant to US socialite Paris Hilton. The 36-year-old was catapulted to fame on the back of a sex tape then reality show Keeping Up With The Kardashians – now in its 13th series – along with her four sisters and her mother “momager” Kris Jenner.
The show documents every aspect of her ultra-glam existence including her social life, her bling-bling wealth, her marriage to controversial rapper Kanye West, the father of her two children, and more recently the aftermath of the burglary in Paris which saw Kardashian bound, gagged and relieved of $9 million worth of her jewellery. She also claims nearly 100 million Instagram followers, giving her enormous commercial clout.
Her fame was best illustrated when a photoshoot that included images of her showcasing her famous bottom for the cover of Paper Magazine was said to have “broken the internet”.
Opting for a more low-key life, La La Land star Gosling is a devoted family man. The Oscar-nominated actor lives quietly with his partner actor Eva Mendes and two daughters in the chic LA barrio of Los Feliz. Last year, a UN report ranked Canada the sixth-happiest country. Three key factors that boost joyful living for Canadians are high income levels, long life expectancy and strong social ties.