Exploring the traits of happy people

This paper explores self-reported happiness across a fourfold personality framework that synthesizes psychoanalytic and psychometric approaches to personality structure. Using survey data from a representative sample of the U.S. adult population, we identified four personality types rooted in two basic dimensions - Extraversion/Introversion and Tendermindedness/Toughmindedness. On a general level, we found that Extraverts were happier than Introverts, and Tendermindeds were happier than Toughmindeds. More specifically, we identified patterns of similarities and differences across personality types in the meaning of happiness with respect to good eating habits, financial insecurity, anxiety and tension, financial optimism, and health concerns.