Mendoza School of Business

Study: Ambitious people unhappier, don’t live as long

Published: March 12, 2012 / Author: Alex Crees



Bad news for people whose main goal in life is to get ahead: A new study found while ‘go-getters’ are more likely to attend prestigious universities and hold high-paying jobs, they are only slightly happier than their less-ambitious counterparts—and actually live shorter lives.

“Ambitious kids had higher educational attainment, attended highly esteemed universities, worked in more prestigious occupations, and earned more; so, it would seem that they are poised to ‘have it all,’” said lead researcher Timothy Judge, a management professor at the University of Notre Dame.

“However, ambition has a much weaker effect on life satisfaction and actually a negative impact on longevity,” he added.

For the study, Notre Dame researchers followed 717 ‘high-ability’ people over a period of decades – from college until retirement age. Late researcher Logan Terman identified these people after they tested high on measures of intelligence, and after Terman died, Judge continued his work.

To read the entire article visit: Study: Ambitious people unhappier, don’t live as long

/news_and_events/news_articles/article/10994/study-ambitious-people-unhappier-don-t-live-as-long


Topics: Mendoza