New York Times, December 5, 2008
Strangers May Cheer You Up, Study Says
A study published in BMJ found that how happy you are may depend on how happy your friends’ friends’ friends are, even if you don’t know them at all. And a cheery next-door neighbor has more effect on your happiness than your spouse’s mood. So says a new study that followed a large group of people for 20 years — happiness is more contagious than previously thought.