The Characteristics of a Happy City
As a prospective college student, I've been researching which city or town would best suit me and my personality when I go to University. I considered many factors and came to realize that more than characteristics like the city's weather, buildings, or landscapes, its people would affect me and my experience the most. Cities are often defined many times by the kind of residents inhabiting them and get a reputation based solely on that.
A recent study found that people tend to be happier and have a higher level of self-esteem if they live in a city that matches their personality. They used the Big Five Personality Inventory to administer a test on more than half a million U.S. residents from 860 cities. This test measures people based on Openness, (which means openness to experiences, emotions, and trying new things); Conscientiousness (being organized, dependable, and self-aware); Agreeableness(being friendly, compassionate, and cooperative); Extraversion (being outgoing, talkative, and social); and Neuroticism (emotional stability). It was found that if the first three traits matched it led to higher self-esteem whereas the last two didn't have much of an impact. Openness and Agreeableness are qualities that allow people to live happier lives as they encourage friendliness and being more accepting of different people and views. This creates a harmonious environment and even improves overall physical and mental well-being. People are more likely to indulge in environmentally friendly and sustainable habits as well. On the other hand, cities with residents who scored lower on the first three traits were found to be less pleasurable and the people were more isolated from one another.
From this study, it is evident that the traits and qualities of people make a city happy and liveable. People with empathetic, altruistic qualities create neighborhoods where support is common, reducing feelings of isolation and promoting psychological well-being.