Substantial conversation about the meaning of life and such other things make for happier people, according to a study done by Matthias Mehl, a psychologist at the University of Arizona. Would this suggest that philosophers (and bioethicists) are happier than the average Jo/Joe? But a comment by Dorothy nails it: "Ah, but the burning existential question that keeps me up at night is: Is the happiest person in the group, the one with a lot of cool friends to talk to, happier than the person who got a research grant to discover it?”