--- title: Here’s the Magic Number That Leads to Happiness description: How much happiness does it take to make up for the sadness in life? A ratio of 3 to 1. Via Rainy Brain, Sunny Brain:... canonical: https://time.com/3549633/magic-number-happiness/ author: Eric Barker article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-11-03T05:01:01.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-03-31T07:59:36.279Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Here’s the Magic Number That Leads to Happiness og:description: How much happiness does it take to make up for the sadness in life? A ratio of 3 to 1. 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It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. #### How can I read about how TIME chooses its covers? Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=ef94664c-c821-431b-8398-b248e98377d6&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1) by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Nov 3, 2014 5:01 AM UTC  Getty Images by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Nov 3, 2014 5:01 AM UTC How much happiness does it take to make up for the sadness in life? A ratio of 3 to 1. Via [Rainy Brain, Sunny Brain: How to Retrain Your Brain to Overcome Pessimism and Achieve a More Positive Outlook](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0465019455/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0465019455&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- And: --- > “” --- How many people are at 3 to 1? Around 20%. --- > “” --- Is your spider-sense tingling? If you’re a regular reader it should be: we’ve seen similar patterns with ratios and happiness before. While 3 to 1 keeps you happy, 5 to 1 keeps relationships smooth. Via [The Ape in the Corner Office: How to Make Friends, Win Fights and Work Smarter by Understanding Human Nature](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400052203/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1400052203): --- > “” --- And: --- > “” --- This may be hard-wired. It’s seen in other primates: --- > “” --- The specific ratio for different relationships varies, with the overall pattern indicating **the more distant the relationship, the more good you need for every bad**. A full chart is [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/05/14/should-you-be-nicer-to-your-spouse-or-your-mo/). Just as well we’ve also seen in the past that **it usually benefits us more to focus on increasing the good vs trying to eliminate the bad.** **With friends:** --- > “” --- **In relationships:** --- > “” --- **Improving yourself:** --- > “” --- When it comes to happiness, [**frequency beats intensity**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/8-ways-that-money-can-buy-happiness). **_This piece originally appeared on_** [**_Barking Up the Wrong Tree_**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/10/how-much-happiness-does-it-take-to-make-up-for-the-sadness-in-life/)**_._** **Join over 130,000 readers.** Get a free weekly update via email [here](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD). Related posts: [What 10 things should you do every day to improve your life?](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/05/what-10-things-should-you-do-every-day-to-imp/) [How To Stop Being Lazy And Get More Done – 5 Expert Tips](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/08/how-to-stop-being-lazy/) [New Harvard Research Reveals A Fun Way To Be More Successful](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/09/be-more-successful/) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3549633/magic-number-happiness/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3549633/magic-number-happiness/"},"headline":"Here’s the Magic Number That Leads to Happiness","datePublished":"2014-11-03T05:01:01.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-31T07:59:36.279Z","description":"How much happiness does it take to make up for the sadness in life? A ratio of 3 to 1. 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