MARRIED PEOPLE ARE MORE SUCCESSFUL

Still reeling in the wake of the intelligence report, now we have this report to contend with: Married men hold higher positions, get promoted more often and receive better performance appraisals than single men. Additionally, married white women earn four percent more and married black women earn 10 percent more than their single peers. All things equal, employers are more likely to hire a married male over a single male, as many still suspect single men of being less settled and more reluctant to handle responsibility. Research does not entirely support this view. For example, while studies did find that married men are less likely to miss work, arrive late, quit or be fired, they also indicate that single people generally put in longer hours and are more devoted to their work. Also, married people tend to have better mental health: [They] report lower levels of depression and distress. Forty percent say they are "very happy" with their lives, compared to 25 percent of single people. And those who are married are half as likely to say they are unhappy with their lives. There are a few positives in this report: 1. Single people generally put in longer hours and are more devoted to their work 2. A study of 280 successful scientists found that their creativity tended to diminish once they got married. This also held true for musicians, painters and authors. But why end on an optimistic note? Here's another helpful little fact, followed by a variation of the classic joke: Based on life expectancies, nine of 10 married men and women alive at 48 are alive at 65, while only six of 10 single men and eight of 10 single women make it to 65. "So what you're saying is that married people live longer than single people?" "Nope, just feels that way."