Correlation does not equal causation

At least, that's what I was always taught in business school, but perhaps the more brilliant among us have now decided that correlation ALWAYS equals causation.  It couldn't be that the kids in the study were, say, from wealthier backgrounds or anything.  It also couldn't be that being better off now, they remember their adolescence as a much happier time than it really was, could it?


It Pays to Be Happy

So, I guess all we need to do is to make damn sure our kids are not just happy, but extremely happy.

"Still, a connection between personal happiness and greater income could be good news for countries struggling to boost economic growth, the authors suggest." 

Of course it could.  Let's see how that would work.  I'm a parent, and wanting my kids to be extra super duper happy, I buy them whatever they want.  The heightened level of consumption spending leads to increased economic growth.  Works like magic, I'm sure.