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THE VERDICT

Does our happiness depend mostly on ourselves?

Debated on August 18, 2026
YES69%
NO23%
No opinion8%
YES NO No opinion

The owl's take

At 69% yes, the verdict is clear: most people believe happiness depends primarily on oneself.

The gender gap is striking: men lean mostly no, women overwhelmingly yes. Under-25s are the most divided, while those over 45 converge toward near-unanimous agreement.

The voices capture the core tension: yes to personal choice and attitude, but with a widely shared caveat. War, illness, and poverty are named as forces beyond individual control. One voice suggests a sliding scale: the less stable the living conditions, the less agency one has over happiness.

By country

By gender

By age

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