JobCannonAll Terms
General Personality Science

Life Satisfaction

Your overall evaluation of whether your life is meeting your values and goals. The cognitive component of well-being (vs. emotional well-being).

Life satisfaction is the answer to "Is my life good?" It's distinct from momentary happiness (feeling happy now). You can feel unhappy today but be satisfied with your life overall, or feel happy but unsatisfied long-term.

Predictors: values-life alignment (is your life matching what matters to you?), goal progress (are you working toward what you want?), relationships (do you have meaningful connections?), and health.

Personality role: Neuroticism predicts life satisfaction negatively (r=0.40+). A person with high Neuroticism, even with objectively good circumstances, reports low life satisfaction because they focus on threats and problems.

This is important: personality affects how you evaluate your life, not just objective circumstances. Two people in similar situations report different satisfaction based on personality and mindset.

Measure your Life Satisfaction profile

Take the free Big Five (OCEAN) test to discover where you fall. Instant result with full breakdown and matching careers.

Take the Free Big Five (OCEAN) Test

Related Terms

Introversion
A personality preference for lower stimulation environments. Introverts recharge through solitude and deep focus, prefer small groups over large parties, and think before speaking.
Personality Trait
A relatively stable pattern of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that distinguishes one person from another. Traits are continuous dimensions (not categories) measured on a spectrum.
Ambivert
A person who falls near the middle of the introversion-extraversion spectrum, displaying both introverted and extroverted behaviors depending on context. Most people (60-70%) are ambiverts.
Dark Triad
Three socially aversive personality traits: Narcissism (grandiosity, entitlement), Machiavellianism (manipulation, cynicism), and Psychopathy (callousness, impulsivity). Present to varying degrees in the general population.
Five Factor Model (FFM)
The scientific framework behind the Big Five personality test. Developed through decades of factor analysis, identifying five broad dimensions that account for most of the variance in human personality.
← Back to Glossary