Married men may sometimes look at the freedoms enjoyed by their single buddies with envy, but a new study shows that guys who’ve tied the knot are actually happier overall.

 

Michigan State University researchers worked with a group of 1,300 people and found that while they weren’t necessarily happier after getting married, they were happier than they would’ve been if they’d remained single.

“Just being in a well-adjusted, long-term romantic partnership with someone may be the underlying mechanism,” says Stevie C. Y. Yap, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Psychology at MSU and one of the study authors. “It may not have to do with the marriage itself.”

The peaks and valleys of emotion associated with dating can be exciting, which is why married life sometimes seems more dull by comparison. But Marsha Lucas, Ph.D., a psychologist in Washington, DC, says that as long as both people in a marriage are on the same page about expectations, the resulting relationship can be even more fulfilling, adding, “The good news is that the two of you are in it as a team.”

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