Why We Believe the Future Will Feel Better
People tend to see brighter days ahead—even when their well-being stays the same. A new cross-cultural study uncovers the psychology behind our optimistic view of the future.
Although psychological well-being is generally stable over time, people often expect their future to look brighter than their past. In a large-scale study spanning four experiments and two countries (Norway and the U.S.), researchers found that participants predicted higher levels of happiness and meaning in the future than they recalled from their past, even when asked to reflect on both in the same session.
This “bright-future bias” held steady across short- and long-term time horizons and wasn’t simply due to poor memory or neglect of the past. Rather, the pattern appeared to be driven by motivation—people want to believe things will get better. This optimism even extended to friends (but not enemies), suggesting that beliefs about who deserves a better future play a role in shaping our predictions. The study sheds light on a fundamental human tendency: when it comes to well-being, we don’t just look ahead—we hope ahead.