[coldtea]

>Strangely after Uni and backpacking my earning potential increased dramatically but my happiness definitely plateaued

Not really strange. Why would something like "earning potential" correlate possitively with happiness?

Especially if for it to increase you also needed to spent time doing stuff for other people, indoors, attend boring meetings, day-in, day-out, lose touch with friends, forego activities, and so on.

Earning only makes things better when lack of money was a real concern (e.g. if you didn't have shelter, food, etc). But I presume you those that during Uni/backpacking years.

[mythz]

> Not really strange. Why would something like "earning potential" correlate possitively with happiness?

Many people (esp. if you're on min wage) think accumulating wealth increases happiness as TFA suggests and as I did when I was younger. But as I pointed out with the benefit of hindsight to my younger self: money isn't the main source of happiness, prioritize enjoying your youth and friendships instead.

[coldtea]

As the oldest known song fragments saved with music and lyrics says:

  While you live, shine
  have no grief at all
  life exists only for a short while
  and Time demands his due
  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seikilos_epitaph