Sex and Happiness

There are a lot of different ideas out there about what goes into creating a happy life. I don't think many people would disagree, however, that the state of your primary relationship is a big factor in your happiness - or lack of it.

So how much do you think good sex contributes to the happiness in a relationship? I recently saw a quote from studies conducted at Dartmouth and the University of Warwick that "...increasing intercourse from once a month to once a week is equivalent to the amount of happiness generated by getting an additional $50,000 in income for the average American."

I know a lot of people who would argue with that conclusion - and who would gladly give up some sex for that amount of extra income - but it's interesting to at least consider how much value sex adds to your life. If quadrupling the frequency of sex in your relationship wouldn't equate to $50,000 worth of happiness, how much would it be worth to you? How about to your partner? If sex isn't a big priority for you but it is to your partner, how would your partner's increased satisfaction affect your happiness?

Though you can't really quantify happiness, it might be worthwhile to consider what role sex plays in it.