By W. Bradford Wilcox, David Bass, Institute for Family Studies - Americans who are married with children are now leading happier and more prosperous lives, on average, than men and women who are single and childless... Is that statement surprising? In an age that prizes individualism, workism, and a host of other self-centric “isms” above marriage and family, it may well be. But the reality is that nothing currently predicts happiness in life better than a good marriage.