People with more social freedom tend to be more willing to put off immediate gratification

Societies that foster frequent social connections and allow for easy change in social circles tend to produce individuals who are more willing to sacrifice immediate pleasure for long-term benefits. This behavior stems from a heightened sense of personal autonomy and a positive outlook on the future. The study, published in Emotion, explores the concept of delaying happiness, which refers to the belief that foregoing some present pleasure could lead to greater happiness in the future.

This may involve opting out of a social event to focus on academic work or choosing to save money rather than spending it on immediate entertainment. The underlying rationale for this mindset is an evaluation of whether the anticipated benefits in the future outweigh the present sacrifices. Led by Kuan-Ju Huang of Kyoto University, the research investigated how this mindset varies across different countries.

Huang, now a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Tokyo's Department of Social Psychology, highlighted that East Asian cultures, influenced by Confucian values, are often characterized as more future-oriented compared to Western societies. However, the concept of long-term orientation was originally labeled "Confucian dynamism."

Huang aimed to determine whether this inclination towards future orientation reflects an individual's desires or perceived obligations. His focus was on relational mobility, a measure of the flexibility of social networks within a society. Societies with high relational mobility, like those in North and Latin America, exhibit a high degree of freedom in selecting friends, partners, and social groups.

Conversely, societies with low relational mobility, such as many in East Asia, possess rigid social structures that complicate the formation of new connections or severing ties with unsatisfactory ones. This rigidity has notable psychological impacts, as evidenced by a 2025 study that found East Asian countries generally reporting lower average happiness compared to Western nations.

This disparity can be attributed to cultural tendencies such as low relational mobility, which systematically diminishes individual well-being. Huang sought to ascertain if this social flexibility also influences how individuals approach future happiness. The researchers posited that when people feel they have control over their social lives, they may feel more in charge of their life path and optimistic about the future, thereby encouraging them to postpone present happiness for better outcomes later.

In the initial phase of the study, Huang analyzed data from the Global Flourishing Study, which included 202,070 participants from 22 countries. Participants rated the statement "I am always able to give up some happiness now for greater happiness later" and assessed three aspects of well-being: overall happiness and life satisfaction, a sense of purpose and meaning, and a feeling of harmony in life.

Additionally, they provided responses to gauge overall optimism. At the national level, the analysis examined relational mobility, national wealth, income inequality, and the individualistic or collectivistic nature of the culture. The findings revealed that individuals residing in countries with high relational mobility were more inclined to delay immediate gratification compared to those in countries with lower relational mobility.

Notably, Japan and Hong Kong were among the least likely to believe that sacrificing current happiness would result in future well-being, a finding attributed to the particularly low relational mobility in these societies. In other words, individuals may endure hardship in the present but are unlikely to believe that such sacrifices will lead to enhanced future happiness.

Overall, the data suggested that optimism plays a crucial role in this relationship. Residents of societies with high social mobility reported elevated levels of optimism, which in turn predicted a greater inclination to postpone immediate happiness. Delaying immediate gratification was also linked to overall improved well-being, particularly in terms of having a stronger sense of purpose and meaning in life.

To corroborate these initial findings, Huang conducted a second study utilizing detailed questionnaires, involving 785 participants comprising a nearly equal split between Japan (a low-mobility society) and the United States (a high-mobility society). This phase employed established multi-item surveys to measure delaying happiness, optimism, and personal control.

Participants also rated the relational mobility of their immediate social environment by answering questions about the ease with which people around them can form new friendships or select social groups. The results of the second study mirrored the global data. Participants from the United States reported higher relational mobility, a greater sense of control, higher optimism, and a stronger willingness to defer immediate happiness for future gains compared to their Japanese counterparts.

Statistical models indicated a causal relationship between these factors. Living in a society with high relational mobility was associated with experiencing a greater sense of control and optimism, which in turn predicted a stronger inclination to postpone immediate happiness for future gains. Huang emphasized that the decision to trade some present happiness for future benefits is not solely a personality trait but is significantly influenced by the social environment one inhabits.

"It is not just about personal preference," Huang explained. "It is shaped by the social context in which you live. Not everyone has the same opportunities for social mobility, which shapes their perception of a brighter future ahead."