Altruism may breed better marriages, a new study suggests. Or, the data might mean that good marriages make people more altruistic. Whatever, altruism and happiness seem to go together in the realm of love. “Altruistic love was associated with greater happiness in general and especially with more marital happiness,” Tom Smith of the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago concludes in a report released Thursday. Study participants were asked whether they agreed with statements that define altruism, such as, “I’d rather suffer myself than let the one I love suffer,” and “I’m willing to sacrifice my own wishes to let the one I love achieve his or hers.” Those who agreed with the statements tended to also report happiness with their spouses. Among the more altruistic, 67 percent rated their own marriage as “very happy.” Among those who were profiled as the least altruistic, only 50 percent said they were very happy in marriage. And here’s one for those of you who are still waiting for your partner to commit: Forty percent of the married people ranked near the top for altruistic responses, while only 20 percent of those who had […]