Well-Being as a Moral Analgesic: Why People Satisfied with Their Lives Tolerate Corruption yet Continue to Participate in Political Life

Aim of this study was to search for the relationships between life satisfaction, corruption perception, and participation in political life taking into account personality traits and sociodemographic factors. An additional objective was the preliminary adaptation of the Political Participation Scale and the Corruption Perception Questionnaire. Besides, the Life Satisfaction Scale, the Psychological Superiority Scale, personality trait profiles of the Big Five, the Dark Triad, and the Light Triad were used. An online survey involved 264 respondents aged 19 to 75 years. Correlation and multiple regression data analyses were performed. The results showed that income level, Machiavellianism, Humanism, and Kantianism were significant predictors of corruption perception. Political participation emerged as a multidimensional phenomenon driven not only by external conditions but also by internal motivational and ethical dispositions of the individual. The main conclusion of the research is that a high level of subjective well-being may be accompanied by reduced sensitivity to moral disturbances but does not necessarily lead to distancing from political life.