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Here are some reasons why.
I'm probably not the best test case for this question based on many of my posts and comments around here, but an article in Science magazine posits that conservatives are "happier" than liberals. Or, at least, residents of "red" states feel happier than residents of "blue" states. The New York Times, riffing in a story about the study, says of to its home-state readers:
It’s rather dismal. If there were a National Happy League, we’d be the New Jersey Nets. We’re No. 51 out of 51 [Ed note: The District of Columbia was polled to get the list to 51].
This is an enormous generalization, but I've long thought that was true — that liberals are grumpier (or at least have less mirth and joy in their lives) than liberals conservatives — based on anecdotal evidence, my observations of political discourse over many years spanning all sorts of varieties of who is "in power," personal experience, and other reasons I won't get into here ... at least not at this late hour. But, it appears that the polling data says says so, too, when it gauges "Gross National Happiness." As John J. Miller at The Corner says:
One snap conclusion, from scanning the list: Red states are happy, blue states are sad (relatively speaking). Make of this what you will.
And I suspect that we might make something of that conclusion around here. That all said and shared, I'm sure Joel and Khabalox will disagree with that study — and, in fact, insist that the opposite is true — yet still have a joyous Christmas. At least I hope so, because I wish it upon them.
Comments
Its not that they are sad....
Its that they are never satisfied, so happiness is always fleeting.
Always suspicious of research like this ...
Talk about sweeping generalizations ... I think reports like this are mostly fodder for partisans. Generalizing of such a magnitude really doesn't do anyone a favor.
Well, you know what they say....
"Ignorance is bliss."
*ducks*
:P
Re: Well, you know...
Too predictable, K.
Predictable ...
That is hilarious. Miller is psychic!
Oh, and the second "liberals" in the passage that puzzled Ron is supposed to be "conservatives."
Predictability
I guess that's what I get for not clicking through.
How about:
"Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory." -Albert Schweitzer
"I can think of nothing less pleasurable than a life devoted to pleasure." - John D Rockefeller
"Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections." -??
"Happiness is the interval between periods of unhappiness." - Don Marquis [I take this as confirmation that the young and old demographics trend liberal.]
And one for Jim:
"Happiness belongs to the self-sufficient." -Aristotle
And one for Ron:
"Sanity and happiness are an impossible combination." - Mark Twain
wait a minute.....