Conservatives Happier
A fascinating article in the Economist says that people in this country identifying themselves as “Conservative” or “Very Conservative” have a higher likelihood of being happier.
Some have hypothesized that it’s because liberals are miserable with President Bush’s administration, but apparently the evidence traces back 35 years. The article points to the fact that conservative people tend to go to church more and have more children, which leads to more long-term happiness.
While I’m not sure about that, I do like that they point out that the conservative perspective is more about taking responsibility, working hard, and succeeding through individualism. Whereas the liberal view points to societal issues, injustices, and huge “crushing impersonal forces that keep the little guy down”, conservatism acknowledges those issues (I hope) as history and seeks to solve them by discrediting them and living in spite of them.
So this election season, vote Republican and be happier.
That means you must be a very happy person, Sean.
On another note, when are we celebrating the 21st amendment?
So…is it saying that church IS serving as an opiate of some sort? What exactly is the consolation one takes away from church that leads to more happiness?
And more kids…ok…but I would see that more as a long-term thing than short-term. How can more kids make you happy if you can’t afford them? (you can insert welfare mother joke here if you like). Or is it that conservatives who can afford children are happier?
At my current position in life, which isn’t bad, I’m not so sure I’d be happier with more kids taking away from my massive university salary. : ) I’m still not sure which label I prefer…if any. Can I just be me?
“The article points to the fact that conservative people tend to go to church more and have more children, which leads to more long-term happiness.”
Ironically, that statement makes me unhappy.
Sounds about as dumb as that “Liberals are smarter” study that came out a couple years ago.
I haven’t read the article and I’m afraid to because I’m a liberal with a weak gag reflex. I’d be very curious to see a happiness poll that compares the attitudes of conservatives living below the poverty line to their liberal equivalent. My guess is that both sides would be equally unhappy.
But wealthy liberals vs wealthy conservatives: that’s obvious. Wealthy liberals are always going around feeling sorry for everything from the melting ice caps to the scent of their fuel exhaust. Meanwhile, their conservative neighbors…not so much.
Friends don’t let friends vote Republican.
Friends don’t let friends vote Democrat either, though.