What a happy forum this is!

[57Coastie]

Why Conservatives are happier than Liberals

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/08/opini ... ef=general" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Before you shoot the messengers (the NY Times and the undersigned), if you can read it all the way to the bottom you will see that the author of the article is the president of the American Enterprise Institute, probably the premiere conservative Think Tank.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_E ... _Institute" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Jim

[chasfm11]

Great story. And I learned a new word: solipsistic. I cannot wait to whip that out during one of my "discussions."

Whether religion and marriage should make people happy is a question you have to answer for yourself. But consider this: Fifty-two percent of married, religious, politically conservative people (with kids) are very happy — versus only 14 percent of single, secular, liberal people without kids.

And none, it seems, are happier than the Tea Partiers, many of whom cling to guns and faith with great tenacity. Which some moderately liberal readers of this newspaper might find quite depressing.

Case closed... Next.

[The Annoyed Man]

Why Conservatives are happier than Liberals

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/08/opini ... ef=general" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Before you shoot the messengers (the NY Times and the undersigned), if you can read it all the way to the bottom you will see that the author of the article is the president of the American Enterprise Institute, probably the premiere conservative Think Tank.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_E ... _Institute" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Jim

Hi Jim,

Interesting topic. Conservative talk radio host Dennis Prager (http://www.dennisprager.com/transcripts.aspx?id=1074) does a one hour show every week on the topic of happiness. Now, I can't quote him word for word, but he has made roughly the following observations:

1. Religious people tend (we're talking tendency here, not universal truth) to be happier than non-religious people for the following kinds of reasons: they are comforted by the existence of an Almighty; they take joy in service to their Almighty; they don't feel like they have to be responsible for the outcome of all things because their venerated Almighty is in control of all things.......stuff like that. My corollary, again not universally true, but certainly tending that way, is that religious people tend to be more conservative than the non-religious—most particularly in areas of social policy.
2. Conservative people tend to be happier than liberal people for the following kinds of reasons: because they are not looking for the nanny state to fulfill their every need, consequently they are not unhappy when government fails to do so; they feel that they are responsible for their own happiness, and take such actions as necessary to achieve it; they fully believe it when Thomas Jefferson wrote that pursuit (not attainment) of happiness is a fundamental human right, and that governments which interfere with that pursuit tend to be "big government" and "socialist" and that therefore conservative policies lead to more individual happiness than liberal policies.

Now, those are very rough paraphrases of what Prager is getting at, and I undoubtedly left something out, but the author of the article you linked to would have done well to interview Dennis Prager in this matter, as his opinions are very well thought out in his constant quest for clarity.

[74novaman]

they feel that they are responsible for their own happiness, and take such actions as necessary to achieve it

I think this cuts to the heart of the issue.

If you believe you're responsible for your own condition in life, you strive to make it a happy one. Conversely, those who think others "owe them" anything tend to be very dissatisfied with what they receive.

[AEA]

You hit the nail on the head!

[ss1088]

Ignorance is bliss?

[Skiprr]

Ignorance is bliss?

That's actually from an 18th-century poem by Thomas Gray. The complete line is: "Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise."

Kinda changes the meaning when you have the other six words.

[The Annoyed Man]

Ignorance is bliss?

That's actually from an 18th-century poem by Thomas Gray. The complete line is: "Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise."

Kinda changes the meaning when you have the other six words.

A wise man's heart inclines him to the right, but a fool's heart to the left.

Ecclesiastes 10:2, ESV

One of my favorite Bible verses because it is so funny.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

"Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife."
Proverbs 21:9

One of my favorite Bible verses because it is so funny

SIA