Why Conservatives Say They Are Happier Than Liberals

Happiness

My Observations Re Happiness is that you do not have to be a conservative or a liberal to be happy,real happiness is beyond economics or politics and has a lot to do with attitude and personal integration,as far as religion is concerned anyone can believe anything they want to believe,because that is exactly what they do......

Happiness and work

In addition to happiness on a personal level, the connection between spiritually and business success is obvious to those who want to scratch beneath the surface. In my new HR book, Wingtips with Spurs, the longest chapter in the book is devoted to the spirit and the successful career. It also covers the connectiveness of our actions and the important of spiritual wisdom. Michael L. Gooch, SPHR www.michaellgooch.com

Conservative Happy, Liberal Content

Happiness is in the convictions of the believer. A conservative has a personal identity that resists change. The virtual world of a conservative is the self-identity and comfort zone, the security blanket of belief. This is happiness to a conservative.

The liberal is more objective, There is less to identify an ego and more that identifies with others than a believer reqiures. There is less need for dogma, bias, or elitism to defend as an emotional identity. Moderation is contentment.

The conservative is happier. The need for emotional sustenance is the criterion for happiness.

Izzy of CA

Out of curiosity, how did you feel about the military members who came back from combat with missing limbs, PTSD (like me), and suicides before this particular war? I wear my PTSD as a badge of honor along with my medals, memories, friendships, and accomplishments and just about everything else I CHOSE to endure and enjoy during my enlistment in the Marines. I understand those who did not choose to join in past generations may have a different point of view about their military experience and I respect that. But when the choice is made by the individual, which is the case with today’s military, the last thing I think they want is your sympathy. They want your assistance.

Overall ,I think, you are addressing a very small list of current affairs from a very myopic point of view and not speaking to the larger picture as is done in the book. San Fran is an extremely shallow fish bowl and completely different than 99% of the rest of the country - I know, I come over the hill from my new home of Reno quite a bit and for many different reasons (my new home because my business benefits more from the conservatives who run Nevada than those liberals and pseudo-conservatives who run California, my previous home). I have also lived in numerous states in every corner of our great country and in several countries in the Middle East and Europe. From my experiences, there is a clear difference in how people’s outlook as demonstrated in their political leanings indicate their ability to succeed.

Your points are valid, but have you ever asked yourself why it was so hard to keep that "safe house" open? Was it because folks there depended on the government or some group to solve the problem, or, was it because individuals in your city didn't care enough to put their own money where their mouths were and save the place on their own? Why do you think it is that your teachers need school supplies bought with their own monies? Is it the government's fault or the inability of a group of individual educators to come up with alternatives to what they think should provide in their classroom?

Since San Fran, and California in general, is clearly slanted politically in one direction and given the fact you are easily able provide a glimpse into the failures possibly rooted in that political philosophy, do you agree a case could be made that another approach, when based on the another political philosophy, has a greater chance of success than what has been in practice already? I’m not saying these issues do not exist in conservative states or cities, but you brought up San Fran so I just want to stay on the topic at hand.

Honestly, I think you proved the book author’s point in your comments. There is a difference in how people approach problems and solutions, one approach has been clearly more successful throughout history in achieving great things. Previous commenters state that once they took control of their lives and left behind the liberal mindset, they became happier. Your comments clearly demonstrate a different viewpoint and a different approach so I will go out on a limb and assume you are not conservative. It is almost as if liberalism equals pessimism. Maybe that is why your “safe house” is closed and your teachers scramble to provide for their students, because others in your neighborhood, city and state share the same approach to life’s difficulties.

You view problems as obstacles that block your way, not obstacles to be overcome.

One more issue...

that doesn't make me very happy is veterans committing suicide. The "liberal media" isn't spending much time on this issue, so chances are, you haven't heard about it. Rev. Wright is much more important.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/25/cbsnews_investigates/main4047719.shtml

Last November, CBS News revealed for the first time an epidemic of suicides among those who have served in the military including more than 6,200 in 2005 alone.

Dr. Ira Katz, the head of Mental Health for the VA, quickly disputed our report.

"Their number is not, in fact, an accurate reflection of the rates," Katz said.

But new e-mails made public in court this week show at the very same time, VA staff believed "there was no flaw in the way they [CBS News] calculated their data" and that the "methodology appears to be correct."

This "fringe liberal" is all smiles

What a simplistic argument. I guess I'm what the talking heads call one of those "angry liberals." And I live in liberal San Francisco (one of the most expensive and most visited cities in the world)! I would add the term "latte drinking," but I gave up coffee years ago.

As the saying goes, if you're not mad as hell about the current state of affairs, you're not paying attention. Friends who are teachers making $40K in the Bay Area have to buy their own school supplies and they're dealing with 35+ kids who are on anti-depressants. That doesn't make me very happy. A San Francisco safe house for troubled kids whose parents can't handle them is about to close for lack of funding. The group doctor says he expects the kids will try to commit suicide. That doesn't make me very happy. Food banks across the country are desperate for perishable goods because demand is so high. That doesn't make me very happy.

Veterans are coming home with PTSD and missing limbs. That doesn't make me very happy.

I could ignore society's many problems and pretend everything is fine. I could ignore the news and pretend like it doesn't bother me. As long as I go to church on Sunday, God will take care of the rest. No, that wouldn't make me happy.

I prefer to be an informed citizen and do my part to make my community a better place. That makes me happy.

Why Conservatives are happier

I would suggest that 25 - 27% of voting Republicans are Christian, and certainly that there are other people of different faiths within the Republican 'tent." Like a Venn diagram in mathematics, we share some common overlapping views: like God is the ultimate authority, and we are accountable to what that God has revealed. Christians believe in original sin, so we don't favor government programs that allow government and the rest of the American people to be the "sucker." Others simply recognize that not only are we imperfect, but people choose to do that which is selfish or self serving. So the conservative view is directly opposed to the liberal concept that people are not born as sinners and are basically good.

Conservatives believe that we are not just helpless "victims", we can change our situation through hard work, savings, education, and so on. Liberals tell us that we are helpless until "government" does something. We believe in limited government and do not want government to do that which we ourselves can do.

Practicing Christians and others commit irrevocably to their families giving them stability and a firm foundation "to launch from."

We are less into making endless excuses and blaming everyone else but us. Think about it. This is why we are happier.

Liberal vs Conservative Happiness

As a far left Democrat and active member of N.O.W. I was not happy. I was an adversary in my marriage, I was an atheist and I spent so much time protesting everything that I walked around forever angry and frustrated. As a 3-yr Catholic who spends her time volunteering at a nursing home, spending time w/ my children at sporting events, sharing duties with my husband (of 18 yrs) and "giving back" in as many ways as possible, I find that I am at peace in my life. My marriage is better than ever, I mended my relationship w/ my father 2 years before he died and life could not be better! I agree 100% that FAITH and a good, strong marriage (made better because of that FAITH) has so much to do with happiness. Once I removed that "victim" label from my forehead, life got GREAT!