America's Pursuit Of Happiness (593 hits)
Category: PoliticsRating: 0.93 on 20 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Tech-junkie (View user info) at 2008-01-08 01:36:34 EST
Public Opinion: Each time you open a newspaper or turn on a TV, you'll hear how unhappy, glum and dissatisfied Americans are. Don't believe it. The U.S. is, to borrow a phrase, the happiest place on Earth.
A long-forgotten 1960s movie title pretty much sums up how Americans feel about their lives: "What's So Bad About Feeling Good?" According to a new Gallup Poll, for most people that's not just a rhetorical question.
"Most Americans say they are generally happy, with a slim majority saying they are 'very happy,'" according to the Gallup Poll released on the final day of 2007. "More than 8 in 10 Americans say they are satisfied with their personal lives at this time, including a solid majority who say they are 'very satisfied.'"
Another extensive survey conducted in 2007 by the Pew Research Center found that 65% of Americans termed themselves "satisfied" with their lives. That compares with the four economic powerhouses of Britain, France, Germany and Italy, which averaged about 53%.
This difference isn't something new. It's been around for a long time. It's a part of what foreign-affairs mavens call "American exceptionalism." The question is, why are Americans so darned happy?
For one thing, Americans are far richer than those in other countries. And yes, this matters. Contrary to popular belief, neither the Europeans nor the Japanese lead better lives than Americans.
A study a few years back by Sweden's Timbro think tank came to these startling conclusions: Virtually every nation in Europe lagged the U.S. in income. Indeed, if it were a state, the EU would rank 47th in per capita GDP -- on par with Mississippi and West Virginia.
Americans' homes have roughly twice the square footage per occupant as those in the EU, Americans own more appliances, and, on average, they spend about 77% more each year than Europeans.
Yet, though the U.S. economy is head-and-shoulders above the others, you'd never know it from our friends in the mainstream media. As repeated surveys show, U.S. media coverage of the economy is overwhelmingly slanted toward the negative side of things.
But a look at the facts shows something quite different.
U.S. household wealth climbed from $38.8 trillion in 2002 to $58.6 trillion in the third quarter of 2007, an unprecedented 51% surge in just five years. That includes the recent meltdown in home prices.
By any historical standard, Americans are unbelievably wealthy.
Moreover, despite the near-collapse in housing, the U.S. economy remains strong. It grew at a 3.1% rate during the first three quarters, and almost certainly kept growing in the final three months.
Economist Irwin Stelzer adds another reason why Americans are happy right now: a million new jobs over the last year, a milestone that is underpinning U.S. economic growth right now.
But can economics really matter that much? You bet. Money may not buy love, but it helps buy happiness. In fact, according to the Pew folks, there's a 72% correlation between per capita GDP growth in a country and its citizens' happiness.
What about social trends? As economist Irwin Stelzer recently noted, "teenage drug use, pregnancies, smoking and drinking are all on the decline; welfare reform is working, bringing down child poverty, and the divorce rate is falling."
Oh, and we're having more babies than at any time since the 1970s -- not something that a gloomy, depressed society does. Our 2.1 babies per adult woman puts us at the top of the developed world's fertility rankings (Europe, by comparison, has a population-shrinking 1.5 rate). A child is the biggest bet on a happy future that two people can make.
Then there's religion. A 2006 Harris Poll found on average that 43% of those in Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain and France believed in a Supreme Being. In the U.S., it's 73%. That suggests a link, in developed nations anyway, between religiosity and happiness.
Face it, Americans are an unusually happy, optimistic people. In a way, it defines us. A big reason is our economy -- huge, innovative, low-tax and less regulated than others.
That's what makes us different. Vive la difference!
Taken from Yahoo! News.
User Reviews
Submitted by Caulaincourt (user info) at 2008-01-08 20:19:57 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Virtually every nation in Europe lagged the U.S. in income. Indeed, if it were a state, the EU would rank 47th in per capita GDP -- on par with Mississippi and West Virginia. """
the per capita GDP is a simple population/GDP division that doesn't represent wealth redistribution.
Submitted by dismas712 (user info) at 2008-01-08 19:54:45 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2008-01-08 08:17:38 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
You won't hear this on CNN. I'm surprised that Yahoo published it.
Thats cause CNN is run by communists, that insist on breaking us down.
Submitted by His_Infernal_Majesty (user info) at 2008-01-08 19:47:30 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I like to see this. Finally, something good about Americans. It all seems to sum up to the afore mentioned question "Why are Americans so happy?" My answer is: Why not?
Submitted by i_can_get_you_a_toe (user info) at 2008-01-08 19:25:50 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
I get what you're saying and you're right. sorta. I'll disagree at some later point in time - i'm too busy trying to scam my way out of work early.
Submitted by skrapmetal (user info) at 2008-01-08 19:04:47 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Toe, toe, toe. Why must you insist that the things that make you happy are the only things that make anyone happy? All pleasure comes at a cost. You may not choose to know the pleasures of things that will make you fat, and that works for you since you (assumption here) don't want to be fat. Those are your values, but in that choice you've missed out on things. Likewise, being regular fat I will have to miss out on things too. A choice I made based on my values. You can be happy being (assumption here) thin and I can be happy being regular fat and the American or Brit or Aussie or Chinaman who weighs in at 800 pounds can be happy too, all at the same time. Look at the statues of Buddha - that's a fat happy mofuk.
Exception: if the 800 pounder wants to eat you and/or me. Then someone's gonna be disappointed.
Submitted by monkeyswithguns (user info) at 2008-01-08 16:07:02 EST (#)
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No Comment
Submitted by i_can_get_you_a_toe (user info) at 2008-01-08 15:43:12 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
lord of the rings was filmed in the south island. they're a different breed down there.
and yes I was generalising - but seriously - there are some really grossly fat people over there - i'm not talking about the chubs - i love chubs - but the really just...oh dear god fat people. They can't be happy surely?
Submitted by skrapmetal (user info) at 2008-01-08 15:29:05 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by i_can_get_you_a_toe (user info) at 2008-01-08 14:28:23 EST (#)
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I'm having trouble swallowing this.
since when are extremely fat people happy?
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We're not all extremely fat. Some of us are just regular fat. Some of us, in fact, are indeed average-sized. Some, and this may come as a shock to you, are in fact smaller than average size. But like you, most of us are capable of simply deciding that everyone in a particular place is like the few we saw on TV.
You, for example, are an elf. Your ears are pointed, you're pale, and you're thin enough to be physically weak but you're deadly fast and accurate with a bow, not to mention having magic healing powers and mithril armor. You live in a tree. Don't deny it; I saw it on Lord of the Rings. It was filmed where you live, using all your local people as extras, or orcstras, as the case may be. Most of them were out-of work sheep shearers or kiwi buffers who sit around swilling beer and remembering the old days when they used to get killed by Hercules or Xena every weekend for a few coins and no mention in the credits. Dead on, yes?
Oh; I'm regular fat and I'm reasonably happy. You shouldn't worry too much about my weight. Worry is bad for you. Since the fate of everyone is the same, why would you care which of us will or should die first?
Submitted by apollo88 (user info) at 2008-01-08 14:51:44 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
yeah 2.1 children for every darkie.
about 0.8 for whitey, who let's face it, makes the USA wealthy.
Submitted by i_can_get_you_a_toe (user info) at 2008-01-08 14:28:23 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
I'm having trouble swallowing this.
since when are extremely fat people happy?
Submitted by forthewin (user info) at 2008-01-08 11:39:45 EST (#)
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If the pole shows that many Americans to be happy, why is that not the case for most of the people I meet? Where do they get this shit, and how many of the people that were in the pole were lying? "Yeah, sure, I'm happy. pff"
Submitted by triangle_man (user info) at 2008-01-08 11:26:49 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
I.... Feeel..... Happy
Submitted by freebie (user info) at 2008-01-08 09:52:15 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by EmissionImpossible (user info) at 2008-01-08 08:25:50 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Cool another post about America.
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2008-01-08 08:17:38 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
You won't hear this on CNN. I'm surprised that Yahoo published it.
Submitted by MudWhistle (user info) at 2008-01-08 07:22:08 EST (#)
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i believe in Milla Jovavich
Submitted by HellRazer (user info) at 2008-01-08 04:01:02 EST (#)
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No Comment
Submitted by rob_berg (user info) at 2008-01-08 01:54:22 EST (#)
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Then there's religion. A 2006 Harris Poll found on average that 43% of those in Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain and France believed in a Supreme Being. In the U.S., it's 73%. That suggests a link, in developed nations anyway, between religiosity and happiness.
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...and there is an even bigger link between religiosity and gullibility, delusion, ignorance, intolerance and blatant stupidity.
Of course Americans are happy - the majority of you are either distracted or simply don't give a shit about anything other than what DOES make you happy.
Most of western civilization is the same... you guys just do it with more flair and sluttier chicks.
Submitted by tech-junkie (user info) at 2008-01-08 01:45:26 EST (#)
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I'm expecting to get flamed. I just hope domenad gets a chance to see this.
Submitted by skrapmetal (user info) at 2008-01-08 01:44:23 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I suspect that this will not go over well. I do appreciate the thought, though. Reasonably happy +2.