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Very untrue. If California is so happy, then why are the people starting to leave by the droves? As far as Arizona is concerned, the people are among the worst I've ever come across, after living in 3 other states. Mountains, desert, sunshine and the like do not make a person 'happy.' Happyness comes from within; you can be happy living anywhere, even in a mud hut in Africa.
I think both California & Arizona have very mild winters w/ little rain & lots of sunshine. The climate is an important factor in happiness.
Those leaving California are primarily due to the high cost of living not because they don't like the state.
Here's Gallup's list when the question actually is "did you experience happiness during a lot of the day yesterday?"
Montana 91.3
North Dakota 90.5
Wyoming 90 (Yup, the one that was tops on suicide)
Utah 89.8
Kansas 89.7
Vermont 89.5
Iowa 89.5
Nebraska 89.2
Minnesota 89.1
Hawaii 89.0
Colorado 89.0
Colorado was interesting as it was also among the most stressed states.
Anyway differences from the opening list are the following. Arizona, California, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Washington are not on the happiest list. (The original list on this thread is well-being, not happiness) The top on this list, Montana, was not on the OP's list. I believe Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Vermont are also "new." The states on both lists are: Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota, Utah, and Wyoming.
So from that I'd guess Arizona and California have many thin active non-smokers who maybe aren't especially happy. While people in Montana or North Dakota may have relatively happy people who are either fat or smoke tobacco. Meanwhile sources from this thread indicate the people of Wyoming are happy and healthy, but more likely to kill themselves if those things go away. Finally Colorado is a land of people who manage to be happy and healthy despite living under high levels of stress. (I'm aware these caricatures are flawed, they're just interesting to make from the data. Montana as a land of happy smokers or jolly fat people amused me for some reason)
Apologies if this has been linked to or mentioned already.
Last edited by Thomas R.; 11-13-2009 at 03:59 AM..
Anyway differences from the opening list are the following. Arizona, California, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Washington are not on the happiest list. Anyway differences from the opening list are the following. Arizona, California, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Washington are not on the happiest list.
Yet Massachusetts has the country's lowest suicide rates, if I remember correctly, and California is not too far up.
Louisiana is another high-ranking place with one of the highest suicide rates in the country.
Last edited by Perfect Stranger; 11-13-2009 at 04:20 AM..
It might be counter-intuitive, but it's not too unusual for places with high levels of reported happiness to be high in suicide. For example Denmark often tops rates of reported happiness, but its suicide rate is fairly high.
I think I mentioned this earlier, but I think suicide-rates might be more linked to instability and alienation. In a place like Wyoming or Montana perhaps you have more unattached people. Or perhaps their "libertarian" values make them more willing to see suicide as a choice they have every right to try. Also, even if Massachusetts is largely secular now, possibly some Catholic cultural feelings against suicide linger. Just theorizing.
It is true though that they put Massachusetts on their "least happy" list. As well as two other "low suicide" states: New Jersey and New York. However Minnesota and Hawaii seem to have below average suicide rates going by that Scripps source with Hawaii being in the bottom ten. Minnesota and Hawaii are also in the top ten lists for well-being and happniess. So they might be in the best position so far.
In the "crummy" sweepstakes, so to speak, there's apparently: West Virginia, Kentucky, and Florida. They were in the top ten least happy and had suicide rates noticeably above average.
Last edited by Thomas R.; 11-13-2009 at 04:25 AM..
I grew up in Kentucky and currently in California, and I can definitely say that I was far, far happier living there than I am in California. And from alot of the people I've talked to who grew up in other parts of the country, I ain't alone in that department.
Yet Massachusetts has the country's lowest suicide rates, if I remember correctly, and California is not too far up.
Louisiana is another high-ranking place with one of the highest suicide rates in the country.
Do you have a reference about La being a high suicide rate state? I have never seen or heard anything in the local news about it and the local news is pretty good at reporting news such as this. I'm not aware of this other than the teen suicide seems to be reported alot. Unfortunately I have known a couple of teens at least who took their own lives.
In no way do I ever agree that California and Arizona are among the "happiest" of states. If Californians are so happy, then why are they scrambling to leave by the droves? As far as Arizona is concerened, the people are among the worst I've ever come across after living in 3 other states.
Happiest:
Utah
North Carolina
South Carolina
Tennessee
Nebraska
Kansas
Oklahoma
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Kentucky
Most miserable:
Cailfornia
Arizona
New Jersey
Florida
New York
Massachustttes
Hawaii
Lousiana
Maryland
6 of your 9 "most miserable" are the wealthiest in the country...I guess money can't buy happiness, right? I can't tell you how miserable I feel!
People are leaving California because it's got a ridiculous COL, and the job market is horrid (in some places).
I'd rather be miserable in Cali, Mass, Jersey, Florida, NY, Hawaii, or MD than be happy in 9 out of the 10 "happy" places you listed.
I think the bigger issue is that the variation is quite small, meaning that people from one state to the other aren't necessarily on average much happier.
6 of your 9 "most miserable" are the wealthiest in the country...I guess money can't buy happiness, right? I can't tell you how miserable I feel!
People are leaving California because it's got a ridiculous COL, and the job market is horrid (in some places).
I'd rather be miserable in Cali, Mass, Jersey, Florida, NY, Hawaii, or MD than be happy in 9 out of the 10 "happy" places you listed.
so what? thats YOUR opinion.
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