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The happiness research shows the majority reports being happy. Those same people who are raging in traffic, hate their jobs, yelling at their spouse and kids -- they must be checking "very happy" on the surveys.
But...it seems like you're saying the majority of people are raging in traffic, hating their jobs and yelling at their spouse and kids...
And there are plenty of us who are NOT doing those things. At least, not on some kind of daily basis. DO people rage in traffic? Yeah, SOME really go off the rails. Most flip a finger and go on.
DO people yell at their spouse? Well, me and my spouse have argued sometimes. It got loud a couple of times. But certainly in the many years we've been together, it hasn't been often.
It seems like you think we're ALL one step from snapping all the time...and that's not so.
You see someone yelling in traffic. It's probably fair to say they're having a bad day, but not fair to say they're having a bad life. That's over-reaching.
Happiness research usually says that most Americans say they are happy. Not as many as in Scandinavian countries, but still most.
I wonder why they are so happy when there is so much mental and physical sickness, because of the toxic environment and unhealthy lifestyle. And the fact that so many Americans live far from their close relatives, and so many work extremely long hours.
I guess maybe it's because technology cheers them up? Because most love the jobs they spend so much time at?
Or do people like to say they are happy, whether they really are or not?
If someone asked me if I'm happy I would not know how to answer. I'm happy about some things, and not about others. I'm happy at some moments and not at others. It would be impossible to rate how happy I am in general.
If Americans are so happy, why do so many take antidepressant drugs? Why are so many overweight? And there are so many older people with dementia, whose families take care of them, and being a caregiver is extremely stressful.
Do you think that Americans are generally positive and able to overlook all the problems and be grateful for what they have?
Maybe some of them release a lot of stress by blaming all their problems on Trump.
I don't know, I just don't understand the happiness research. People do mostly seem happy on the outside, but most probably do some secret agonizing.
please show me that research. I do not believe it.
That’s not to say that Americans are especially happy overall - only 33% of Americans surveyed said they were happy. In 2016, just 31% of Americans reported the same.
Most just say so because that's a right thing to say. Hey, how not to be happy compared to people in say, Somalia or North Korea.
They feel happy because they have house, new car, job that pays for it. Lots of people seldom or even never take vacation, they rather work to make extra money.
I remember talking with some about that, and they said they are afraid to be replaced. Or they need the extra income. They also think their life is great. That they have all they need.
Not sure - either people are becoming immune to the news, or there’s a promise of change for so many Americans that felt alienated.
Of course, the happiest are those with great education, sought after skills, and well paid jobs.
However, about 40% of Americans said in 2017 that they rarely engage in hobbies and pastimes they enjoy, because they don't have time for it, or are too exhausted from long hours at work.
They feel so caught up in texting, multitasking, jobs and commutes that they seem to have less and less free time.
Again, for most Americans it's all they know, but for many people in other developed countries American lifestyle is totally unacceptable. They rather work to live than live to work...
Happiness research usually says that most Americans say they are happy. Not as many as in Scandinavian countries, but still most.
I wonder why they are so happy when there is so much mental and physical sickness, because of the toxic environment and unhealthy lifestyle. And the fact that so many Americans live far from their close relatives, and so many work extremely long hours.
I guess maybe it's because technology cheers them up? Because most love the jobs they spend so much time at?
Or do people like to say they are happy, whether they really are or not?
If someone asked me if I'm happy I would not know how to answer. I'm happy about some things, and not about others. I'm happy at some moments and not at others. It would be impossible to rate how happy I am in general.
If Americans are so happy, why do so many take antidepressant drugs? Why are so many overweight? And there are so many older people with dementia, whose families take care of them, and being a caregiver is extremely stressful.
Do you think that Americans are generally positive and able to overlook all the problems and be grateful for what they have?
Maybe some of them release a lot of stress by blaming all their problems on Trump.
I don't know, I just don't understand the happiness research. People do mostly seem happy on the outside, but most probably do some secret agonizing.
Just curious, are you an American? Most Americans don't feel the need to identify as such, if they are in America. This sounds like you're somehow at odds with Americans and can't figure them out.
Yeah, I think MOST people in MOST countries "are generally positive and able to overlook all (most) the problems and be grateful for what they have - at least they try. Many have been taught to do exactly that.
And yeah, I blame Trump for all the problems he is currently causing the country. Not ALL the problems from all of history, and not all my personal problems - but since you bring it up, I positively despise Trump but since he doesn't disappear it doesn't ease my stress in the slightest.
And you do know that it's impossible to generalize about all people and happiness on all possible issues. The question of happiness is too broad for any kind of meaningful and intelligent answer. So in other words, this will go on for at least 20 pages.
Gallup poll showing that the great majority of Americans report being at least somewhat satisfied with their lives and at least fairly happy.
About half are very satisfied and very happy. Only a very small minority report being unhappy.
Geeez - it's about as middle of the road as anything can get. How can you disagree with THAT? BTW - it's from 2005 - Trump wasn't even a nasty twinkle in anyone's political eye at that point so it obviously doesn't reflect anything from the last decade including the recession or the recovery, much less Trump.
No I am not happy now, I know that, because my lifelong best friend died recently and unexpectedly.
But I am not writing about me personally, but about the psychological or philosophical question of happiness. I think a lot of the research doesn't really help us understand.
So many Americans have jobs they don't like, and so many are in debt, and in poor health. Maybe some of the upper middle class is healthy and happy. But very often people with successful professional careers spend most of their time at work, not with their families.
In earlier times people certainly had problems, but families were more likely to work together and spend time together. Now if your family is together, each kid is probably focused on his phone and everyone is ignoring each other.
Again, broad brush.
Please accept my condolences for the loss of your lifelong friend. I do understand and sympathize with your grief.
I'm sure it doesn't work this way for everybody, but for me one thing that really helps me be satisfied with my rather unremarkable American Life is perspective.
The past several years for whatever reason I've had a lot more interest in reading about history, and about people in other parts of the world. It's a worthwhile thing to study just for its own sake... but an unexpected side effect is that I've come to really know that most of us have it really good in this day and age. Compared to most of humanity in the past, and even most of humanity elsewhere in the world right now, we live like nobility.
I agree with this 100%. The problem is that many times we let society tell us our efforts aren't good enough. Of course there are aspects of my life that I'd like to change but I truly can't complain. But I'm sure many people would take a look at my life and think it's miserable, at the end of the day it's only up to us.
The happiness research shows the majority reports being happy. Those same people who are raging in traffic, hate their jobs, yelling at their spouse and kids -- they must be checking "very happy" on the surveys.
Wow - hard to imagine that people could answer a survey in a way that doesn't accurately reflect their inner state - totally blows.my.mind. Ever take a class in survey construction? I'd imagine the GSS/NORC folks would do a better job than Gallup on a topic such as this.
i fake it until i make it.... if it never gets any better. oh well. that's life........................ then i hope the hindu's got it right and there is something called reincarnation and hope i get another shot at all of this.
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