Are conservatives happier than liberals?
December 18th, 2008Laura (the Sarchasm) posted a study that conservatives are generally happier people than liberals. In all my years, I’ve known this to be pretty much true. Sure, there are happy liberals and unhappy conservatives, but generally speaking…
The study has a lot of premises and explanations why this is so. You can read into it what you like. The link is in her article if you want to read it and it’s a short and easy read. It also includes percentages too.
From my experiences, I’ve seen that liberals see injustice everywhere and want to change too much. Conservatives on the other hand roll with the punches in life and only want to fix a few things. I’ve always said that if you want to change too much, you will fail, become disillusioned and cynical, and end up not accomplishing anything.
The press likes to make fun of us one or two issue people, but guess what? We’re effective. Don’t try to change the world. Just pick your battles. Find the one or two things that you want to work on and just do that. You will find that if you focus on one or two things, you will be a heck of a lot more effective.
Imagine if bad drivers drove you nuts and you beat up everyone that cuts you off. You’d never get home. You’d be beating someone up every other minute. That’s how I see liberals. The whole world drives them nuts and they’re unhappy because they see injustice everywhere.
I’m not at all denying there is injustice out there. I gave Laura the example of my Aunt. She knows sports more than any man you’ll ever meet and has just as much if not more charisma than 99% of the sports announcers on TV. But she’s a woman. Had she been a man, she’d have sports networks knocking down doors to hire her. Is it fair? No. Is it something I lose sleep over every night? No.
Learn what works, then do it. You can see the world as unfair and be unhappy or you can see what’s right with the world and tweak a thing or two that’s wrong. I think the latter is a lot more effective and also less likely to burn out.
The other thing with liberals - I’ve found that liberals tend to find what they disagree with you about and argue it over and over and over again, then argue it some more. Then the next day, they’ll bring it up again. No, not all liberals do this, but I’m using a stereotype that has some truth to it. Me on the other hand, I’ll try to find something I agree with you. I don’t care about changing your viewpoint to mine. If I like you, I like you and accept we have our differences. You can be Left-wing, Right-wing, Middle-wing, Christian, Muslim, Pagan, Atheist, Gay, Straight, Brown, Green, Orange, Male, Female, Narnian, or whatever. If you’re cool to me, I like you and just accept you as is.
I like keeping it simple. Liberals tend to make things complicated. Is that because conservatives are dumb? Hardly. It may be though because we’re more secure. And that may be why we’re happier.
Anyways, before you get mad at me, check out the study. I’m just saying what I’ve experienced. As I’ve said, I’ve known happy Liberals and miserable Conservatives. But generally speaking, the study has truth to it.
i think conservative will be happy only if they choose to act on their beliefs. But than again, to constrain yourself to ‘do this and not that’ is not living at all. You’ll end up being more unhappy if you choose to be more beyond your beliefs.
I guess at the end everyone want to justifiy their action by making it a part of the norm, so at the end of the day you feel less guilty about it. That’s probably the reason why liberal fight for all the silly reasons. I don;t know if i made anysense at all:)
Actually, the Liberals I know (me included) have a tendency to avoid discussions with people who don’t agree with us. Example: Democrats/Liberals will send Republican-bashing jokes to each other, but not (generally) to people they know are Republicans. Republicans/Conservatives, on the other hand, fill my box with Democrat/Liberal bashing crap all the friggin’ time. DRIVES ME NUTS! My aunt in El Segundo is famous for this. I simply ignore her and hope she goes away.
That said, I completely agree with the study. And I’d dearly love to beat the shit out of all the crappy drivers who always end up in front of me.
what about those of us who refuse to categorize ourselves as either liberal or conservative?
if i am trying to be persuasive with someone who actually wants an exchange of ideas i will find whatever common ground we have and start there. if i am in conversation with someone who it’s trying to be a divisive yutz and has no interest in honest dialogue i will nail their butt to the wall, liberal or conservative.
Lime - Good point. I’m seriously considering dropping any label, because there are some things that I’m Right-wing, and some things I’m Left-wing. I’m not too crazy about the Right’s head in the sand approach to environmental issues, for example.
Yeah, I’ve also known people from all sides who argue just to argue and they drive me nuts. But in Seattle and California, they seem to come mostly from the Left end of the spectrum but I have met some from the Right.
Kathleen - Hmm…
You’re a pretty happy person, so I was wondering if you’d disagree with the study.
Tchoden - I think pretty much anyone would be happier if they acted on their beliefs.
Zombie: There are people, for whom, acting on their beliefs, causes them social, political, and economic misfortune. So I’d disagree that everyone would be happier if they acted on them. For example, pagans or other alternative religious groups, when they act on their beliefs or practice their beliefs, are often ostracized (and in some cases, depending on their locale, run out of town). Some gays and lesbians are attempting to act on their beliefs, by wanting their relationships legally recognized - that hasn’t caused much happiness for them.
I just think it’s easier for those whose lifestyles and beliefs mirror “the norm” to act on their beliefs and be happy.
Oh, I am a pretty happy person, but I am also very opinionated and have very definite ideas (not necessarily political - e.g., Michael Schumacher is NOT the greatest race car driver EVER in the history of the world - and I will argue that point with anybody who says otherwise - usually blowing their arguments out of the water) - this makes some people think I’m angry.
I think I got off topic.
I’m pretty content with my life and while I’ll let outside influences rile me up, it’s generally a temporary state and I’m right back to me being me.