Republicans are happier than Democrats… I wonder why

A new un-shocking study showed us that people are happier as they age, that men are happier than woman, and that Republicans are happier than Democrats.

Read it:

Americans grow happier as they age, surveys find. And a new Pew Research Center survey shows the tendency is holding up as the economy tanks.

Happiness is a complex thing. Past studies have found that happiness is partly inherited, that Republicans are happier than Democrats, and that old men tend to be happier than old women.

… If you’re thinking that Republicans are happy just because they perhaps make more money, that does not seem to be the case. The study that found Republicans to be happier than Democrats also showed that it held true even after adjusting for income.

Let’s dive deeper into the Republican vs. Democrat happiness survey:

The survey, released this week, points out several disparities based on lifestyle, beliefs and political persuasion:

  • Republicans are happier than Democrats.
  • People who worship frequently are happier than those who don’t.
  • The rich are happier than the poor.
  • Whites and Hispanics are happier than blacks.
  • Married people are happier than the unmarried.
  • Dog owners and cat owners rate the same.
  • Sunbelt residents are happier than everyone else.

    About 45 percent of Republicans said they were very happy, compared with 30 percent of Democrats. Republicans have been happier in surveys going back to 1972, the Pew study notes.

    The reason might seem obvious, since “Republicans tend to have more money than Democrats, and–as we’ve already discovered–people who have more money tend to be happier,” the report states.

    But even after adjusting for income, poor Republicans are happier than poor Democrats, and rich Republicans are happier than rich Democrats.

    What about religion?

    Forty-three percent of people who attend religious services weekly or more say they’re very happy, compared to 26 percent of those who go seldom or never. The Pew analysis does not answer the question of how religion, Republicanism and happiness might be related, however.

  • Well, I’m not scientist, but I can guess about this. First, Republicans tend to be more religious than Democrats, by a very large margin. They also tend to have more friends and to be more satisfied with their lives. Republicans are more likely to be married, to be healthy, to worry less about finances, to have more money, to feel in control of their own lives, and happy in their communities.

    All of this is completely unsurprising to me. And all of these factors obviously lead to better overall happiness, and Democrats lag in all of these areas. Why?

    It can all be boiled down to one, simple reason: liberals and Democrats, as a whole, go through life with a giant chip on their shoulder. They are perpetually outraged. They paint themselves as constant victims, always offended by something, always somehow being victimized and picked on, and always out to find the latest injustice to conquer. Democrats also tend to look to government to solve all of these problems, rather than to themselves, as conservatives do. Conservatives believe the individual is responsible for his or her life; liberals do not. Knowing that you are responsible for yourself is extremely empowering; feeling like there are endless problems in the world and you’ve got to get politicians in Washington to solve them for you can lead to a strong feeling of helplessness.

    Most young people start out as naive, idealistic liberals. But as they get older, that changes. They get more conservative, usually because they grow up. But just imagine that you never get out of that liberal mindset. You go through your whole life trying to check people into a victim box, always feeling offended, always trying to right all of the wrongs in the world, and always blaming government for it. It’s no wonder you’d end up miserable when you get older! Going through your entire life feeling like that would make you a very angry, bitter, jealous, selfish person — and often, that describes aging liberals to a T.

    All in all, being a Republican gives you a 7% edge in the happiness department, which doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a greater factor than race, ethnicity, or gender. And just a reminder — Republicans have the advantage across all class lines as well, from upper class to middle class to lower class. Lower class Republicans are happier than lower class Democrats. Middle class Republicans are happier than middle class Democrats. And upper class Republicans are happier than upper class Democrats.

    And I’ll say it again. It’s because of the difference in world view. I’m sure the trolls will come out in force for saying this, but it is what it is. Liberalism is poisonous. It not only is politically poisonous, destroying whatever poor country you inflict liberal policies on, but it’s poisonous in your personal life as well.

    I’d suspect, though, that deep down liberals would be happy to hear it. It’s one more thing they can check off on their victimhood list, isn’t it?

    Hat Tip: Hot Air Headlines

    Cross-posted from Cassy’s blog. Stop by for more commentary, or follow her on Twitter!

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