why conservatives are happier than liberals
I'm the sort of person that conservatives call liberal, but liberals describe as somewhat conservative. Does that mean that conservatives think I`m unhappy but liberals think I`m a little bit happier but not that happy based on this article?
Conservatives are twice as likely as liberals to be married and twice as likely to attend church every week. Married, religious people are more likely than secular singles to be happy. They are also more likely to have children.
Well... I don't attend church every week but I am married every week - and have kids. I must be fairly happy. For those who think I`m conservative, increased church attendance may make me happier. For those who think I`m liberal, perhaps being married with kids means I`m as happy as I can be.
But the article goes on to say that religious liberals are as happy as secular conservatives and extremists on both sides are happy than moderates. That's because extremists are happy because they are certain they are right.
But why is the conservative world view more conducive to happiness than the liberal one?
Perhaps liberals are generally more interested in changing things for the better than in "conserving" things as they are, they are less vested in the status quo and more free to admit to being less happy than they expect to be at some later date. Or perhaps the best way to be happy is to be a religious, married, extremist conservative with kids.
No wonder liberal Helen Clark is so unhappy. She is probably thinks she`s a moderate.