Conservatives Happier Than Liberals

[dannyboy]

link (http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20080507/sc_livescience/conservativeshappierthanliberals)

Jeanna Bryner
Senior Writer
LiveScience.com
2 hours, 53 minutes ago



Individuals with conservative ideologies are happier than liberal-leaners, and new research pinpoints the reason: Conservatives rationalize social and economic inequalities.


Regardless of marital status, income or church attendance, right-wing individuals reported greater life satisfaction and well-being than left-wingers, the new study found. Conservatives also scored highest on measures of rationalization, which gauge a person's tendency to justify, or explain away, inequalities.


The rationalization measure included statements such as: "It is not really that big a problem if some people have more of a chance in life than others," and "This country would be better off if we worried less about how equal people are."


To justify economic inequalities, a person could support the idea of meritocracy, in which people supposedly move up their economic status in society based on hard work and good performance. In that way, one's social class attainment, whether upper, middle or lower, would be perceived as totally fair and justified.


If your beliefs don't justify gaps in status, you could be left frustrated and disheartened, according to the researchers, Jaime Napier and John Jost of New York University. They conducted a U.S.-centric survey and a more internationally focused one to arrive at the findings.


"Our research suggests that inequality takes a greater psychological toll on liberals than on conservatives," the researchers write in the June issue of the journal Psychological Science, "apparently because liberals lack ideological rationalizations that would help them frame inequality in a positive (or at least neutral) light."


The results support and further explain a Pew Research Center survey from 2006, in which 47 percent of conservative Republicans in the U.S. described themselves as "very happy," while only 28 percent of liberal Democrats indicated such cheer.


The same rationalizing phenomena could apply to personal situations as well.


"There is no reason to think that the effects we have identified here are unique to economic forms of inequality," the researchers write. "Research suggests that highly egalitarian women are less happy in their marriages compared with their more traditional counterparts, apparently because they are more troubled by disparities in domestic labor."


The current study was funded by the National Science Foundation.

[dannyboy]

What's that saying, "Ignorance is bliss"?

[markalot]

This is old and seems to pop up every 6 months.

Liberals always seem angry about something, and frustrated that no one will fix it for them. Conservatives just fix it, screw someone in the process, and smile on the way to the bank.

I'm on a roll.

[DaHood]

Of course they're happier. They're all fat and happy from exploiting the poor. ooooooooooh SNAP!

[Hellburger]

On a related note, atheists are more stressed than very religious people, presumably because they realize that God won't solve their problems.

[the_birds]

Of course they're happier. They're all fat and happy because they don't care about anyone or anything but themselves!! ooooooooooh SNAP!

Fixed that for you!

[classicgrrl]

On a related note, atheists are more stressed than very religious people, presumably because they realize that God won't solve their problems.

good one


123456789

[Arkansas]

On a related note, atheists are more stressed than very religious people, presumably because they realize that God won't solve their problems.

I'm pretty happy and balanced. I don't really seek out being in a state of hapiness all of the time. I think if you are looking for it and don't find it then you aren't doing yourself any favors. I think that if you learn to be satisfied with what your situation is and know you can still better yourself then you are alot better off.

I'm happy to be an atheist. I'm happy I have my Sundays free.

[mike]

On a related note, atheists are more stressed than very religious people, presumably because they realize that God won't solve their problems.

I'm happy to be an atheist. I'm happy I have my Sundays free.

Even as a kid, I used to say that the only thing I worshipped on Sunday was the National Football League. That's now extended into certain types of Motorsport but yeah, imagine there's no heaven....

[the_birds]

imagine there's no heaven....

You totally stole that! :D

[PeterABnny]

Fixed that for you!

Damn, that was a good fix!

[bestlaidplans]

I would be too if I lived in my own fantasy world. :rolleyes:

[Predot listener]

I would be too if I lived in my own fantasy world. :rolleyes:

Yeah, living a fantasy life does make one look like an ass.

[DaHood]

life is just a fantasy
can you live this fantasy life...

[frizgolf]

life is just a fantasy
can you live this fantasy life...

Aldo Nova!

[DaHood]

Powder pleasure in your nose tonight. *sniff*

[Shlep]

I fail to see why this should be a surprise. I say this because it has been my understanding for as long as I can recall that being upset, outraged, indignant, gravely concerned, piqued, sullen, earnestly glum, or in high dudgeon about *SOMETHING* at any given time was a central fact of life-- if not a requirement-- to be taken seriously as liberal.

"'Happy,' you say? Are you kidding? How can I be happy knowing about all the <troubles/unrest/injustice/poverty/inequity> rampant in <country/class/economic strata> among the <religion/ethnic group/tribe>? Is that a serious question?"

If liberals started being happy about things like having a good job, living in a swell house, driving a nice car, having a fat pile of cash in the bank, a muscular 401k, college for the kids and the promise of a prosperous retirement on the horizon...well, then they'd be conservatives.

[weezer6]

I fail to see why this should be a surprise. I say this because it has been my understanding for as long as I can recall that being upset, outraged, indignant, gravely concerned, piqued, sullen, earnestly glum, or in high dudgeon about *SOMETHING* at any given time was a central fact of life-- if not a requirement-- to be taken seriously as liberal.

"'Happy,' you say? Are you kidding? How can I be happy knowing about all the <troubles/unrest/injustice/poverty/inequity> rampant in <country/class/economic strata> among the <religion/ethnic group/tribe>? Is that a serious question?"

If liberals started being happy about things like having a good job, living in a swell house, driving a nice car, having a fat pile of cash in the bank, a muscular 401k, college for the kids and the promise of a prosperous retirement on the horizon...well, then they'd be conservatives.

i agree.

the rest of the responses are just kinda funny. but expected.

[berzerker]

If liberals started being happy about things like having a good job, living in a swell house, driving a nice car, having a fat pile of cash in the bank, a muscular 401k, college for the kids and the promise of a prosperous retirement on the horizon...well, then they'd be conservatives.

I "have" several of those things, but I wouldn't call myself conservative. I guess there's several beliefs that I have that just don't fit with the Republican party. Some really don't gel w/ the Dems, but for now it's a better fit.
Maybe that'll change, but I feel what really needs to change is our current "us or them" 2-party system that is so fuzzy-logic, moving target, pork-belly pandering to the lobbyists and donors and polls - and it really drops the ball on so many key issues.

[purple_octopus]

I "have" several of those things, but I wouldn't call myself conservative. I guess there's several beliefs that I have that just don't fit with the Republican party. Some really don't gel w/ the Dems, but for now it's a better fit.

The key word wasn't "having", it was "being happy about". ;)

[berzerker]

The key word wasn't "having", it was "being happy about". ;)


If liberals started being happy about things like having a good job, living in a swell house, driving a nice car, having a fat pile of cash in the bank, a muscular 401k, college for the kids and the promise of a prosperous retirement on the horizon...well, then they'd be conservatives.

Ah, right...
Good job = happy
swell house - who can really be truly happy about that? You never finish working on the damn things.
nice car = just made the final payment, and I'll be happy to drive it for another 5 yrs (knock wood)
fat pile = define fat pile, but I'm comfortable. Not living month to month, and open for vaca and gifts to self. So that's good.
401K / Roth IRA / individual rollover IRA - quite happy. Made 14% last year.
no kids = happy
prosperous retirement = I can only hope, but I'm content to do whatever's in my power to achieve that. Nobody's gonna hand me one, so I know it's in my own hands. I also kinda have a "hobby" that might bring in some income, and keep my mind and body active. Optimistic.

[the_birds]

If liberals started being happy about things like having a good job, living in a swell house, driving a nice car, having a fat pile of cash in the bank, a muscular 401k, college for the kids and the promise of a prosperous retirement on the horizon...

I think more liberals have this than you think. I certainly do. I'll retire very comfortably at 55.

And it doesn't make us Conservatives.

The biggest difference to me, is that liberals give a shit about their fellow man. Something which is Christian and can be very stressful.

[purple_octopus]

Ah, right...
Good job = happy
swell house - who can really be truly happy about that? You never finish working on the damn things.
nice car = just made the final payment, and I'll be happy to drive it for another 5 yrs (knock wood)
fat pile = define fat pile, but I'm comfortable. Not living month to month, and open for vaca and gifts to self. So that's good.
401K / Roth IRA / individual rollover IRA - quite happy. Made 14% last year.
no kids = happy
prosperous retirement = I can only hope, but I'm content to do whatever's in my power to achieve that. Nobody's gonna hand me one, so I know it's in my own hands. I also kinda have a "hobby" that might bring in some income, and keep my mind and body active. Optimistic.
Darling, you're not being a very good liberal!!! Didn't you know that the correct response is:


"'Happy,' you say? Are you kidding? How can I be happy knowing about all the <troubles/unrest/injustice/poverty/inequity> rampant in <country/class/economic strata> among the <religion/ethnic group/tribe>? Is that a serious question?"

:p

[purple_octopus]

I think more liberals have this than you think. I certainly do. I'll retire very comfortably at 55.

And it doesn't make us Conservatives.

The biggest difference to me, is that liberals give a shit about their fellow man. Something which is Christian and can be very stressful.

Maybe we should change it to:


"'Sense of humor,' you say? Are you kidding? (hehe) How can I have a sense of humor knowing about all the <troubles/unrest/injustice/poverty/inequity> rampant in <country/class/economic strata> among the <religion/ethnic group/tribe>? Is that a serious question?"

[Shlep]

I "have" several of those things, but I wouldn't call myself conservative. I guess there's several beliefs that I have that just don't fit with the Republican party. Some really don't gel w/ the Dems, but for now it's a better fit.
Maybe that'll change, but I feel what really needs to change is our current "us or them" 2-party system that is so fuzzy-logic, moving target, pork-belly pandering to the lobbyists and donors and polls - and it really drops the ball on so many key issues.

Speaking as one of the self-described libertarians around here: yeah, that'd be nice.

I think more liberals have this than you think. I certainly do. I'll retire very comfortably at 55.

And it doesn't make us Conservatives.

I believe my charming bride addressed this already: *having* this stuff doesn't make one conservative. I'm well-aware that being prosperous is not at odds with being liberal; indeed, in many quarters, liberalism positively flourishes where there is wealth and comfort.

[the_birds]

Maybe we should change it to:


"'Sense of humor,' you say? Are you kidding? (hehe) How can I have a sense of humor knowing about all the <troubles/unrest/injustice/poverty/inequity> rampant in <country/class/economic strata> among the <religion/ethnic group/tribe>? Is that a serious question?"

I can have a sense of humor about ANYTHING. My sick sense of humor I only share with my closest friends. :D

[berzerker]

Darling, you're not being a very good liberal!!! Didn't you know that the correct response is:


"'Happy,' you say? Are you kidding? How can I be happy knowing about all the <troubles/unrest/injustice/poverty/inequity> rampant in <country/class/economic strata> among the <religion/ethnic group/tribe>? Is that a serious question?"

:p

I know I'm not a good liberal - I'm pro death penalty, and I believe that while good in principle, the welfare system and the unions are fucking useless right about now. There needs to be some major change in the way both of those systems are run, and in turn viewed by the general public.

[Duemellon]

Conservatives (not necessarily Repubs) want to either revert to way things were (in some romanticized time) or want things to remain at their current rate. This is regardless if they currently have, had but don't now, or never had... No, this is not saying they're satisfied "completely" with the way things are & want to stop progress... This means they want things to stay on their current course.

Liberals (again, not necessarily Dems) want things to change dramatically, rapidly, & because they feel there is a glaring need, opportunity, or wrong direction. They feel things aren't changing fast enough or in the right way, but it's not that they think they whole thing sucks, but just enough of it to want massive &/r rapid change.

Now, back to individual human psycology...
If you want change with a sense of urgency, you are uncomfortable with that change not happening.

[weezer6]

Conservatives (not necessarily Repubs) want to either revert to way things were (in some romanticized time) or want things to remain at their current rate. This is regardless if they currently have, had but don't now, or never had... No, this is not saying they're satisfied "completely" with the way things are & want to stop progress... This means they want things to stay on their current course.

Liberals (again, not necessarily Dems) want things to change dramatically, rapidly, & because they feel there is a glaring need, opportunity, or wrong direction. They feel things aren't changing fast enough or in the right way, but it's not that they think they whole thing sucks, but just enough of it to want massive &/r rapid change.

Now, back to individual human psycology...
If you want change with a sense of urgency, you are uncomfortable with that change not happening.

i agree with this pretty much, and would like to add that it seems to me that those labeled conservative seem to accept the system, whether it be good or bad. if they aren't succeeding in the system, it's their fault for not trying harder, and those that succeed, are just happier because they are succeeding.

those labeled liberal, well, don't accept the flaws in the system, and tend to hold the system accountable for not succeeding. and if they actually succeed within the system, they still blame the system for the failures of others.

i think the insinuation that conservatives don't care about their fellow man is hilarious.

[Sofa King]

i think the insinuation that conservatives don't care about their fellow white man is hilarious.

ftfy.

Oh no he di'in't!

[weezer6]

ftfy.

Oh no he di'in't!

that's even more hilarious.

i had to google "ftfy". i haven't been around in a while.

[Hogarth]

Hey, if conservatives are so frickin happy, why is it always conservatives like Orville Wrong who come in and defecate all over the boards?

[berzerker]

i think the insinuation that conservatives don't care about their fellow man is hilarious.

Of course they care about their fellow man.

Who else is going to work in their factory, take care of their garden/kids/car, cook their dinners/make their clothes/vacuum their hotels etc?

[Hogarth]

Of course they care about their fellow man.

Who else is going to work in their factory, take care of their garden/kids/car, cook their dinners/make their clothes/vacuum their hotels etc?

you left out carry their golf clubs.

[weezer6]

Of course they care about their fellow man.

Who else is going to work in their factory, take care of their garden/kids/car, cook their dinners/make their clothes/vacuum their hotels etc?

i know a shitload of "conservatives" who have maids, gardeners, and personal dinner cookerers.

here's the thing, i've had a portion of the jobs you have listed. i picked beans, worked at mcd's, worked in a factory. i didn't make shit, and i was poor. i evaluated my situation and said, i need to do something different. how do i work the system? so i took steps. i didn't get mad at the system and blame the system for my shitty jobs. i joined the fucking army, and got some electrical training. i worked hard and am pretty happy with how things are now.

now, my personal experience taints my view of people with shitty jobs. i know that with some effort, you can change your course of life. that is a fucking fact. and you can do it no matter who you are ( i am aware that certain people face different hurdles, but it can still be done ). i don't feel i really need to come to the aid or bear the burden of those with crappy jobs, i feel they need to make the effort themselves to improve. and i want to see that happen. i like to hear how someone started at the bottom, and though hard work, moved up the ladder. i don't like hearing about someone starting at the bottom and complaining about how rough life is, and then expecting a handout to improve their situation.

so does this viewpoint of mine mean i don't care for my fellow man?

[Duemellon]

i evaluated my situation and said, i need to do something different. how do i work the system? so i took steps. i didn't get mad at the system and blame the system for my shitty jobs. i joined the fucking army, and got some electrical training. i worked hard and am pretty happy with how things are now.Unfortunately, there's an assumption that if you don't like the system it must be because it holds you back. This doesn't hold water when you compare other shades of the same Liberal/Conservative line.

Libertarians don't like the system because they view it's too involved in their lives. They definitely fall into the "Conservative" side of the line. I also know some materialistically satisfied liberals who got what they got because they worked to get it, yet they still see the system as being incorrect & in need of major & rapid overhaul.

I mean, really, I'm definitely liberal here in Ohio & trust me, I'm busy making major changes in my life to prepare myself for my future. I'm not waiting for the system to change to aid me. You can see my track record & tell I'm not sitting on my hands waiting for a handout. When I complain or piont out how the system is wrong I don't say "that's why my life sucks" but I'm enabled to say "Who wants to change it? Let's talk, do, theorize..."now, my personal experience taints my view of people with shitty jobs. i know that with some effort, you can change your course of life. that is a fucking fact. and you can do it no matter who you are ( i am aware that certain people face different hurdles, but it can still be done ).This reflects my attitude about can/can't do's. Whenever I see people I know who got caught up "in the system" I still think to myself they still can get out of it, but the system blows chunks.

BTW, I haven't said, & would be hard pressed to even say Cons don't care about other people. It's the way they show care about other's plights I don't agree with. To me, Cons get where they are & look back & say "I showed you how, & that it can be done, so do it yourself" where as I believe Libs say "I did it, here's how I did it, here's some help for you."

The motivations for wanting to share success can be quite varied. The motivations for saying "Do it yourself" can be varied too. However, that thought pattern is so foreign to me I can't even phrase it nicely or imagine what those motivations would/could be.

[twentyshots]

Hey, if conservatives are so frickin happy, why is it always conservatives like Orville Wrong who come in and defecate all over the boards?

well, that is because he is an emotional basket case. has nothing to do with political ideology.:eek:

[markalot]

I showed you how, & that it can be done, so do it yourself" where as I believe Libs say "I did it, here's how I did it, here's some help for you."

The second example is conservative, the first is libertarian, you haven't covered the liberal example yet.

"I feel for you, but I don't have the time or the inclination to spend time showing you how so here's some money I took from that rich bastard down the street, good luck! Oh, and take one of these feel good stickers, I have one on my bumper. Toodles!"

It's wrong to pigeon hole anyone into a particular behavior, and because you did I can say with some certainty that you're wrong. The odds are with me.

[Frost]

(willful) ignorance (and apathy) is bliss, kind of sums it up.

I don't necessarily think a label covers it, but people who ignore the plight of their fellow human, live off the backs of others and generally watch children die and can go back to their house happy and care free - well you're just a lowlife. If you are a liberal or conservative doing that, you're a jackass.

If you feel that describes you, then yep, you're a jackass.

[Shlep]

Of course they care about their fellow man.

Who else is going to work in their factory, take care of their garden/kids/car, cook their dinners/make their clothes/vacuum their hotels etc?

Should I infer, conversely, that liberals don't own any of these things? Or is it that liberals refuse to hire anyone to work in any of their businesses, thus keeping them poor so they will have someone to really, really care about and make themselves happy? Sounds kinda twisted to me...

Or do they insist that others not as well off as them "work in their factory, take care of their garden/kids/car, cook their dinners/make their clothes/vacuum their hotels etc," on the condition that they do not taint these folks' good works by doing something as base as paying them money to do so? If so, you'd think they'd be happier than the conservatives who surely would be outraged to find that those damned liberals figured out a way to look virtuous doing what *THEY* would surely love to do but can't, not even with illegal aliens and outsourcing stuff to Malaysia.

IS this because providing jobs-- and by extension a paycheck, and a living, and arguably benefits that often attend employment-- does not qualify as doing right by ones' fellow man?

Man, these threads never fail to open a whole can of philosophical worms...:)

[markalot]

You people crack me up.

So now providing jobs is bad? Threads like these always turn into a showcase for stupidity. You ever wonder why people with more money than you ignore you? Read back a few posts.

[DaHood]

I don't even know why I bother reading this thread. :)

[Shlep]

You people crack me up.

See how happy conservatives are? It's no joke!! :D

[the happy prole]

It's just a different way of looking at the role government should play in society. There's not really a fundamental moral divide between any political party. At least not in the US.

Sheesh.

Look, I can see why happy people would tend to be moderate conservative. Why? Because you're happy. Shit's working for you. You don't need the government to step in and run stuff because it's running just fine for you, and you can accomplish your goals-- including helping the poor if that is your desire-- if you so choose.

That doesn't mean that everyone who is happy is a conservative. It just means you probably lean a little farther right than you would if you were poor and unhappy. Aggregate it across society and you get the results in the article. But you're also not going to go extreme right either, for the simple reason you don't see the need for radical change.

Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh don't strike me as all that happy. Neither do most libertarians, socialists, or anyone else with a third party/extreme type view. I mean, the government is not being run the way you want it to be, so of course that's going to put a little ding in your happiness.

But I mean, really. The differences are minor, and it is probably your level of happiness subtle shifting your political view rather than the reverse. And for the really unhappy extremists-- well, Ann Coulter would be a flaming c*nt no matter what her political view. Does anyone really think otherwise?

[Dumb Hick]

Should I infer, conversely, that liberals don't own any of these things? Or is it that liberals refuse to hire anyone to work in any of their businesses, thus keeping them poor so they will have someone to really, really care about and make themselves happy? Sounds kinda twisted to me...

Or do they insist that others not as well off as them "work in their factory, take care of their garden/kids/car, cook their dinners/make their clothes/vacuum their hotels etc," on the condition that they do not taint these folks' good works by doing something as base as paying them money to do so? If so, you'd think they'd be happier than the conservatives who surely would be outraged to find that those damned liberals figured out a way to look virtuous doing what *THEY* would surely love to do but can't, not even with illegal aliens and outsourcing stuff to Malaysia.

IS this because providing jobs-- and by extension a paycheck, and a living, and arguably benefits that often attend employment-- does not qualify as doing right by ones' fellow man?

Man, these threads never fail to open a whole can of philosophical worms...:)

u r an elitist douchebag

[monkey neck]

If,



"'Happy,' you say? Are you kidding? How can I be happy knowing about all the <troubles/unrest/injustice/poverty/inequity> rampant in <country/class/economic strata> among the <religion/ethnic group/tribe>? Is that a serious question?"


Then,

Debbie Downer is a liberal.:p

[DaHood]

Ann Cunter sure doesn't seem happy.

[The_Deacon]

Ann Cunter sure doesn't seem happy.

I disagree. I think being a miserable cunt makes her happy at the end of the day.