Monday, May 12th, 2008
The primary cause of unhappiness in Britain is not lack of material wealth but a loss of faith in God and religion, a group of MPs says today. In a new report on wellbeing, a crossparty group of Christian MPs echoes concerns raised by the Conservative leader, David Cameron, who has emphasised repeatedly the importance of action to improve society’s sense of “wellbeing”. They say that the Christian voice is not being respected properly because it comes across too often as “negative”.
Steve Webb, a Liberal Democrat MP, said: “Over the years, many of us who are MPs rooted in the Christian community have been concerned that our voice in the public square can come across as being too negative.
“We are easily identified by what we are against, but less clear what we are for.” He said that, despite material wealth, society lacked a sense of wellbeing. He argued that this had been caused by the erosion of religious values.
Click here for the full article.
Tags: Britain, Christians, Conservatives, David Cameron, God, Great Britain, Happiness, Liberals, Negative, Religion, Religious Values, UK, Unhappiness, Wealth, Wellbeing
Posted in Britain, Christians, Conservatives, David Cameron, God, Great Britain, Happiness, Liberals, Negative, Religion, Religious Values, UK, Unhappiness, Wealth, Wellbeing | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, May 6th, 2008
What’s the key to happiness? Liberals might tell you a hot latte, vivid expressions of diversity, and a copy of the New York Times. That doesn’t sound too bad, but in data mined for his new book, Gross National Happiness, Arthur Brooks, a professor of business and government at Syracuse University, finds that conservatives are twice as likely as liberals to say they’re happy. That’s not necessarily because of their politics but because they are statistically more likely to be married, go to church, and be optimistic about their future—boosting personal happiness. For liberals, the rates are lower. The author suggests that while the liberal equity agenda may be honorable, it exacts a personal toll. Indeed, happiness is full of surprises: Political ideologues are positively joyful—by making others miserable. Brooks explains to U.S. News the quirks and politics of happiness.
Why are liberals so bummed out?
Liberals are more likely to feel like victims and feel that collective action is the best way to make things happen. That may be right, but it’s a frustrating way to live. The Democratic Party is a coalition of oppressed groups. These are legitimate grievances in a lot of cases, but that does not make for a happy party.
Click here for the full article.
Tags: , Arthur Brooks, Business, Church, Conservatives, Government, Gross National Happiness, Happiness, happy, Liberals, Marriage, Optimism, Politics, Syracuse University
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Thursday, May 1st, 2008
Last week I posted on the happiness difference between conservatives and liberals. Non-partisan survey data clearly show a large, persistent “happiness gap” favoring the political right.
Lots of readers weighed in, offering explanations for these data patterns. Here were their most frequent explanations:
1. Conservatives and liberals have different lifestyles, particularly regarding religion and marriage, which explains why conservatives are happier.
2. Conservatives have a world-view that — right or wrong — lends itself to greater happiness.
3. Brooks is an untrustworthy fool.
While #3 might be meritorious, let’s leave it aside and just focus on explanation #1 here and #2 in the next post.
Click here for the full article.
Tags: , Arthur Brooks, Conservatives, Democrats, Gross National Happiness, Happier, Happiness, Liberals, Lifestyles, Marriage, Politics, Religion, Republicans
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