31 Mar 08
American conservatives are more optimistic than liberals, more likely to feel in control of their lives and therefore happier, says Arthur Brooks. More importantly, sez I, they know what's better for their own lives than any government bureaucrat ever could:
http://www.economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10924082
31 Mar 08
Originally posted by der schwarze RitterIt says conservatives have been consistently happier than liberals for the last 35 years. But this makes sense to me. You guys have had Nixon, Reagon and Double Bush, and the best we've had is Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. No wonder we're all so upset.
American conservatives are more optimistic than liberals, more likely to feel in control of their lives and therefore happier, says Arthur Brooks. More importantly, sez I, they know what's better for their own lives than any government bureaucrat ever could:
http://www.economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10924082
What I found most interesting though, was this:
"So much for right versus left. Mr Brooks also finds that extremists of both sides are happier than moderates. Some 35% of those who call themselves “extremely liberal” say they are very happy, against only 22% of ordinary liberals. For conservatives, the gap is smaller: 48% to 43%."
DSR, you must be the happiest MoFo on the planet! 😀
31 Mar 08
Originally posted by der schwarze RitterOr are just more hypocritical when answering these tests.
American conservatives are more optimistic than liberals, more likely to feel in control of their lives and therefore happier, says Arthur Brooks. More importantly, sez I, they know what's better for their own lives than any government bureaucrat ever could:
http://www.economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10924082
01 Apr 08
Originally posted by bjohnson407I already knew conservatives where happier; heck, just spend two weeks here listening to all the sad sack liberals moping about gay marriage, global warming and peak oil and it's enough to make me want to blow my own brains out. I found the conclusion about extremists from both sides being the happiest people the most interesting point also. I guess it just goes to show that you must have windmills to tilt at in order to be happy.
It says conservatives have been consistently happier than liberals for the last 35 years. But this makes sense to me. You guys have had Nixon, Reagon and Double Bush, and the best we've had is Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. No wonder we're all so upset.
What I found most interesting though, was this:
"So much for right versus left. Mr Brooks also ...[text shortened]... es, the gap is smaller: 48% to 43%."
DSR, you must be the happiest MoFo on the planet! 😀
01 Apr 08
Originally posted by telerionI thought it novel that the author only interviewed Americans. In the past, a socialigist might have tried to interview people from around the world and muddied the results.
. . . or tests that make interpersonal comparisons along self-evualated subjective dimensions like "happiness" should be taken very lightly.
01 Apr 08
Originally posted by der schwarze RitterBut you think the government shouldn't 'encourage homosexuals.' Interesting, how you don't
More importantly, sez I, they know what's better for their own lives than any government bureaucrat ever could:
want the government to tell you what to do, but you want it to tell other people what to do.
No wonder you are so happy; you live a life unperturbed by your own hypocrisy.
Nemesio
01 Apr 08
Originally posted by der schwarze RitterSo,
they know what's better for their own lives than any government bureaucrat ever could:
are you in favour of gay marriage, because individuals know what's better for themselves than the government?
are you in favour of legal assisted suicide, because individuals know what's better for themselves than the government?
01 Apr 08
The post that was quoted here has been removedThe converse may also be true.
Liberals are like teenagers. never quite satisfied with what they have, always challenging authority and the status quo, because they do not have enough experience of their own to know the truth of a matter and as a result they are easily influenced by fads, taking a firm position on everything only to flip flop onto something else when the tide changes.
On the other hand the apparent simpleness displayed by conservatives may in actuality be the streamlining of their opinions due to a lifetime of experience and the humility due to maturity to recognize that others have lived before them, and that there is nothing new under the sun. For this reason there does not seem to be much point in trying to constantly re-invent the wheel and try and find a novel position on everything. There is much value to be had in the consensus of tradition. Why waste your energy with fights that can't be won or attempting to change the things that won't. Why piss in the wind or step on superman's cape.
Teenagers don't quite get this!
01 Apr 08
The post that was quoted here has been removedAdults?!?!
Liberals? I think not!
- Who believes in the fairy tale of global warming?
- Who feels that war never solves anything.
- Who are the firsts to protest for the environment, but think it is OK to waste tons of resourses to build & blow-up a movie set?
- Who thinks that hard work is a bad thing?
- Who wants free health care, welfare, college, apartment, cheap gas....etc
- Who thinks that they should be allowed to do anything they want, with no limits?
- Who thinks that it is normal or natural for two men to bugger each other?
Just because a teenager questions my decision, does not make them right. Isn't it interesting that as someone grows one, usually they are quite liberal in high school & college, but as they mature in the real world they evolve into a conservitive? At least those that earn an honest living. Most that rise to the challenge of making a good living are not to keen of sharing ithe fruits of their labor with bunch of immature free loaders.
01 Apr 08
Originally posted by Dace Ace1) your list: most of the things listed here have nothing to do with childishness. the rest of them have nothing to do with being liberal.
Adults?!?!
Liberals? I think not!
- Who believes in the fairy tale of global warming?
- Who feels that war never solves anything.
- Who are the firsts to protest for the environment, but think it is OK to waste tons of resourses to build & blow-up a movie set?
- Who thinks that hard work is a bad thing?
- Who wants free health care, we ...[text shortened]... ving are not to keen of sharing ithe fruits of their labor with bunch of immature free loaders.
2) "as they mature in the real world they evolve into a conservitive": I would call this 'evolution' the repetition of infantile neuroses.
01 Apr 08
Originally posted by der schwarze RitterConservies have their list of whining points too: taxes, registering guns, government regulation, non-believers, the supposed "clinton murders," liberals and so on.
I already knew conservatives where happier; heck, just spend two weeks here listening to all the sad sack liberals moping about gay marriage, global warming and peak oil and it's enough to make me want to blow my own brains out. I found the conclusion about extremists from both sides being the happiest people the most interesting point also. I guess it just goes to show that you must have windmills to tilt at in order to be happy.
01 Apr 08
Liberals are so unhappy, because they live the life of a victim. They see themselves as being put down and trampled on. But I suppose if you lived your life on a street corner, with you hand out, begging for spare change, life would appear unfair. It does require a lot of effort to get off you butt.
The irony I see is that liberals want more & more government, but don't like to be told what to do. They are too dense to figure out that the bigger the government monster we create, more it will strangle our freedoms.
I figure when the light above a liberals head finally clicks on, they see the pathetic path they have wasted their life on, and it must be a crushing depression.