It seems that science has proven that those with a more conservative view of the world are far happier than those with liberal views.
Liberals, claim New York University psychologists Jaime Napier and John Tost, have a tougher time rationalising social and economic inequality than conservatives.
The recent surge in home foreclosures, for instance, is due to poor economic choices on the part of borrowers, a conservative might think. Liberals, on the other hand, seethe at predatory lenders and lax government regulation of the mortgage industry.
The result: conservatives mix a martini and hit the country club, while liberals write angry letters and stage protests.
The study rightly concedes that the line between liberal and conservative is not quite as stark as the above example draws it, but the research is instructive. It appears that Bobby McFerrin was right all along and the conservatives have learned the lesson well, “Don’t worry, be happy.” It would seem that those who don’t give a damn about the suffering of their brothers and sisters—since they’ve got theirs and the suffering of another is “not their problem” or “worry”—live in a better mental state than those who find suffering, well, insufferable.
But, it begs the question of what happiness really is and how it can be accurately measured? The dictionary tells us that happiness is “good fortune, pleasure, contentment or joy.” Indeed, there are some people who may find much joy in a martini and a tour of the country club. But, why can’t a liberal find much joy during a protest against war or poverty? Why must fighting the indifference and inequality of the world produce something called “unhappiness”?
It was Jesus himself who said that happiness comes to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, those who love mercy and those who are the peacemakers (see Matthew 5 for even more happiness). The Bible translators used the word “blessed”—but the Greek word used—“makarios”—means “happy.” In short, those who give a damn are “happy.”
The definition of happy used by this study involves things like martinis and country clubs, and sure, liberals would probably enjoy participating in some upper crust recreation. We simply understand something the conservatives don’t: happiness is not complete until we all can experience the joy of life lived fully. That kind of happiness, most often, never includes martinis and country clubs. Instead, that kind of happiness comes when outcasts are welcomed in, when the poor receive justice, when the widow is cared for, and the sick and imprisoned are visited.
Liberals may be more unhappy in a material sense of the word, but true happiness—that peace that passes all understanding—only comes to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, not just for themselves, but for everyone.
