More American Politics!

Mulu · Post by **Mulu** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 5:09 pm

ç i p h é r wrote:From what I've seen, Northern Europeans appear to be among the most, if not the most, tolerant people in the world. I've never met a group of people who, collectively, enjoy life more.

And they have the highest standard of living. Darn socialism anyway.

ç i p h é r · Post by **ç i p h é r** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 8:25 pm

I'm quite certain that their happiness doesn't derive from socialism. The Danes and Swedes I met here in the US were hardly living under the yoke of socialism. It's a cultural phenomenon, not something endowed on them by their government, and perhaps even in spite of their government, much like why people of faith are happier than people without faith.

*shrugs* Maybe they just don't preoccupy themselves with worry like the "we're all going to die if..." doomsayers around here?

Mulu · Post by **Mulu** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 9:13 pm

ç i p h é r wrote:I'm quite certain that their happiness doesn't derive from socialism.

Their standard of living certainly does.

White Warlock · Post by **White Warlock** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 10:28 pm

ç i p h é r wrote:much like why people of faith are happier than people without faith.

Denial is bliss, eh?

Jokes aside, when you say "faith," are you referring to 'any' belief system, or just Christianity? And, where did you obtain the data that provided you with this conclusion?

Veilan · Post by **Veilan** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 10:33 pm

Funnily enough, most people gravitate towards the same base-level of above-average contentness, no matter their circumstances. We are very good at adjusting our goals and aims and demands for life, both upwards and downwards.

ç i p h é r · Post by **ç i p h é r** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 10:50 pm

Denial is always bliss (does anyone like facing unpleasant truths? seriously), but what am I denying exactly...?

*Edit* NM. I get it now. Ha! I think you're right.

There was a national happiness survey conducted some months ago. We had a thread about it here in these forums. You'll have to dig that up to get a link to the data, but I believe it was any faith, not just Christianity. Could be wrong though.

Veilan · Post by **Veilan** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 11:15 pm

Heh, that could be as simple as bias in answering or a quasi-placebo effect, depending on how the question was raised.

But by and large, yes, having some belief system (regardless of the system, not only christianity has that effect) raises our happiness some, and why not - we all have this desire to believe we know what's actually going on. The cynical scientific mind that has to deal with its own fallibility of having to admit that no, we don't really know, may just turn out to be less happy. Hey, it's even in the Bible, no?

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 11:22 pm

Well from a personal sense, where i was forced for 10 years to be a part of organized Christianity as a Jehovahs Witness with my father, i can say without a doubt, my life is much happier without it

Veilan · Post by **Veilan** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 11:24 pm

Oh c'mon, Jehova's Witnesses are about as christian as capital punishment is (hint for G.O.P. groupies: not at all).

White Warlock · Post by **White Warlock** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 11:26 pm

The cynical scientific mind that has to deal with its own fallibility of having to admit that no, we don't really know, may just turn out to be less happy.

Ahh, but that's shortsighting scientific analysis. We do know, as much as we know. We cannot know everything, but we continue to strive to obtain more information, more data, at every opportunity, and that, in and of itself, is an exciting prospect.

I think the differentiation should be that of "simple" answers as opposed to "complex" answers, and just how much a person is able to, or willing to, comprehend.

Mulu · Post by **Mulu** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 5:21 pm

Veilan wrote:Heh, that could be as simple as bias in answering or a quasi-placebo effect, depending on how the question was raised.

Or as the mormons I know put it, "We paint on our smiles every morning." If you think you are supposed to be happy, you'll bias your answer accordingly.

Of course, I live in the Central Coast of California. We're all very happy here.

Mayhem · Post by **Mayhem** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 5:44 pm

Veilan wrote:Oh c'mon, Jehova's Witnesses are about as christian as capital punishment is (hint for G.O.P. groupies: not at all).

I stayed with my wifes Jehovah's Witness cousins in Canada. They were really cool, took us out to dinner and hockey games (insisted on paying) and tried to get us drunk

Veilan · Post by **Veilan** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 6:54 pm

Mulu wrote:If you think you are supposed to be happy, you'll bias your answer accordingly.

Indeed, conforming to what you are supposed to say / feel in your community. Also, that feeling of "ownership" for your religion makes you less likely to admit it's not better than what the others supposedly (don't) have. Just like you're justifying why that new puter or car you bought is better than some other, or why at least you're not going to admit you blew a big chunk of money for nothing quintessential

.

Mulu wrote:We're all very happy here.

From reading your posts, I certainly wouldn't believe that

.

Mulu · Post by **Mulu** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 8:06 pm

Veilan wrote:From reading your posts, I certainly wouldn't believe that .

Griping makes me happy.

Burt · Post by **Burt** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 8:23 pm

Mulu wrote:
Veilan wrote:From reading your posts, I certainly wouldn't believe that .
Gripping makes me happy.

Fixed.