A third of U.S. adults say they’re very happy, according to a recent report by the Pew Research Center. Another half say they are pretty happy and 15% consider themselves not too happy.
Two of the report’s findings surprised me:
- These percentages have remained stable for more than 30 years. Pew and similar sociological survey firms have been posing the question “How happy are you these days in your life?” since 1972 and there’s barely a blip in the levelness of the responses.
- Pet owners are no happier than those without pets. Well aware that millions of cat and dog owners would sit bolt upright and screech like shivved banshees at this revelation, Pew hides it at the very end of its report (“A Closing Note on a Delicate Subject”), adding: “We’re at a loss to explain.”
Not as revelatory are that republicans have been consistently happier than democrats, rich people happier than poor, and religious people happier than heathens.
Pondering the results, I put more thought into the question being asked. This isn’t meant to make you muss my hair and say, “Aw, Jason, you’re such a cynic,” but how many people are really “very happy”? I’m serious: Are people aware what that phrase could encompass in their lives?
I’d like to ask these very happy people, oh, really: Are you happy when you’re sleeping? How about when you’re commuting to work? Or when you’re shitting, taking a shower or on that conference call at work? You may not be sad when doing these things, but I don’t think very happy is the right descriptor, either. I’m plenty happy, but I wouldn’t say “very happy.” Go back to your macramé and your reality television, very happy people, and stay out of New York; your type gets mugged.