A Wall Street Journal-NORC poll found that a majority of respondents who claimed to be “very happy,” also identified as “moderately,” or “very religious,” and placed a high value on marriage, relationships, and community involvement.
“America’s happiest people have a few traits in common: They value community and close personal relationships. They tend to believe in God. And they generally are older, often in their retirement years,” the WSJ said.
Thirty percent of respondents said they were “not too happy,” which was the lowest level of happiness listed on the poll. Fifty percent said they were “pretty happy,” and just twelve percent of people said they were “very happy.” The WSJ writes, “the 12% was the smallest share of ‘very happy’ people ever recorded in NORC’s General Social Survey, dating to 1972.”
Americans seem to be an unhappy or dissatisfied bunch, which is why the WSJ asked the twelve percent to share the secret to happiness, which they said, was largely based on religion.
A large majority, 67 percent of the “very happy” respondents, place a high value on marriage, compared to 43 percent of others polled. The WSJ also notes that two-thirds claim to be “moderately” or “very” religious.
The WSJ survey only concludes what many Christians and conservatives have been saying for years: progressivism will only make Americans depressed because it devalues everything meaningful in life in exchange for a false promise of liberation. Liberation from tradition, religion, obligation, gender roles, and reality.
This progressive idea of liberation encourages the destruction of the nuclear family and teaches people that fathers and mothers are expendable and interchangeable, rather than integral to a child’s upbringing. This idea demolishes the need for religion and will tell people that they can be their own savior and god and that following their every whim will result in lasting happiness. Progressivism is the fruit in the garden, disguised as knowledge, power, and freedom — but in reality, it’s slavery to sin in order to satisfy every surface-level desire for momentary, fleeting happiness.
Individuals who serve a purpose greater than themselves often feel happier and more fulfilled. This is the antithesis of what liberalism teaches. Progressive cultural icons encourage people to love themselves first and explore their “truest” identity — at the expense of abandoning all obligations.
The twelve percent of “very happy” people understand that discipline, tradition, and responsibility are not restrictive chains that keep an individual from happiness, but are actually the foundations needed to build a fulfilling life.
