What Makes People Happy? (Hint: It's Not Religion)
If you poll people all over the world with the question, "Do you consider yourself happy?" or some similar question, it turns out religion does not help provide a positive answer. If fact, religion may or may not deprive people of happiness.
Countries that poll lowest on religion poll highest on happiness i.e., religion and happiness are inversely related. Why does this relationship exist?
We all know people who are basically happy and people who are constantly in the dumps. But when entire societies poll consistently happy and other societies the opposite logic would tell us something is different there. Of course, we cannot be certain what the cause of either is--there are so many variables involved.
One is that countries tend to drop in religious beliefs and participation when their standard of living increases. The U.S. has been an outlier in this for decades and no one could figure why it was different than Europe. But now it is rapidly becoming secular as did Europe.
The link mentions an old explanation. When people face uncertain survival or uncertain environments generally they tend to be religious societies. Farmers, my original sociology class said, have tended over the centuries to be more religious than urban people. As prosperity occurs people are less uncertain about what will happen to them and the need for religion is reduced. This, of course, is an idea because prosperity and less religion move in opposite directions at the same time. We don't know for certain one causes the other.
As prosperity increases in a society, educational levels almost always rise as well. If there is a cause and effect here it might be education rather than prosperity or urbanization.
Why is it then when people in secular, urbanized, prosperous and educated societies claim to be happier than people in societies without these qualities? We are getting quite far into speculation when we make a case for why.
There is one claim that we can mostly put in the dumpster. It is that people are happier when they are followers of a religion.
are we to believe then that atheists are happy as hogs in s...t? could have fooled me. as to farmers, I think of many reasons for their alleged unhappiness: religion probably a'int one of them. but what is happiness anyway: is it like the folks in Brave New World: well fed, sedated, conditioned, etc. 0r is it to live a life of virtue? as Aristotle said, count no man happy until he is dead. so c'mon old fellar, do a little real thinking for a change.
ReplyDeleteUnknown--"so c,mon old fellar, do a little real thinking for a change."
ReplyDeleteI simply reported polls show people in secular countries report being happier than people in religious countries. Do you have a problem with that?
no. if that is, in fact, what the polls claimed to show. I am simply raising a larger question: what is happiness anyway. when you use terms like "happier than" you are well advised to have some notion of what human happiness really is.
DeleteUnknown "you are well advised to have some notion of what human happiness really is."
ReplyDeleteIndividual people answered the polls. They had their own definition of "happiness". From those definitions, whatever they were, came the conclusion people without religion are "happier than" people with religion. You are welcome to elaborate on your superior definition of happiness. It doesn't have anything to do with the topic at hand. The topic of the blog is what people said when asked about their "happiness." I think it is a fun topic because Christian people are forever saying about atheists, "They are struggling with their faith," or about gay people, "They are struggling with their sexuality." Could we say Christians are "struggling with their faith?"
so happiness is whatever one says that it is. good post modernistic thinking, that. do it follow that all the folks who were concerned about defining "real" happiness were a bunch of fools. would seem to follow.
Deletewas Epstein truly happy? probably in his own mind he was. were all those priests that you enjoy reminding us of. were they happy? subjectively they probably were. and your indulgence in shadow joy probably made you happy. do you see the point?
ReplyDeleteUnknown "was Epstein truly happy?" Are pedophile priests happy?
ReplyDeleteI don't know. And, were those answering the poll saying they are happy really not happy? I don't know that either. I only know what they answered. Christians answered they were not as happy as non believers. That's the only point I'm reporting.
Jon, “religion and happiness are inversely related”
ReplyDeleteThere does seem to be a persistent psychological tension incorporated by design in the dogma and doctrine of many traditional religions that some believers find more disconcerting than reassuring whether they’re trying to go it alone or a regular in the pews. There are also plenty of unsettling moments in the lives of those of us that eschew theism and celebrate secularism. It is encouraging to read, on balance, both happiness and serenity may be in our favor. Perhaps it is compensation for bearing a lighter load. But as you said, “We are getting quite far into speculation when we make a case for why.”
The term self-fulfillment in the linked article caught my attention. I differentiate “happiness” and “satisfaction”. Happiness is shared with others. Satisfaction is my own. To me striving for satisfaction in life is a more fulfilling path than a quest for happiness. That is not to say that there are not moments of happiness along the way or that the contentment associated with satisfaction doesn’t spawn a cheeky grin now and then.
Ardy B -- Good observations. The difference between "happiness" and "satisfaction" is an idea we should all consider.
DeleteI agree people in the faith have a higher hill to climb for "happiness." They are told they are born sinners. The only way out of that unhappy circumstance is to go through some motions, also called rituals or praying. If they made one leap to believe they are sinners they have to make another leap to lift the unhappiness. I wouldn't be surprised to learn it is easier to make the first leap and be down on oneself but harder to believe in a magic solution.
Jon September 18, 2020 at 6:25 AM, “If they made one leap to believe they are sinners they have to make another leap to lift the unhappiness.”
DeleteAh yes the two-step, belief that and belief in. I came across it in another context. Perhaps you have also. As I recall, salvation requires more than the “belief that” Jesus was truly a historical figure (step 1), you must surrender to the “belief in” Jesus Christ, the worker of miracles, the death defying Redeemer, and the one true Son of God (step 2).
I appreciate your application of the formula to the “climb to happiness” by those in the faith; (step 1) the “belief that” one is a miserable sinner requiring (step 2) the “belief in” a mysterious supernatural magical solution to ones misery, the demands of which can add even more stress to some. Thanks.