Americans are unhappier now than they have been in 50 years

[historyb]

Americans are more unhappy in 2020 than they have been in approximately 50 years amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey.

New data from the recently released COVID Response Tracking Study from the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago suggests that only 14% of U.S. adults report being “very happy.” This represents a drop from 31% who said the same in 2018.

A total of 38% of survey respondents said they feel "depressed or very unhappy."

In the survey, 50% of Americans reported sometimes or often feeling isolated in the previous four weeks as many Americans have stayed home in recent months to follow local and state stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 crisis. By comparison, only 23% said the same in 2018.

“The historical context reveals unique impacts of the outbreak on public sentiment: an all-time low in people saying they are very happy (14%) combined with an all-time high in people saying they are satisfied with their family’s financial situation (80%),” a NORC analysis of the data reads.

“These contrasting findings suggest that people are comparing their happiness to their own psychological well-being before the pandemic while assessing their finances in relation to the millions of fellow Americans who have lost jobs, wages, or investments following the outbreak.”

The study finds that “exposure to the coronavirus either personally or geographically in a highly-impacted area is linked with greater feelings of loneliness and other negative emotional states.”

Americans are unhappier now than they have been in 50 years, survey shows

I am among the 38 percent

 

[Behold]

Mozart said "that to live in uncertainty is the worst thing of all."

Thats a pretty good evaluation of where the World is living right now.

The good news is, Jesus is coming soon.

 

[amadeus]

Americans are more unhappy in 2020 than they have been in approximately 50 years amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey.

New data from the recently released COVID Response Tracking Study from the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago suggests that only 14% of U.S. adults report being “very happy.” This represents a drop from 31% who said the same in 2018.

A total of 38% of survey respondents said they feel "depressed or very unhappy."

In the survey, 50% of Americans reported sometimes or often feeling isolated in the previous four weeks as many Americans have stayed home in recent months to follow local and state stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 crisis. By comparison, only 23% said the same in 2018.

“The historical context reveals unique impacts of the outbreak on public sentiment: an all-time low in people saying they are very happy (14%) combined with an all-time high in people saying they are satisfied with their family’s financial situation (80%),” a NORC analysis of the data reads.

“These contrasting findings suggest that people are comparing their happiness to their own psychological well-being before the pandemic while assessing their finances in relation to the millions of fellow Americans who have lost jobs, wages, or investments following the outbreak.”

The study finds that “exposure to the coronavirus either personally or geographically in a highly-impacted area is linked with greater feelings of loneliness and other negative emotional states.”

Americans are unhappier now than they have been in 50 years, survey shows

I am among the 38 percent

So then I would suggest considering then carefully and prayerfully the words written by the Apostle Paul:

"Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need." Phil 4:11-12

 

[Hidden In Him]

In the survey, 50% of Americans reported sometimes or often feeling isolated in the previous four weeks as many Americans have stayed home in recent months to follow local and state stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 crisis. By comparison, only 23% said the same in 2018.

Well, I guess I'm blessed, because I am most certainly among the 14%. But this has largely to do with personal circumstances atm.

I think maybe one thing the study wasn't taking into consideration is that it wasn't just Covid-19 and the isolation and fears about job losses and finances that was causing the unhappiness. The article says the study was done between May 21st and May 29th, and George Floyd was killed on May 25th. That means during the time of the study all that hell was hitting the mainstream media.

If I can, History, I know that issue was effecting you. I was very big into the news until around that time. I was watching for signs of what was happening politically, and with Covid-19 and its effects on the US and global economies. But the minute everything turned ugly racially, I completely turned the news off. It's not that I don't care about the situation, but I knew that would be a very negative subject matter to have to meditate on day and night, so as the scripture says, I guarded my heart, for out of it flow the issues of life. I kept my eyes on the Lord, and what He was doing in my life, and so I continued to think on the positives.

It really is a command for us to think on that which is of good report. Without it, the enemy robs us of our joy, and joy is a fruit of the Spirit. It is not one that should ever be quenched.

God bless, and thanks for the interesting thread.

 

[marksman]

Americans are more unhappy in 2020 than they have been in approximately 50 years amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey.

New data from the recently released COVID Response Tracking Study from the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago suggests that only 14% of U.S. adults report being “very happy.” This represents a drop from 31% who said the same in 2018.

A total of 38% of survey respondents said they feel "depressed or very unhappy."

In the survey, 50% of Americans reported sometimes or often feeling isolated in the previous four weeks as many Americans have stayed home in recent months to follow local and state stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 crisis. By comparison, only 23% said the same in 2018.

“The historical context reveals unique impacts of the outbreak on public sentiment: an all-time low in people saying they are very happy (14%) combined with an all-time high in people saying they are satisfied with their family’s financial situation (80%),” a NORC analysis of the data reads.

“These contrasting findings suggest that people are comparing their happiness to their own psychological well-being before the pandemic while assessing their finances in relation to the millions of fellow Americans who have lost jobs, wages, or investments following the outbreak.”

The study finds that “exposure to the coronavirus either personally or geographically in a highly-impacted area is linked with greater feelings of loneliness and other negative emotional states.”

Americans are unhappier now than they have been in 50 years, survey shows

I am among the 38 percent

I think you will find that in western nations the majority are unhappy because when you remove God from the market place, happiness goes out of the window. The direct influence and indirect influence on happiness are God himself. You cannot have one without the other.

 

[historyb]

I don't think it is or is not having God. What it is I believe is that we have gutted everything that made people happy which is the nuclear family and technology like smart phones which takes people out of the real world along with 24 hour news. Eliminate these all and happiness would slowly increase

 

[Joseph77]

I don't think it is or is not having God. What it is I believe is that we have gutted everything that made people happy which is the nuclear family and technology like smart phones which takes people out of the real world along with 24 hour news. Eliminate these all and happiness would slowly increase

What is something far worse takes the place of those things?
What did Jesus say about happiness? (specifically in Scripture)

On the other hand, what did Jesus say about JOY? (or about "good cheer", right after saying something like 'in the world, you will necessarily suffer painful persecution' (all disciples following Jesus) ....

 

[Giuliano]

You can take two people and put them in the same situation. One can be happy, the other miserable. What matters most is not what is around them now. What matters more is if they have hope that tomorrow can be bright.

You can take someone in the lap of luxury, surrounded with everything he could desire; but if fears tomorrow, he won't be happy. His mind will be torturing him with things that could happen. Even if none of them happens, his imagination will make him unhappy. Indeed you find that some poor people with a lot of problems are happier than rich ones who seem to lack nothing.

 

[Joseph77]

You can take two people and put them in the same situation. One can be happy, the other miserable. What matters most is not what is around them now. What matters more is if they have hope that tomorrow can be bright.

You can take someone in the lap of luxury, surrounded with everything he could desire; but if fears tomorrow, he won't be happy. His mind will be torturing him with things that could happen. Even if none of them happens, his imagination will make him unhappy. Indeed you find that some poor people with a lot of problems are happier than rich ones who seem to lack nothing.

Jesus says woe to the rich, and blessed are you who are poor, and says (in the Bible) why also.

Also, God Always Keeps His Promise:
"Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace the steadfast ...
biblehub.com/isaiah/26-3.htm
You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you: because he trusts in you."
"Jesus the same yesterday, today, and forever."
"John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you ...
www.biblehub.com/john/14-27.htm
(27) Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you."

 

[farouk]

I do think that it underlines the wisdom of the pursuit of blessing from God's Word, rather than the so called pursuit of happiness, often understood in material terms.

 

[shortangel]

true americans are very unhappy, but Jesus is the answer

 

[farouk]

true americans are very unhappy, but Jesus is the answer

@shortangel I'm Canadian, but Amen about the Lord Jesus!

 

[Enoch111]

The study finds that “exposure to the coronavirus either personally or geographically in a highly-impacted area is linked with greater feelings of loneliness and other negative emotional states.”

There needs to be an IMMEDIATE presidential Executive Order that the pandemic is over and that all restrictions and regulations at all levels of government must be removed immediately. At the same time all restrictions on the free distribution of HCQ must be also removed. Finally, that there shall not be any forced vaccinations against COVID-19. This should already have happened at the end of May.

 

[farouk]

There needs to be an IMMEDIATE presidential Executive Order that the pandemic is over and that all restrictions and regulations at all levels of government must be removed immediately. At the same time all restrictions on the free distribution of HCQ must be also removed. Finally, that there shall not be any forced vaccinations against COVID-19. This should already have happened at the end of May.

So do you personally guarantee that no one is going to get sick from the virus from now on?

 

[Taken]

Americans are more unhappy in 2020 than they have been in approximately 50 years amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey.

New data from the recently released COVID Response Tracking Study from the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago suggests that only 14% of U.S. adults report being “very happy.” This represents a drop from 31% who said the same in 2018.

A total of 38% of survey respondents said they feel "depressed or very unhappy."

In the survey, 50% of Americans reported sometimes or often feeling isolated in the previous four weeks as many Americans have stayed home in recent months to follow local and state stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 crisis. By comparison, only 23% said the same in 2018.

“The historical context reveals unique impacts of the outbreak on public sentiment: an all-time low in people saying they are very happy (14%) combined with an all-time high in people saying they are satisfied with their family’s financial situation (80%),” a NORC analysis of the data reads.

“These contrasting findings suggest that people are comparing their happiness to their own psychological well-being before the pandemic while assessing their finances in relation to the millions of fellow Americans who have lost jobs, wages, or investments following the outbreak.”

The study finds that “exposure to the coronavirus either personally or geographically in a highly-impacted area is linked with greater feelings of loneliness and other negative emotional states.”

Americans are unhappier now than they have been in 50 years, survey shows

I am among the 38 percent

Interesting! Guess I'm a rebel. Ha. I haven't gone along with all the BS of masks,
self-confinement, begging for a vaccine, running for tests at my doctors office...oh whoops, I don't have a Doctor.
Survey shows...ta da...Same happy person.

Glory to God,
Taken

 

[Giuliano]

There needs to be an IMMEDIATE presidential Executive Order that the pandemic is over and that all restrictions and regulations at all levels of government must be removed immediately. At the same time all restrictions on the free distribution of HCQ must be also removed. Finally, that there shall not be any forced vaccinations against COVID-19. This should already have happened at the end of May.

He tried something like that when he said it could be over by April. Was it? People already mocked Trump for making saying that. Why give them more opportunities to mock him?

The President has many powers, but ending a pandemic by executive order is one of them. He would look very foolish if he said that and then things got worse. He would look like Kenneth Copeland who said he was binding the virus and it would disappear.

You suggest other things that would require he assume dictatorial powers. That would not work. He can't tell states and local governments what to do. Telling schools they must open turned out poorly for him -- some did, and then they closed in a week or so when the virus broke out in their schools. Trump accomplished nothing there except getting egg on his face trying to dictate to local schools what to do -- and putting himself in a position to take the blame for what the school boards chose to do.

Nor does Trump have the power to dictate much about HCQ unless he abolishes the FDA and other agencies involved. Taking a stand on issues he can't do much about is a mistake. He can't force things to be done the way he wants; but he can get blamed if people follow his suggestions and things go wrong. He can't win either way -- can you see that?

If things go right when people follow his advice, they take the credit. If they go wrong, they blame him. Did you find out about the woman who spoke at the Democratic convention about how her father believed Trump and died? Her father blamed Trump before he died, and she continued to blame Trump. I felt sorry for her, but I didn't think she should have blamed Trump -- her father should have taken responsibility for his own actions and not said, "I did it because Trump said I could."

One of Trump's biggest problems seems to be trying to control things not under his control. When you do that, odds are you're going to fail controlling the things you could control. The President cannot end a pandemic by issuing a statement -- thank goodness Trump isn't crazy enough to try to convince people it's over because he says so. Thank goodness he has more sense than you give him credit for.

 

[Enoch111]

So do you personally guarantee that no one is going to get sick from the virus from now on?

Had the HCQ package (which was proved to be successful by Dr. Zelenko and many other doctors) been made FREELY AVAILABLE (and at NO COST) to all who showed the slightest symptoms of infection since March 2020 (when Trump received a letter from Zelenko) the majority who died could have lived. At least 100,000 lives were lost because of the deliberate sabotage of HCQ.

Trump used this treatment personally, but then failed to do the right thing and allowed Fauci etc. to control the narrative for their own benefit. So he must take full responsiblity for all that is happening.

Furthermore the general population under the age of 45 is rarely affected. The highest risk group is those over 85 (nursing home deaths were the bulk of deaths) and with existing health issues. Those between 65 and 85 are more susceptible, but if they could all have the HCQ package without any fuss or cost, there would be no issues.

Studies have already established that (1) the lock downs accomplished nothing and were blithely violated by the rioters, (2) masks are actually detrimental to your health and those in general use do not prevent viral transmission, (3) all the restrictions are causing serious mental issues and suicides, and (4) herd immunity is more than enough in flu pandemics. Also there is NO EFFECTIVE VACCINE and there is a lot of bogus information being generated by people with their own agendas.

 

[farouk]

He tried something like that when he said it could be over by April. Was it? People already mocked Trump for making saying that. Why give them more opportunities to mock him?

The President has many powers, but ending a pandemic by executive order is one of them. He would look very foolish if he said that and then things got worse. He would look like Kenneth Copeland who said he was binding the virus and it would disappear.

You suggest other things that would require he assume dictatorial powers. That would not work. He can't tell states and local governments what to do. Telling schools they must open turned out poorly for him -- some did, and then they closed in a week or so when the virus broke out in their schools. Trump accomplished nothing there except getting egg on his face trying to dictate to local schools what to do -- and putting himself in a position to take the blame for what the school boards chose to do.

Nor does Trump have the power to dictate much about HCQ unless he abolishes the FDA and other agencies involved. Taking a stand on issues he can't do much about is a mistake. He can't force things to be done the way he wants; but he can get blamed if people follow his suggestions and things go wrong. He can't win either way -- can you see that?

If things go right when people follow his advice, they take the credit. If they go wrong, they blame him. Did you find out about the woman who spoke at the Democratic convention about how her father believed Trump and died? Her father blamed Trump before he died, and she continued to blame Trump. I felt sorry for her, but I didn't think she should have blamed Trump -- her father should have taken responsibility for his own actions and not said, "I did it because Trump said I could."

One of Trump's biggest problems seems to be trying to control things not under his control. When you do that, odds are you're going to fail controlling the things you could control. The President cannot end a pandemic by issuing a statement -- thank goodness Trump isn't crazy enough to try to convince people it's over because he says so. Thank goodness he has more sense than you give him credit for.

After the Bay of Pigs fiasco, JFK said that success has many fathers but few orphans.

To project the cycle of blame and credit around onto whether someone supposedly has the power to decree a virus to cease, would be very unwise.

 

[Enoch111]

You suggest other things that would require he assume dictatorial powers.

Not at all. Didn't Biden just finish telling the world that he would shut down America if he were president? Therefore Trump could have gone in the opposite direction and ORDERED the opening up of America. And he does not need to worry about his enemies since they will hate him regardless of what he does (or does not) do.

 

[farouk]

Had the HCQ package (which was proved to be successful by Dr. Zelenko and many other doctors) been made FREELY AVAILABLE (and at NO COST) to all who showed the slightest symptoms of infection since March 2020 (when Trump received a letter from Zelenko) the majority who died could have lived. At least 100,000 lives were lost because of the deliberate sabotage of HCQ.

Trump used this treatment personally, but then failed to do the right thing and allowed Fauci etc. to control the narrative for their own benefit. So he must take full responsiblity for all that is happening.

Furthermore the general population under the age of 45 is rarely affected. The highest risk group is those over 85 (nursing home deaths were the bulk of deaths) and with existing health issues. Those between 65 and 85 are more susceptible, but if they could all have the HCQ package without any fuss or cost, there would be no issues.

Studies have already established that (1) the lock downs accomplished nothing and were blithely violated by the rioters, (2) masks are actually detrimental to your health and those in general use do no prevent viral transmission, (3) all the restrictions are causing serious mental issues and suicides, and (4) herd immunity is more than enough in flu pandemics. Also there is NO EFFECTIVE VACCINE and there is a lot of bogus information being generated by people with their own agendas.

So you would be happy to take responsibility for the sickness of anyone who on your advice ignored the distancing measures?