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Rentfrow and his colleagues came to their conclusions by analyzing data
collected from more than 350,000 individuals who were interviewed
between Jan. 2 and Dec. 30, 2008 as part of the Gallup Organization's
Well-Being Index. The index includes six types of well-being: overall
evaluation of their lives, emotional health, physical health, healthy
behaviors (such as whether a person smokes or exercises), and job satisfaction.
Here are the top 10 states and their average well-being scores (out of a possible 100 points):
- Utah: 69.2
- Hawaii: 68.2
- Wyoming: 68
- Colorado: 67.3
- Minnesota: 67.3
- Maryland: 67.1
- Washington: 67.1
- Massachusetts: 67
- California: 67
- Arizona: 66.8
See the full list of 50 states here.
What makes us happy
To figure out why some states scored higher or lower than others, the
researchers looked at the relationship between happiness levels and
other variables, including economic indicators, education levels, personality factors and levels of inclusiveness.
They found that states with higher gross regional product (GRP) per
capita (a state's level of productivity and standard of living), income
levels and median housing value, were significantly happier than poorer
areas. That's not too surprising, Rentfrow noted, as wealthier
individuals tend to be healthier, because they are better educated and
thus more knowledgeable about healthy behaviors, and they also likely
have health insurance.
The happier states also tended to have a greater proportion of
residents with advanced educations whose jobs were considered
"super-creative," such as architecture, engineering, computer and math
occupations, library positions, arts and design work, as well as
entertainment, sports and media occupations.
The number of bohemians (such as artists), gays and foreign-born
residents also boosted happiness scores. Take California, Minnesota and
Massachusetts, which had higher inclusiveness scores and also made it
to the top 10 list for well-being.
"We view that as suggesting that in these types of areas, there's
more tolerance and with this increased tolerance people are freer to
express themselves and to be who they are without feeling as though
they have to censor themselves or conform a bit more to the status
quo," Rentfrow told LiveScience.
Of the personality factors, neuroticism took a toll on a state's
cheery count, suggesting people living in the happiest states are more
relaxed than their gloomy counterparts. For instance, West Virginia,
Mississippi and Kentucky were ranked as highly neurotic and showed
lower well-being scores. Utah, on the other hand, had a significantly
lower level of neuroticism than other states.
more>>.https://www.livescience.com/culture/091110-happy-states.html
Is Anyone Truly Happy?
"Happiness is not a matter of intensity,
but of balance and order and rhythm and harmony."
Thomas Merton
Happiness, like all else, is a state of mind, consciousness, a virtual
reality experience in linear time and emotions, set in play by many
factors, internal and external. There is momentary happiness, then
degrees of happiness that go to the soul level which determines the
direction we take in life. Each decade (chapter) of our lives
determines what makes us happy and teaches us about who we are and what
we need to work on to create balance and therefore happiness.
"We cannot be happy if we expect to live all the time
at the highest peak of intensity."
We know that happiness is a state of mind, relative to the
people, places and events we experience, our emotional code, not to
mention the way we look and act, reflecting who we are. If you respect
yourself, you will respect others ...etc.
There are always the every day annoying things that happen to each of
us all of us, but I tried to plan around them and never attract
experiences that cause anxiety.
What would it take to make you happy?