What is your view on the happiness of the average american?

Question

Please dont picture the happiest person at your place of employment, or the like. Please post hwo you perceive most people in terms of how satisfied they are professionally, socially, and intellectually. Do you believe they are equal, less, or more satisfied then their ancestors?

Answer 1

I personally believe that the average American is not content. The more "things" such as material possessions and opportunities exist the greater the chance is us wanting to own them. Today, because there is such as focus on material there is probably less contentedness. We all want something and once we get it there is always something else to achieve. As for being intellectually satisfied, that is nearly impossible. I feel that there is always something I don't know but I feel obligated to know. I think that our ancestors were likely more satisfied or at least it was more "fashionable" to be content then. As an American I have seen how many people are never happy with what they have. More is better right? There can always be more education if you have the means. Will I be happy the day that I get my Master's degree? Will I be satisfied with my career. I hope so, but there is no way to know for sure.

Answer 2

To me, it depends on the level of contentment that we perceive that we must achieve in order to consider ourselves happy.

Almost all aspects of life can be viewed as existing on a spectrum.  So, we are always happier than someone and someone is always happier than us.

Happiness is an individual perception based on our personal feelings about this emotion.

We can always find a reason to be happy about one aspect of our lives and a reason to be unhappy with another aspect.

However, to address your question more specifically, I discern a deep unhappiness in the average American.  We are eternally chasing that Almighty dollar and that unending need for respect, rather than accepting the contentment that resides peacefully in the present.

It need not be so, but it is.