BLUF:
\nI suppose we should be glad that between the\u00a0existential threat of climate change, which is urgent, and the\u00a0threat to democracy from the \u201cinsurrectionist\u201d right\u00a0that nearly toppled our Constitution on January 6, some liberals still have the bandwidth to worry about NORAD\u2019s Santa tracker.<\/p>\n
Must be a cheerful life.<\/p>\n
LIBERALS ARE MISERABLE PEOPLE<\/a><\/p>\n They say misery loves company, and that may be why liberals always want to extend their control over everyone and everything\u2014because they are miserable people. Thomas Byrne Edsall covers some of the survey evidence about the misery and unhappiness of liberals in a\u00a0New York Times<\/em>\u00a0article back in October:<\/p>\n Conservatives Are Happier Than Liberals. Discuss.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Two similarly titled papers with markedly disparate conclusions illustrate the range of disagreement on this subject. \u201cWhy Are Conservatives Happier Than Liberals<\/a>?\u201d by\u00a0Jaime Napier<\/a>\u00a0of N.Y.U. in Abu Dhabi and\u00a0John Jost<\/a>\u00a0of N.Y.U., and \u201cConservatives Are Happier Than Liberals, but Why?<\/a>\u201d by\u00a0Barry R. Schlenker<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0John Chambers<\/a>, both of the University of Florida, and\u00a0Bonnie Le<\/a>\u00a0of the University of Rochester.<\/p>\n Using nationally representative samples from the United States and nine other countries, Napier and Jost note that they<\/p>\n consistently found conservatives (or right-wingers) are happier than liberals (or left-wingers). This ideological gap in happiness is not accounted for by demographic differences or by differences in cognitive style. We did find, however, that the rationalization of inequality \u2014 a core component of conservative ideology \u2014 helps to explain why conservatives are, on average, happier than liberals.<\/em><\/p>\n Napier and Jost contend that their determinations are \u201cconsistent with system justification theory, which posits that viewing the status quo (with its attendant degree of inequality) as fair and legitimate serves a palliative function.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Need I point out that Napier and Jost are far-left? Thus we shouldn\u2019t be surprised that the issue of \u201cinequality\u201d shows up for heavy work here. I suppose it makes some sense, given how the super rich are skewing left these days, and must be unhappy with guilt about this.<\/p>\n But let\u2019s continue with a paper less enslaved (see what I did there?) to leftist ideology:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A very different view of conservatives and the political right emerges in Schlenker, Chambers and Le\u2019s paper:<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Conservatives score higher than liberals on personality and attitude measures that are traditionally associated with positive adjustment and mental health, including personal agency, positive outlook, transcendent moral beliefs, and generalized belief in fairness. These constructs, in turn, can account for why conservatives are happier than liberals and have declined less in happiness in recent decades.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n In contrast to Napier and Jost\u2019s \u201cview that conservatives are generally fearful, low in self-esteem, and rationalize away social inequality,\u201d Schlenker, Chambers and Le argue:<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Conservatives are more satisfied with their lives, in general and in specific domains (e.g., marriage, job, residence), report better mental health and fewer mental and emotional problems, and view social justice in ways that are consistent with binding moral foundations, such as by emphasizing personal agency and equity.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n There\u2019s a lot more in Edsall\u2019s long survey of academic literature on this subject, and as a liberal himself Edsall resists drawing the sensible conclusion that conservatives are generally much happier than liberals\u00a0because of their conservatism<\/em>.<\/p>\n But if you want to see a great example of the essential miserableness of liberals, take in this piece of work from MSNBC:<\/p>\n NORAD\u2019s Christmas Eve Santa Claus tracker needs to end<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n By\u00a0\n
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