True happiness is complicated. Family and relationship issues can impact happiness, as can work issues, health concerns, money problems, spiritual life and even the ability to spend time doing what one likes and enjoys. Even constantly watching news coverage of natural disasters and thwarted terrorist attacks can impact one's happiness. And, with all that in mind, it is probably not surprising that the Harris Poll Happiness Index has edged downward this year from 35 percent of Americans who said they were very happy in both 2008 and 2009 to 33% who say so this year.
These are some of the findings of a Harris Poll survey of 2,755 U.S. adults surveyed online between April 12 and 19, 2010 by Harris Interactive.
Happiness among different groups
There are many things which impact one's happiness including age, gender and income:
Many of the statements which create the index have stayed the same over the past year in terms of how Americans feel. For example, four in five Americans (80%) say, at this time, they are generally happy with their life compared to 81% who said this last year. One that has shown a larger shift than the rest is political in nature. In 2008, almost three-quarters of U.S. adults (73%) felt their voice was not heard in national decisions that affect them. Last year this dropped to 67%. Perhaps due to the recent health care battles and other political disputes in Washington and in state capitals across the nation, this number has gone back up this year to 72%.
Talking and Happiness
What one speaks about and how often they do so can also impact how happy they are. Seven in ten Americans (71%) say, in the past week, they often discussed the weather, while 59% spoke often about the economy, 56% discussed TV shows and/or movies, and half (51%) discussed politics. Additionally, just under half say they often discussed health care reform (47%) while two in five talked about sports (42%), education (40%), and religion (38%). Just under one-quarter (23%) of Americans say they spoke about celebrity/ entertainment gossip and 14% spoke about fashion.
There is an interesting correlation between how often people spoke about these ten topics--specifically the lighter subject matters versus the more serious ones--and how happy they are. It may seem that talking about TV shows, movies and celebrity gossip rather than politics or religion would make one happier, but the reverse is actually the case. Among serious talkers, that is those who talk about politics, the economy, religion, health care reform and education often, 39% are very happy. Among lighter talkers, or those who talk about TV shows and/or movies, weather, celebrity/entertainment gossip, sports and fashion often, 32% are very happy. Those who talk about ALL ten of these topics very or somewhat often have a Happiness Index score of 26% while those who talk about NONE of them very or somewhat often have a score of 22%.
So what?
Happiness matters and being truly happy impacts almost everything around one's life. It also helps insulate people when bad things happen. A happy person is more likely to look at the bad that occurs and say sure, that isn't good, but these other things are going well. They make lemonade when handed lemons. But, only 33% of Americans are currently very happy. It is likely that the non-happy two-thirds of adults in the country are fueling the angst and anger seen across the country. Maybe the happy Americans should share their secret to staying happy.
TABLE 1
HAPPINESS INDEX
The Harris Interactive Happiness Index is calculated by taking an
average (mean) of those who strongly agree with statements 1-4 and
7 and strongly disagree with statements 5,6,8,9 (see Table 2)
Base: All adults
2008 2009 2010
---- ---- ----
All Adults 35 35 33
---------- --- --- ---
Gender
------
Men 33 34 32
--- --- --- ---
Women 36 36 35
----- --- --- ---
Gender/Marital status
---------------------
Single women 34 34 30
------------ --- --- ---
Married Women 39 38 39
------------- --- --- ---
Race/Ethnicity
--------------
White 35 35 32
----- --- --- ---
African-American 35 41 40
---------------- --- --- ---
Hispanic 32 36 39
-------- --- --- ---
Income
------
$34,999 or less 32 31 28
--------------- --- --- ---
$35,000 - $49,999 33 34 34
----------------- --- --- ---
$50,000 - $74,999 36 39 34
----------------- --- --- ---
$75,000+ 38 36 38
-------- --- --- ---
Age
---
18-24 29 32 26
----- --- --- ---
25-29 31 31 30
----- --- --- ---
30-39 29 31 27
----- --- --- ---
40-49 33 32 31
----- --- --- ---
50-64 36 37 37
----- --- --- ---
65+ 47 45 44
--- --- --- ---
Disabilities
------------
People with disabilities 36 33 34
------------------------ --- --- ---
People without disabilities 35 36 33
--------------------------- --- --- ---
Political Party
---------------
Republican 39 37 34
---------- --- --- ---
Democrat 33 36 34
-------- --- --- ---
Independent 34 33 33
----------- --- --- ---
Education
---------
High school or less 35 33 31
------------------- --- --- ---
Some college 35 36 35
------------ --- --- ---
College graduate 34 36 34
---------------- --- --- ---
Post graduate 36 39 36
------------- --- --- ---
TABLE 2
HAPPINESS INDEX STATEMENTS
"Please indicate whether you agree or disagree with the following
statements."
Base: All adults
AGREE Strongly Somewhat DISAGREE Somewhat Strongly Not
----- -------- -------- -------- -------- -------- ---
(NET) agree agree (NET) disagree disagree sure
----- ----- ----- ----- -------- -------- ----
I have
positive
relationships
with my
family
members % 92 64 28 6 3 2 3
-------------- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
My
relationships
with
friends
bring me
happiness % 91 59 32 6 4 1 3
-------------- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
At this
time, I'm
generally
happy with
my life % 80 40 39 18 14 4 3
----------- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
My
spiritual
beliefs
are a
positive
guiding
force to
me % 73 44 29 21 10 12 6
---------- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
I feel my
voice is
not heard
in
national
decisions
that
affect me % 72 38 33 22 15 7 6
---------- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
I
frequently
worry
about my
financial
situation % 66 29 37 32 21 10 2
----------- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
I rarely
worry
about my
health % 52 17 36 46 31 15 2
--------- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
My work is
frustrating % 38 13 25 51 22 29 11
------------ --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
I rarely
engage in
hobbies
and
pastimes I
enjoy % 34 11 24 64 33 31 2
----------- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100 percent due to rounding
TABLE 3
HAPPINESS INDEX STATEMENTS - TREND
"Please indicate whether you agree or disagree with the following
statements."
Percent saying "Strongly/Somewhat Agree"
Base: All adults
2008 2009 2010
---- ---- ----
% % %
--- --- ---
I have positive relationships with my
family members 92 90 92
------------------------------------- --- --- ---
My relationships with friends brings me
happiness 93 91 91
--------------------------------------- --- --- ---
At this time I'm generally happy with
my life 83 81 80
------------------------------------- --- --- ---
My spiritual beliefs are a positive
guiding force to me 77 74 73
----------------------------------- --- --- ---
I feel my voice is not heard in
national decisions that affect me 73 67 72
---------------------------------- --- --- ---
I frequently worry about my financial
situation 65 67 66
------------------------------------- --- --- ---
I rarely worry about my health 49 54 52
------------------------------ --- --- ---
My work is frustrating 37 36 38
---------------------- --- --- ---
I rarely engage in hobbies and pastimes
I enjoy 32 33 34
--------------------------------------- --- --- ---
TABLE 4
FREQUENCY OF CONVERSATION TOPICS
"How often in the past week have you spoken about the following topics?"
Base: All adults
Very Not very Not at
OFTEN often Somewhat NOT OFTEN often all
----- ----- -------- --------- -------- ------
(NET) often (NET)
----- ----- -----
The weather % 71 24 47 29 22 6
----------- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
The economy % 59 23 36 41 28 13
----------- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
TV shows and/or
movies % 56 15 41 44 32 12
--------------- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Politics % 51 21 30 49 28 21
-------- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Health care reform % 47 18 29 53 31 22
------------------ --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Sports % 42 16 26 58 27 31
------ --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Education % 40 14 26 60 32 28
--------- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Religion % 38 15 23 62 30 32
-------- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Celebrity/
Entertainment
gossip % 23 5 18 77 33 44
-------------- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Fashion % 14 2 12 86 28 57
------- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100 percent due to rounding
TABLE 5
HAPPINESS INDEX - BY AMOUNT/TYPE OF CONVERSATION
The Harris Interactive Happiness Index is calculated by taking an
average (mean) of those who strongly agree with statements 1-4 and
7 and strongly disagree with statements 5,6,8,9 (see Table 2)
Base: All adults
2010
----
All Adults 33
---------- ---
Talkers (talk very or somewhat often about
all 10 topics) 26
------------------------------------------ ---
"Light" talkers (talk very or somewhat often
about TV shows/movies, weather, celebrity/
entertainment gossip, sports and fashion) 32
-------------------------------------------- ---
"Serious" talkers (talk very or somewhat
often about politics, the economy, health
care reform, education and religion) 39
------------------------------------------ ---
The Silent types (talk not very often or not
at all about all 10 topics) 22
-------------------------------------------- ---