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Hint: it's not politics
What might explain the unhappiness epidemic?

My guess is that the speed of creating new and better stuff is escalating rapidly and in many cases what makes one happy today is short lived because tomorrow will come out with a better update and brand new stuff to try. At some point that time frame gets so short, that just as one makes a purchase another announcement is made of something even better or more to make one happy. And this is great for capitalism. Advertise that you are missing out if you don't keep up to keep selling stuff. So, the interval between having what makes you happy and not having the latest is greater than the interval of happiness with a new purchase. Don't know if I am making sense but I think the demand to 'keep up with the Jones', as we use to call it, is causing more and more people to be more unhappy than happy as even the poorest among us can get access to this short lived stuff.

However, this unhappiness can be seen as an open door for Christianity to show that joy can be had and sustained without going down this road of new stuff. The simple life needs to reflect an overflowing joy that causes investigation in people who are tired of chasing happiness based on worldly pursuits. Sadly, too often this simple life is not experiencing this joy and/or is not out in the world displaying it.

Well, that is kinda the way I'm viewing it at the moment from an old guys point of view.

I saw a survey somewhere showing Brazil was the world’s happiest country. Perhaps what makes people happy is something besides the American idea of “progress”.

Josh wrote:I saw a survey somewhere showing Brazil was the world’s happiest country. Perhaps what makes people happy is something besides the American idea of “progress”.

i’ve frequently seen Denmark receive such labels. not that i’m convinced.

interesting that Jefferson chose the words, “.. the pursuit of happiness,” not the guarantee of happiness. there seems to be much confusion over what that means.