Three-quarters of us are satisfied with our lives!

wotsthat

treliac wrote: »

Surprising results, given the last few years.

The survey took place between April and August this year. I wonder if it would be changing in this increasingly full of doom and gloom world.

There was an interesting piece about taxation on TV the other night. A labour spokeswomen said that one of the things the labour government suffered from was the "but I've been lucky" syndrome.

It works like this. In general you were much more likely to receive better treatment at the hands of the NHS at the end of the labour term compared to the beginning. However, there was still a groupthink that said the NHS was just as crap and so if someone went to A&E and received good service rather than say "the NHS is excellent - thanks labour" they'd be more likely to say "the NHS is still rubbish but I was lucky".

It's obviously up for debate whether the NHS was improved under labour however the "I've been lucky" syndrome does spread across life in general.

With doom and gloom everywhere you look it's easy to say "yes I'm a little worse off but I'm one of the lucky ones".

Unemployment isn't soaring, arrears rates are low, people are getting on with paying down debts and so on.

The reality is that people are happy because things aren't as bad as they are being portrayed.

Malcolm.

Cleaver wrote: »

What does what you pay for something have to do with happiness?

A lot according to history. The rising price of goods is one of the factors of discontent which led to the rise of the Nazi party and WW2.

Malcolm.

Back to the original question. I don't think 4000 is an adaquate sample size to reflect the nation as a whole. It's also concerning that 1 in 4 people are not satisfied with their lives. I wonder how this varies country to country.

CLAPTON

when 10% of people are out of work that means that 90% of people are in work

lostinrates

Malcolm. wrote: »

Back to the original question. I don't think 4000 is an adaquate sample size to reflect the nation as a whole. It's also concerning that 1 in 4 people are not satisfied with their lives. I wonder how this varies country to country.

I don't find it THAT alarming. I don't kno what percentage of people are optimists or pessimists.

e.g. I am content with my health lot.....its better than it was, a lot of people wouldn't be happy coming at it from the other angle, getting worse not better. I'm happy in my marriage, a lot of people would find a four night apart marriage untenable. DH isn't currently happy ith his his job, but its far more than the majority get. Its such a subjective question.

Malcolm.

lostinrates wrote: »

I don't find it THAT alarming. I don't kno what percentage of people are optimists or pessimists.

e.g. I am content with my health lot.....its better than it was, a lot of people wouldn't be happy coming at it from the other angle, getting worse not better. I'm happy in my marriage, a lot of people would find a four night apart marriage untenable. DH isn't currently happy ith his his job, but its far more than the majority get. Its such a subjective question.

Subjective yes. I guess the level of concern depends on the spread on unsatisfied people, if they're skewed towards the lower end of the scale, more and more riots and protests could be on the way.

My GP says 'life's a b1tch and then you die'. I'd probably go with this.

Cleaver

Malcolm. wrote: »

A lot according to history. The rising price of goods is one of the factors of discontent which led to the rise of the Nazi party and WW2.

That's slightly different isn't it? homelessskilledworker suggested that they would be happier because they've paid less for a house. I cannot be convinced that simply paying less for a house will give you an internal sense of proper happiness. It might be nice, and it might feel good, but it doesn't give you a long term feeling of wellbeing and contentment.

wotsthat

Cleaver wrote: »

That's slightly different isn't it? homelessskilledworker suggested that they would be happier because they've paid less for a house. I cannot be convinced that simply paying less for a house will give you an internal sense of proper happiness. It might be nice, and it might feel good, but it doesn't give you a long term feeling of wellbeing and contentment.

You never know. You or I might be on our death beds thinking about memories of people we've known and loved, things we've done and places we've seen.

homelessskilledworker's last thought before he popped off might be how he managed to screw down a seller to bag a cheap house.

lostinrates

wotsthat wrote: »

You never know. You or I might be on our death beds thinking about memories of people we've known and loved, things we've done and places we've seen.
.

You kno, how you feel in the situation might be very different. when I was very ill I hve to say I was very concerned about what affairs were in order and provision for the things I feel repsonsible for more than I was thinking about the places I'd been.

PasturesNew

I'm happy with my life.... I love the way I do nothing most of the time.

I think of it as being in training for retirement.