A recent study found that adolescents who self-identify as conservative are, in general, significantly happier as compared to their liberal counterparts.
The researchers defined conservatism as having values that are consistent with “support of individual liberty, right-wing social and religious values, and unregulated free markets.” Liberalism, on the other hand, was defined as “support of equal opportunity, free but semi-regulated markets, civil liberties, and social justice.”
From about 2010 to 2018, 12th-grade female respondents recorded the largest increase in depressive affect, self-esteem, self-derogation, and loneliness, while their male conservative counterparts reported the smallest parallel change, according to the study.
The findings suggest that it is “possible that the ideological lenses through which adolescents view the political climate differentially affect their mental wellbeing.”
If you take a step back and think about why this might be, it is not difficult to see the stark differences that may account for this drastic “happiness gap.”
Conservative children grow up with a greater sense of self, community, and God as compared to their liberal peers. They have a stronger sense of purpose in their lives, whereas their liberal counterparts believe they are above their Creator, able to defy facts and ignore science. They are told they can mutate themselves, changing their name and gender
Conservatives, in general, are proud of their American heritage, while liberals are utterly embarrassed by their national identity. American liberals believe their country is defamed with systemic racism, a nation that was never and will never be worth celebrating.
Left-wing adolescents are scared by the threat of what they foresee as the end of the world via an imminent threat of climate change. They feed into the lies they are told every day; they fail to understand themselves, let alone the world around them.
Liberals lack a sense of responsibility. They have no sense of duty to their country or to their God. There is no foundation for them to fall back on.
Conservative families are also stronger, happier, and less likely to end up in divorce, according to an analysis by the Institute for Family Studies.
Another study found that “conservatives expressed greater personal agency (e.g., personal control, responsibility), more positive outlook (e.g., optimism, self-worth), more transcendent moral beliefs (e.g., greater religiosity, greater moral clarity, less tolerance of transgressions), and a generalized belief in fairness.”
Additionally, conservative citizens not only report higher levels of happiness, but they also report having higher levels of meaning in their lives, according to an article in the Social Psychological and Personality Science journal.
Whether it is family, God, or country, conservatives have a purpose, a reason to get through every day, an understanding of themselves and those around them – reasons to be simply happy.
Having no sense of self, no real meaning in life, no pride for family or country and dreading the past, present and the future leaves little room for happiness.
Science has spoken, once again, to be happy, be conservative.
Blake Mauro
Blake Mauro is a sophomore political science major with a media studies minor at Clemson University. She is very passionate about politics and journalism and hopes to pursue a career in the media industry as a voice for the silent majority following her graduation.
The views expressed in this article are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Lone Conservative staff.
