renoskier Posted February 4 Posted February 4 This was in my NYT email blast this morning; I don't subscribe but was able to copy and paste. It just seems like such a disconnect that our great country is doing better economically than every other place in the world but a large percentage of our population is unhappy and believe our country is going to shit. Why? What's to be unhappy about? I mean some of us can spend our whole day chatting. How "bad" are things when we can spend our days entertaining ourselves? Discuss... Wealthy and unhappy Like many other Americans, Douglas Harris — an economist at Tulane University — has found himself worrying about the quality of public discourse. It is full of misinformation, cynicism and polarization. Americans seem irrationally angry about the country’s condition and can’t even seem to agree on basic facts. Harris decided to do something about the situation in 2021. He recruited a politically diverse committee of experts to study the true state of the nation. He persuaded 13 other scholars — who together have advised each of the past five presidents, stretching back to Bill Clinton — to do so. They released their national report card yesterday. It finds that the U.S. economy is performing better than any of its peers and pulling away from the economies of Europe and Japan. The U.S. remains far richer, per person, than China or India. Sources: State of the Nation report, World Bank The report also finds that the U.S. fares less well in almost every other realm, including health, happiness and social trust. Source: State of the Nation report, UNICEF, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, World Bank, Gallup World Poll “We’re so wealthy but so unhappy,” said Bradley Birzer, a member of the committee and a historian at Hillsdale College in Michigan. In the end, the experts decided that 37 measures were important enough to list, including those covering economic output, employment, income inequality, life expectancy, environmental conditions, depression, community involvement, press freedom and voter turnout. For a measure to make the list, roughly 75 percent of the experts had to agree on its inclusion. The group also commissioned a poll and found that a large majority of Americans agreed about the importance of most topics. The main exceptions were community involvement and environmental conditions, which only a slight majority of people thought were crucial gauges of our national well-being. In this article by my colleague Ashley Wu and me, you’ll find more charts, as well as thoughts from the committee members about why economic performance seems to have become unmoored from health and happiness. As Birzer says, “It seems like the central question of modernity.” 2 Quote
The San Diegan Posted February 4 Posted February 4 I remember the epiphany I had nearly 30 years ago in Vietnam, watching families gather on benches on the banks of the Song Be river. I was amazed how fucking content they seemed, just sitting there, literally doing nothing. The point stayed with me during my time in India. Now, middle aged, I am about 10-12 years into my concerted effort to focus on contentment. This comes at the cost of ambition, but tbh I much rather scale back any grand plans to focus on enjoying and being content with what we have. I watched my grandparents live a very happy life living this ethos, and I see no reason why we need more needless shit - I rather focus on relationships, balance in my life, and building the memories that will comfort me/us in old age. 7 Quote
RSF Posted February 4 Posted February 4 just my opinion, but I think way too many people just dont get how good they actually have it. Combine that with a little jealousy - 'why are they doing better than I am?' - and mix in a little short-term memory loss and some well-placed angry rhetoric, and it becomes a combustible mix. The over/under on this thread breaking down is 10 posts. 5 Quote
InnZoneU Posted February 4 Posted February 4 More money, more problems. Just different kinds of problems. That said, I'd rather be rich with problems, than poor with problems. 1 Quote
The San Diegan Posted February 4 Posted February 4 On 2/4/2025 at 9:27 AM, RSF said: just my opinion, but I think way too many people just dont get how good they actually have it. Combine that with a little jealousy - 'why are they doing better than I am?' - and mix in a little short-term memory loss and some well-placed angry rhetoric, and it becomes a combustible mix. The over/under on this thread breaking down is 10 posts. Too many people lost trying to fill an unfillable hole wanting what they don't have instead of appreciating what they do. We are a spoiled people. 3 Quote
The San Diegan Posted February 4 Posted February 4 On 2/4/2025 at 9:51 AM, InnZoneU said: More money, more problems. Just different kinds of problems. That said, I'd rather be rich with problems, than poor with problems. Absolutely. Fortunately, I don't think those are our only two choices. Quote
AztecAlien Posted February 4 Posted February 4 I look back at the 37 years with my wife, and some of the best times are when we were just scraping by. We would have a blast on road trips with barely any money in our pockets and no itinerary. We still love doing roadies with just a general idea of where we're heading. 4 Quote
bornontheblue Posted February 4 Posted February 4 On 2/4/2025 at 11:46 AM, AztecAlien said: I look back at the 37 years with my wife, and some of the best times are when we were just scraping by. We would have a blast on road trips with barely any money in our pockets and no itinerary. Is your wife stupid as fuck. How the hell would anybody stay with you for 37 years. 2 4 Quote
Slapdad Posted February 4 Posted February 4 I've long been a believer that some of what this article covers plays out on this board (and it's predecessors) on a daily basis. The identity politics that have become so prevalent in some of our lives drives many to engage in doomscrolling without realizing the impact that it has on our mental health and general well-being. Digging through news stories that algorithms have served up for us or, in some cases, going in search of news/posts that we believe confirm our positions isn't a healthy way to spend our time. That's only part of the equation, of course, but it's one that can easily be avoided. People need to unplug and spend time with friends and family and spend time enjoying things that truly matter and bring us joy. 7 Quote
AztecAlien Posted February 4 Posted February 4 On 2/4/2025 at 11:50 AM, Slapdad said: I've long been a believer that some of what this article covers plays out on this board (and it's predecessors) on a daily basis. The identity politics that have become so prevalent in some of our lives drives many to engage in doomscrolling without realizing the impact that it has on our mental health and general well-being. Digging through news stories that algorithms have served up for us or, in some cases, going in search of news/posts that we believe confirm our positions isn't a healthy way to spend our time. That's only part of the equation, of course, but it's one that can easily be avoided. People need to unplug and spend time with friends and family and spend time enjoying things that truly matter and bring us joy. Man, good post. Thanks. Quote
The San Diegan Posted February 4 Posted February 4 On 2/4/2025 at 10:50 AM, Slapdad said: I've long been a believer that some of what this article covers plays out on this board (and it's predecessors) on a daily basis. The identity politics that have become so prevalent in some of our lives drives many to engage in doomscrolling without realizing the impact that it has on our mental health and general well-being. Digging through news stories that algorithms have served up for us or, in some cases, going in search of news/posts that we believe confirm our positions isn't a healthy way to spend our time. That's only part of the equation, of course, but it's one that can easily be avoided. People need to unplug and spend time with friends and family and spend time enjoying things that truly matter and bring us joy. Can we reduce this to the simple sentiment that aside from the few-and-far between oases of substance-driven online discussion platforms (i.e., #MWCBoarding), that social media is a cancer? 2 Quote
Slapdad Posted February 4 Posted February 4 On 2/4/2025 at 1:10 PM, The San Diegan said: Can we reduce this to the simple sentiment that aside from the few-and-far between oases of substance-driven online discussion platforms (i.e., #MWCBoarding), that social media is a cancer? I think social media is what you make of it. I used to post on FB regularly, but as posts gradually moved from sharing pics of friends and family and staying connected to being mostly political in nature, I moved from that to Instagram where I can still stay connected without the political discourse. Even this board...it's what you make of it. I occasionally get sucked into a topic and end up beating my head against the wall until I realize that it only raises my blood pressure, brings me zero enjoyment and is a waste of time, so I exit and go jump on a bike, go out for a drink, or go play baseball. F'it...who has the time or desire to do that? I'll spend more time in the Vice thread talking about whisk(e)y. 😍 1 Quote
The San Diegan Posted February 4 Posted February 4 On 2/4/2025 at 11:19 AM, Slapdad said: I think social media is what you make of it. I used to post on FB regularly, but as posts gradually moved from sharing pics of friends and family and staying connected to being mostly political in nature, I moved from that to Instagram where I can still stay connected without the political discourse. Even this board...it's what you make of it. I occasionally get sucked into a topic and end up beating my head against the wall until I realize that it only raises my blood pressure, brings me zero enjoyment and is a waste of time, so I exit and go jump on a bike, go out for a drink, or go play baseball. F'it...who has the time or desire to do that? I'll spend more time in the Vice thread talking about whisk(e)y. 😍 And I think we've made a cesspool of heinous fuckery that has sadly supplanted nodes of actual human connections and the actual shared experiences of life that come with it. 4 Quote
Slapdad Posted February 4 Posted February 4 On 2/4/2025 at 1:21 PM, The San Diegan said: And I think we've made a cesspool of heinous fuckery that has sadly supplanted nodes of actual human connections and the actual shared experiences of life that come with it. That's the spirit! 🤣 Quote
InnZoneU Posted February 4 Posted February 4 On 2/4/2025 at 11:21 AM, The San Diegan said: And I think we've made a cesspool of heinous fuckery that has sadly supplanted nodes of actual human connections and the actual shared experiences of life that come with it. The family fckn around on their cellphone while sitting courtside at the Mavs game, and the kid getting blasted by a loose ball pass is peak illustration. Let's pay $1500/ticket to sit next to the bench, only to fuck around on the cell phone and not watch the game. 1 1 Quote
The San Diegan Posted February 4 Posted February 4 On 2/4/2025 at 11:26 AM, Slapdad said: That's the spirit! 🤣 Hey, speaking of whiskey, did you see the bottles on which I finished my Year of Bourbon? 😀 Quote
The San Diegan Posted February 4 Posted February 4 On 2/4/2025 at 11:27 AM, InnZoneU said: The family fckn around on their cellphone while sitting courtside at the Mavs game, and the kid getting blasted by a loose ball pass is peak illustration. Let's pay $1500/ticket to sit next to the bench, only to fuck around on the cell phone and not watch the game. Hold my beer. ...and prepare to throw up in your mouth a little. 😬 1 1 Quote
RSF Posted February 4 Posted February 4 On 2/4/2025 at 12:49 PM, bornontheblue said: Is your wife stupid as fuck. How the hell would anybody stay with you for 37 years. Jeebus.... 1 Quote
bornontheblue Posted February 4 Posted February 4 On 2/4/2025 at 12:36 PM, RSF said: Jeebus.... Diid I go to0 far? Quote
The San Diegan Posted February 4 Posted February 4 On 2/4/2025 at 12:02 PM, bornontheblue said: Diid I go to far? *too 3 Quote
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