Why are liberals miserable?

Is it because they bring unhappiness on themselves?

Gotta wonder since past studies have shown Liberals tend to be less charitable with their own money than they are with other peoples’ money, and they tend to view honesty less important a value their political opponents in their general outlook.

So would it surprise that Liberal leaning states with Liberal governance, Liberal policies, and high taxes would be less happy than those with different values and different public policy? Seems there may be a correlation…

Allysia Finley: Are Taxes the Root of Unhappiness?:

Does living in a blue state make people blue? It seems so, according to a new study in Science magazine that ranks states according to their happiness. The study finds that New Yorkers are the unhappiest people in America and their neighbors in Connecticut come in a close second, followed by Michigan, Indiana, New Jersey, California, and Illinois. And the happiest states? Drum roll, please…Louisiana, Hawaii, Florida, Tennessee, and Arizona.

Eight of the ten happiest states lean right while eight of the ten unhappiest tilt left. While the study by no means proves that being liberal makes people unhappy, it does reflect some of the unfortunate implications of living in a blue state…

Many liberal state governments like those in Albany, Trenton and Sacramento are spending more and more on entitlement programs and public employee pensions, racking up more and more debt, and imposing more and more taxes to pay for it all—while ignoring their taxpayers’ needs. Taxpayers, however, aren’t just getting unhappy. They’re getting out. United Van Lines’ 2009 annual study shows that New York, New Jersey, Michigan and Illinois are among the states with the highest outbound migration while Alabama and Tennessee are among the states with the highest inbound migration.

This doesn’t bode well for high-spending, high-tax states like New York where outbound migrants’ income is 13% greater than that of inbound migrants. In 2006, this differential meant a loss of $4.3 billion in taxpayer income for the state. State governments therefore have a vested interest in keeping residents happy by reducing taxes and reigning in irresponsible spending.

Taxes may not be the root of all unhappiness, but they do result in some very sad citizens.

One thing I can say is that the Liberal in my experience tends to be much more pessimistic, negative, needy, judgmental, and dependent on others than the typical Conservative I meet and know. It is reflected in their values, their politics, and their governance.

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