Will You Have A “Happy” New Year” — Dave’s Diary

Don’t worry, be happy.  Easier said than done.  Happiness is one of the simplest emotions bit it can be hard to explain.

So, who is happiest? And what IS it that makes us happy? The Harris Poll set out to answer these and other questions with its periodic Harris Happiness Index.

In our youth-obsessed American culture, it is fascinating to see that the happiest people in the U.S. Among those ages 50 to 64, thirty-six percent say they are very happy, along with a whopping 41 percent of those 65 and older who say the same thing. Among younger Americans, just three in 10 say they are very happy. The least happy age group is the 30s with only 28 percent defining their lives as very happy.

• In 2013, 33 percent of Americans say they are very happy, which is the same percentage that said the same thing in 2011.
• Among women, 35 percent say they are very happy, compared with the 32 percent of men who say the same thing.
• By racial group, 34 percent of white Americans are very happy, 36 percent of African Americans are very happy and just 28 percent of Hispanics are very happy.
• Who says money can't buy happiness? The higher the income, the greater the percentage of people who say they are very happy. Fully 38 percent of those earning $100,000 a year or more say they are very happy, compared with only 29 percent of those earning $34,999 or less.
• When it comes to education as a factor for happiness, 32 percent of those who attended some college or graduated from college say they are very happy, compared with 34 percent with a high school education and 38 percent for those who completed post-graduate work.

People find the most happiness in their relationships with family and friends, as well as their spiritual beliefs, optimism about the future and hobbies and pastimes they enjoy.