Dec 22, 2009 -- 11:50AM, Jeanninehunter wrote:

It turns out folks who live in states such as Florida, Hawaii and Louisiana are happier, according to survey results recently published in the journal Science.

"The happiness ratings were based on a survey of 1.3 million people across the country by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It used data collected over four years that included a question asking people how satisfied they are with their lives," according to an Associated Press story about the research.

The research of economics professors Andrew J. Oswald, of the University of Warwick in Britain, and Stephen Wu, of Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., also consisted of "objective indicators” borrowed from UCLA researchers to gauge quality of life. The indicators included  commuting time, schools and crime.

Can feeling more satisfied and secure be fixed with relocation? Louisiana ranked first, while New York, my beloved home state, was last on the happiness scale. One of the researchers suggested that high prices around New York City, commutes and congestion contributed to the unhappiness rating.

"Not to be unkind, but some states that made the Top 10 are among the poorest in the country. Are people there truly happy, or are they wearing 'What, me worry?' smiles," wrote NY Times columnist Clyder Haberman. "More important, might contentment be overrated? Seriously, isn’t restlessness, even outright discontent, often a catalyst for creativity?"

For more on the topic, check out a New York Times column and Science article.

Share your thoughts.

I think, speaking for myself, that happiness is a state of mind...maturity, overcoming hard knocks, appreciating the everyday things and realizing that having God in my life has made a difference..and also that people matter...that doing things for others matters...and good things come back to me so much more....and it's also a case of mind over matter..I don't mind and tough times don't matter..."this too shall pass.."

Maybe a person's mood (happy or crampy) does have something to do with the weather, but I don't think warm weather makes people happier in general.  I came from Hong Kong, a tropical area, weather are always warm.  I don't see people there are any happier than people here in Canada where I am living now.  Does it have anything to do with where we live, I guess it does due to different communities and cultures, not because of the physical location.

Is it a state of mind? I have heard someone says that, for human being who has strong desire of the flesh, it is easy for to hate than to love and be compassionate.  I am sure no hateful person are happy people.  I do believe hate and love are a state of mind, so is happiness a state of mind? I think so, but difficult to achieve.