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Do you fly the stars and stripes in your front yard? You might be happier than your neighbors. The more satisfied people are with their country, the more content they are with their lives, a new study in Psychological Science finds.
In the study, more than 130,000 people in 128 countries answered questions posed by the Gallup Organization about how satisfied they were with life, country, job, home, and other areas. People with good feelings about their country also tended to have a rosy outlook on their personal life. And a high GDP doesn’t necessarily buy happiness: People in poorer nations feel especially good about their lives when they are satisfied with their country.
The groups we’re a part of are a main piece of our identity and largely control our feelings of self-worth, explains co-author Mike Morrison, a doctoral candidate at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. So when you think your country is doing well, you feel better about being a part of it—which gives your own feelings about yourself a boost.
So why is the connection is especially strong for people with low incomes or who live in poorer countries? Being satisfied in one part of life helps you ignore parts you’re not happy with, Morrison explains. On the flip side, people who are better off focus more on individual issues like their own job or health to judge happiness. (Just another reason to invest in meaning, not money.
In the study, more than 130,000 people in 128 countries answered questions posed by the Gallup Organization about how satisfied they were with life, country, job, home, and other areas. People with good feelings about their country also tended to have a rosy outlook on their personal life. And a high GDP doesn’t necessarily buy happiness: People in poorer nations feel especially good about their lives when they are satisfied with their country.
The groups we’re a part of are a main piece of our identity and largely control our feelings of self-worth, explains co-author Mike Morrison, a doctoral candidate at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. So when you think your country is doing well, you feel better about being a part of it—which gives your own feelings about yourself a boost.
So why is the connection is especially strong for people with low incomes or who live in poorer countries? Being satisfied in one part of life helps you ignore parts you’re not happy with, Morrison explains. On the flip side, people who are better off focus more on individual issues like their own job or health to judge happiness. (Just another reason to invest in meaning, not money.
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