Happiest States in the U.S.

[Orual]

http://www.livescience.com/18666-hap...2011-list.html

I'd expect Hawaii to top the list, but the strong showing from the northern Great Plains states is surprising.

[OneCentStamp]

I'm a bit surprised myself. The National Geographic article a few years back about small towns in the Northern Plains (ND especially), talking about how they're shrinking and disappearing, high suicide rates, etc., left quite an impression on me.

[The Original An Gadaí]

Poor Ohio.

[Orual]

I'm a bit surprised myself. The National Geographic article a few years back about small towns in the Northern Plains (ND especially), talking about how they're shrinking and disappearing, high suicide rates, etc., left quite an impression on me.

Two words: oil shale.

[What Exit?]

NJ near the middle. I'm guessing it's the traffic that brings us down.

[OneCentStamp]

Utah is near the top. I would guess it's SSRIs and denial that bring us up.

[Oliveloaf]

It's worth noting that the happiest state is less than 8 points happier than the saddest states. Over a 100-point scale you'd think that there'd be a bigger spread. Seems we're all kinda snarky.

[Orual]

Yeah. I can't help but think that I'd be a whole lot happier if I lived in Hawaii.

[OneCentStamp]

Yeah. I can't help but think that I'd be a whole lot happier if I lived in Hawaii.

Let's all upgrade a little at a time. You can bump off someone in HI, artifex and I will take your place in San Francisco, and...I dunno, someone in Mississippi can have our house.

[Elendil's Heir]

Poor Ohio.

Well, I'm from Ohio, and everything's just peachy keen here, dammit.

[Oliveloaf]

I can move 50 miles, from Chicago to Milwaukee and improve my happiness number one full point.

I expect the process of moving would piss me off enough to negate the improvement, though.

[RabbitMage]

My state ranked above average. I think my happiness is above average. I declare this study accurate.

[Anacanapuna]

I can explain Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, and Utah -- we're too damn dumb to know there's anything better.

Oh, c'mon, people, it's a joke!

[Orual]

I figured that the Colorado and Utah people were happy because of all the pretty scenery.

Sadly, the populations of Kansas and Nebraska are afflicted with corn-madness, making their responses dubious at best.

[CatInASuit]

I thought certain states in the USA weren't allowed to be happy as it was against their beliefs?

[RabbitMage]

No, you're allowed to be happy in those states, but you're only allowed a set quota of state-sanctioned happiness.

[OneCentStamp]

I thought certain states in the USA weren't allowed to be happy as it was against their beliefs?

If you're talking about Utah, it's more a case that you aren't allowed to be unhappy, as happiness is considered to be a direct side-effect of right living.