Similarly, researchers at the University of British Columbia studied people who had undergone genetic testing to determine their risk for developing the neurodegenerative disorder known as Huntington’s disease. Those who learned that they had a very high likelihood of developing the condition were happier a year after testing than those who did not learn what their risk was.

Why would we prefer to know the worst than to suspect it? Because when we get bad news we weep for a while, and then get busy making the best of it. We change our behavior, we change our attitudes. We raise our consciousness and lower our standards. We find our bootstraps and tug. But we can’t come to terms with circumstances whose terms we don’t yet know. An uncertain future leaves us stranded in an unhappy present with nothing to do but wait.

Our national gloom is real enough, but it isn’t a matter of insufficient funds. It’s a matter of insufficient certainty. Americans have been perfectly happy with far less wealth than most of us have now, and we could quickly become those Americans again — if only we knew we had to.

Read it all.

Filed under: * Culture-Watch • Psychology

1. Carol R wrote: We already are those Americans who can be happy with less.  I am sick and tired of snobby elitists, (like our POTUS) telling us we’re just going to have to accept that we can’t have three cars or “eat as much as we want” I believe he said on the campaign trail.  Actually I think he was maligning us again overseas at the time.  I’m a pretty ordinary American and I interact with my fellow ordinary countrymen everyday.  I don’t know ANYBODY who is walking around bemoaning the notion that they can’t have three cars.  NO ONE.  I think most Americans just want the liberty to succeed or not through the fruits of our efforts. May 25, 8:56 am | [comment link]

Registered members must log in to comment.