From Our Spanish-Speaking Man in the FIeld

Our SSMITF sent this to me and tendered the following theory:

Conservatives are more happy than liberals because they recognize that people are not perfect, the world can never be perfect, and that choices involve trade-offs. At first blush, that might have a pessimistic twinge to it, but it's a matter of realism. Liberals get frustrated when they can't create their socialist utopia where we all live in fraternal harmony and sing kumbaya, cease all wars, while saving the planet, the whales, and every aboriginal language on the face of the planet. Conservatives are more modest in what they think they can accomplish, and so are much happier with their lives even if things don't go perfectly.

I will tender a simpler theory (though not disagreeing with what he said):

The Truth Principle.

When you don't abide by the truth or live in the real world, whatever actions you take are going to be fruitless or fail. This ultimately results in no success and no genuine progress in you life.

Liberals, and especially OWS protesters, become progressively more angry that life "just isn't doing what it's supposed to," and as they age, become progressively more fearful that they may have been wrong their entire lives.

Worse still, they realize, deep down inside they simply wasted their youth, AND their "ideological dream" will never be realized.

Convervatives on the other hand, don't even need success to necessarily be happy. The fact they understand what is going on and why will make them happier than the average liberal because they're not delusional. Though, they may never achieve the wealth or progress they were capable of because of corruption, nepotism, parasitic liberals and the commensurate tax price tag that comes with it, they at least understand and do what they can within the scope of the real world.

For example:

Do I like the way the country is going?

No.

Did the US ever provide the opportunities I could avail myself of, work hard, and achieve my best as we were told in school?

No.

Will I ever be able to achieve what I dreamed?

No.

But, at least I know why. And in knowing why, I now know to no longer try to become the world's greatest economist. I merely go out and maximize the fun I have on this planet. I buy motorcycles, I live out west, I hike, I play video games, I sleep in, I hang out with you schmoes, and do what I CAN to maximize my happiness. And that also includes watching people suffer from their own choices - OWS protesters get angry that there isn't limitless funds, or aging Gen X women who constantly ask "where are all the good men," liberals bringing children into the world and having the sudden horror about what kind of world they're bringing their children into, etc. etc. It's the epitome of enjoying the decline.

Liberals constantly TRY to do what they CAN'T, which is why they fail at being as happy as conservatives. They major in worthless subjects, indebt themselves, and then get pissed off when the labor market doesn't just "poof" make them a job. Feminists try to ignore an entire half of the population's psychology, and then get pissed off when there aren't any real strong men any more, and they are relegated to cats. And union members, get enraged at the economic realities of the taxpayer's money no longer being there and no foreign countries willing to lend the US money to pay for their bloated and unnecessary salaries.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, but does the average life long, professional protester, when sitting on their death bed, ever come to the realization that all they managed to do in their life was piss it away? That in protesting against reality and effectively being poor their entire lives, but "oooh goodie! They helped enact some legislation to save the whales!," they may rue the one shot they had at life?

I don't know about you, but if that was me, I'd be pretty angry too. And the only person I'd have to be angry at would be myself.

Whatever the case, don't be one of those people. Live in reality. Otherwise you can be as happy as an OWS, feminist, spinster, professional protester. Which does not paint a happy picture at all.