A recent article in the NY Times (here) found that of all the states in the Union, New York has the fewest happy people. That might surprise you, given that NYC is the burgeoning entertainment capital of the world. Or it might not, after you hear the implacable horns blaring at a blocked intersection and curses flying out of cab windows.
Does this mean that all New Yorkers are saturnine? Of course not. In fact many people believe that New York is a great place to live. However "if too many individuals think that way, they move into those states, and the resulting congestion and house prices make it a nonfulfilling prophecy" because, based on this study, the higher the housing prices and the louder the traffic, the less happy the people are. There is no way to redress this problem, because NY, albeit unhappy, is still a desirable place to live, and so the population continues to grow - and people become unhappier. What a vicious cycle!
For those who are interested, here is the hierarchy of the Top 10 Happiest States: 1. Louisiana, 2. Hawaii, 3. Florida, 4. Tennessee, 5. Arizona, 6. Mississippi, 7. Montana, 8. South Carolina, 9. Alabama, 10. Maine.By the way, New Jersey is not much happier than New York, ranking 49/51. Connecticut ranks 50/51.
So, in an attempt to make the Tri-Sate area a little happier, I dedicate this post to the apparently depressed residents of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut!
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