By Michaela Gordoni
That’s right — women who have families are the happiest on earth.
Every year since 1972, the United States General Social Survey asked women and men how happy they are. Every year, women report being less and less happy, the Catholic League said.
Though women have gone further in terms of educational and career success, their happiness has plummeted — why?
“Something strange is going on in women’s happiness research. Because despite more freedom and employment opportunities than ever before, women have higher levels of anxiety and more mental health challenges, such as depression, anger, loneliness and more restless sleep,” Neuroscience News wrote. “And these results are seen across many countries and different age groups.”
Relationships are essential to happiness, and relationships begin with family.
The study revealed that 40% of married women with children between 18 and 55 said they are “very happy.” Only 25% of married childless women said the same, while just 22% of unmarried childless women said they were happy. It’s important to note that it’s the same for men. The Institute for Family Studies observes married fathers are the happiest, while unmarried, childless men are the least happy.
Research from the University of Chicago proves that marriage significantly impacts whether someone is happy. The study found a 30-percentage-point gap between the married and unmarried.
Related: Top Ten Movies To Watch This Mothers Day!
“Recent decline in the married share of adults can explain (statistically) most of the recent decline in overall happiness,” Sam Peltzman, professor emeritus of economics at the University of Chicago, said.
The feminist movement significantly changed the rate of women’s happiness. Famous author Betty Friedan, who wrote The Feminine Mystique, said that femininity “has succeeded in burying millions of women alive,” and stay-at-home moms lived in “comfortable concentration camps.”
The Catholic League asserts Friedan was a bored, pampered housewife who spoke for herself. Many women didn’t feel like that, especially the working class, who would have liked to be pampered housewives.
Many other famous feminists — Gloria Steinem, Kate Millett, and others — were also famously unhappy, even after the feminist movement progressed.
If women in the 1960s cared most about what made women happy, they might have found that the majority find it in being wed mothers. They might have encouraged them to pursue that happiness instead of paving paths of sadness and loneliness.
If you have a mom, you can take comfort in knowing that she’s likely happier with you in her life. Make sure to tell her Happy Mother’s Day.
Read Next: Happy Mother’s Day From Movieguide®!
- Content: +1Share:
- Content: +4