HAPPY HOLIDAYS: ‘If You Want to be Happy for the Rest of Your Life …
“If you want to be happy for the rest of your life, never make a pretty woman your wife.
So for my personal point of view, get an ugly girl to marry you.”
_ Jimmy Soul, 1963.
In light of University of Utah Professor Nicholas H. Wolfinger’s study (1990-2023) released Dec. 12, showing how unhappy 25 percent of the United State’s population was, Jimmy Soul’s suggestion back in 1963 could be the answer.
Wolfinger’s study was conducted on young Americans between the ages of 18 to 35. The highlights of his survey were listed in a Townhall piece written by Scott Hogenson, Dec. 16, 2023.
“Between 1990 and 2023, the number of people saying they are “very happy” dropped by 33%. During the same period of time, the following other things happened:
- The number of people not working rose 39%.
- The number of people not from a two-parent home rose 33%.
- The number of people with college and post-graduate degrees rose 31%.
- The number of people who are not married rose 31%.
- The number of people who are childless rose 18%.
- The number of people not attending church rose 13%.”
Hogenson went on to point out that today’s 18-35 crowd has been led to believe that working is for losers (an actual headline), a two-parent home is overrated, college degrees are the keys to success, marriage is passe, having children will kill the planet, and church is for those over 65, if then.
Now, who has been telling us that?
The government perhaps? Maybe the press? Was it learned in school?
These bastions of the free world, and others like them, have been in decline since Jimmy Soul released his then-popular song. But the ‘60s was the decade of the Vietnam War and a time when young people began to question whether those bastions of a free society were telling the truth. Look where they have gotten us.
As we near the culmination of the “holiday season,” when unhappiness tends to deepen, it might be a good time to do some soul searching (no pun intended).
Marrying someone ugly ended when cultures stopped choosing spouses for their children and singles began using their own instincts to look for a soul mate (again, …). Love really isn’t the result of a beauty contest.
Statistics show married couples are happier than those not married. A career or job does give one purpose, as do children. And you do not need a degree for that unless you want to be a doctor, lawyer, engineer, etc.
For a nation founded in Christianity, we have most certainly lost our way. However, when the times get tough, the tough get going – to church.
Try it this Christmas. It could change your life … if you let it.