Are most people you see unhappy?

Question

Has anybody else watched people around you during the day and noticed that the majority of people seem very unhappy? Why is this?

My theory is that people are so used to being told what they should do and how they should think that they don't even know themselves. If you took away society and all that it tells them they wouldn't know what to do.

What do you all think?

Answer 1

VERY GOOD QUESTION!!! I have asked this question before on Yahoo Answers. I think the answer has alot to do with the way we live in the U.S. Think of how isolated we are. The sense of community has really dropped off during the last century. My grandparents told me of a time when communication between neighbors was face to face. They lived in a big city just like I do. People had porches in fron of their home and they went to church festivals in the summer. People got together. Here in Florida none of the homes have porches. Many communities are gated. Therefore, folks hole themselves away and rarely talk to their suburban neighbors. And when folks do see eachother it is usually in some shopping environment like a mall or store. And it is very hard to communicate with folks because of CELLPHONES. Most folks don't really want to meet other people and they just stick to the security of their cellphones. It makes it hard for other people to approach them and start a conversation. But in the long run, I feel that this isolation of the modern world makes people unhappy. We are social creatures by nature. And yes, many folks behave as if they only do what they are told. They are told by the media everyday on the news that society is dangerous and it is probably not wise to talk to strangers in unfamiliar environments. All the news shows is constant violence and crime. But in reality, crime rates have not really risen in the U.S. in 20 years. Another factor might be that folks hole themselves away and don't have face to face conversation because of the internet. Just a theory of mine. Hope this answered your question.

Answer 2

I not only think that most people are unhappy, but they are also so stressed and bogged down with obligations that they don't have time to enjoy or appreciate life until they are forced to stop (i.e. illness, death of a loved one, birth of a loved one, etc.).

Answer 3

I see very few people are really happy. most people will try and hide it though, but you can see it. maybe problems in their life.