According to a new Gallup poll, Jews are the best! We are the healthiest, happiest, wealthiest, and generally most hep cats around! Okay, I made up the hep cat part, but the healthy, happy and wealthy part is totally true. According to the Economix blog:
On average, Jews have higher levels of well-being than their counterparts of every other major faith in America, according to new data from the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.
The index uses daily surveys that aim to measure the components of “the good life,” including health, happiness and access to basic needs like food and shelter. The latest results are based on more than 372,000 interviews conducted in 2009 and 2010, and control for major demographic and regional variables.
What strikes me most about this is the finding that Jews are happiest. I suppose I think of myself as relatively optimistic, and I certainly have Jewish friends who I think of as happy people, but when I think of Jews writ large, I think of my Zayde, who perfected the art of sighing woefully and generally behaving pained at all times. And I certainly don’t think that the world views Jews as happy people. But this survey shows that the more observant of a Jew you are, the better off you are in every respect.
I don’t know what to make of this, really, except maybe to consider getting more religious.
