Only about a fifth of liberal men are happy. About 6 of 10 liberal women have the potential to be diagnosed with a mental illness. Being politically conservative isn’t the answer, but something is going on here.
Women aged under 30-35 are moving to the progressive left, and men are moving to the right.
Harvard professor Arthur Brooks explains how data shows that the unhappiest and most mentally ill people are mostly on the political left while the happiest are on the right.
Liberal women 18-30 have a 60% chance of being diagnosed mentally ill. Discuss. pic.twitter.com/PVtVuOxwC8
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) May 30, 2026
I’m glad he said that happiness measures comparing countries are worthless. Arthur Brooks believes ‘studies’ comparing countries for happiness is only done for political reasons. However, when comparing the US with itself, it is getting unhappier.
The four qualities of happy people are faith (religious or spiritual or philosophical), family, friendship, and work. These have all been going in the wrong direction in the USA since the 1990s. These should transcend politics.
This is an interesting interview. He feels politics is becoming a cult and shouldn’t keep couples apart. Brooks believes in the abandonment of religion and spirituality. Young people need to believe in something, and they are being fed a dangerous cult of ideology.
Eventually, people will figure out what makes them unhappy and stop doing it.