by
CGG Weekly, June 24, 2022

"I didn't go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of port would do that."
—C.S. Lewis

The second sentence of the Declaration of Independence reads:

We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness—

The United States of America began by declaring that all men have the unalienable right to pursue happiness. The fledgling nation engaged in a long war so every individual would have the right to pursue happiness without the fear of tyranny. An unalienable right is one that cannot be denied or taken away, but according to recent studies, "the land of the free and home of the brave" is fast becoming an unhappy place.

We are not alone if any of us have been feeling unhappy lately. According to a report on happiness conducted by The Harris Poll, only one in three Americans reports being very happy. Another report by Gallup agrees that American unhappiness has increased over the past decade as Americans feel their sense of purpose, the strength of their relationships, and their financial and physical health deteriorating.

According to the "World Happiness Report," the United States finds itself in a downward spiral in the happiness department. The experts behind this report monitor 196 countries in categories such as generosity, social programs, freedom, corruption, and income. America is ranked nineteenth out of 196. At this finding, we might think, "Hey, that's not too bad!" but in between 2017 and 2019, the U.S. dropped five places! This decline is alarming to some because from 1946 to 1970—a quarter-century—America was the model of happiness for the world.

The end of World War II indeed sparked a euphoric unity rarely matched before or since that time in American history. But by the 1970s, the nation had entered a questionable war in Vietnam, and thousands of its young men were dying uselessly, as many saw it. In a few years, President Richard Nixon began to experience great trouble in the Watergate crisis. Later in the '70s, oil embargos, stagflation, and the Iran hostage crisis plagued the country. It is not hard to see why unhappiness began to rise.

A significant reason for increasing unhappiness is declining confidence in government. It is likely where the downward spiral began. People concluded that they could not trust their elected leaders. But it is not the only cause. Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, a Columbia University professor who co-authored the report, cites "worsening health conditions for much of the population [and] declining social trust" contributed to the downward trend.

The 2019 report concentrates on an increasing addiction rate as a primary contributing factor to the nation's growing unhappiness. Addictive behavior is defined by loss of control regardless of the substance or activity involved—in other words, humans can become addicted to practically anything! Even usually good things—like food or exercise—can be abused and overused to the point of addiction. Paul's list of the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21 includes behaviors that can become addictions.

Dr. Sachs demonstrates that addiction rates are reaching epidemic proportions, citing that around half the population suffers from one or more addictions at any given time. Such obsessions include, not just substance abuse, but also "gambling; social media; video games; shopping; unhealthy foods; exercise; extreme sports; risky sexual behaviors, and others." These addictions are leaving a rising portion of Americans unhappy and clinically depressed.

The U.S. is currently suffering epidemics of several addictions, both to substances and behaviors. Recent data from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) show that America is among the world's leaders in rates of substance abuse. Dr. Sachs draws a line of causation between the dramatic rise of substance abuse and addictive behaviors and severe unhappiness.

The IHME uses the term "DALY" (Disability-Adjusted Life Years per 100,000 population) to determine the rankings. DALYs calculate years lost due to addictions. Using them, the IHME compiled the following statistics:

  • The U.S. has the second-highest rate of drug-use burden in the world, five times that of continental Europe.

  • It ranks first in years lost due to cocaine use.

  • It is third in opioid addiction.

  • It is second in amphetamine use.

  • It is fifth in anxiety disorders. Mental disorders match substance abuse disorders, with the U.S. ranking fourth in the world.

These rankings do not even begin to address the newest addiction—to digital media. Professor Jean Twenge writes in "The sad state of happiness in the United States and the role of digital media" (2019): "By 2017, the average 12th grader (17-18 years old) spent more than 6 hours a day of leisure time on just three digital media activities (internet, social media, and texting)." Scientific studies show that disproportionate screen time can cause degraded sleep, obesity, high blood pressure, low HDL cholesterol, poor stress response and regulation, and insulin resistance.

The report also states that 80% of Americans gamble annually, while the statistics on the age-old problem of alcoholism were considered among the report's highlights due to the U.S. ranking 39th in the category! It did not even address other addictions on the rise like those to food, shopping, work, and exercise. "The prince of the power of the air" seems to have Americans right where he wants them (Ephesians 2:2-3)!

These nationwide problems contrast starkly with what the Bible considers to be happiness:

What a difference!

So, we must ask the question, "Are you happy, or are you trying to find happiness in things that will never provide it?" Part Two will show a path toward a more godly happiness.