Gender Happiness

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Men are happier, without a doubt in my mind.

My logic is the expectations for men are simpler. For the most part if your employed or have money, your accepted or labeled eccentric at worst. Male needs are pretty basic too, food and sex, in any order.

Women have so many other expectations thrust upon them it is easy for them to fail, at least in their minds. Everything from trying to maintain a perfect body (and perfectly dressed and made-up) well into middle age to being educated, but not too educated. Trying to balance motherhood with a job, being judged on the cleanliness of your home or behavior of the kids (or husband). No thanks, that's way to complicated for me, too many unwritten rules and expectations.

 

[Shasta_man]

Apparently most of us are doing OK financially because most mentioned being able to dive as their happiness moment, and didn't mention any of the basic necessities like having a full belly. I agree that people with the least amount show you the real meaning of being happy has nothing to do with money though you have basic needs.

 

[Jax]

Happy is a state of mind, a choice, and I'm happy as can be.

Only thing that could make me more happy is retirement!

 

[drrich2]

Recently 2 women I work with were talking and one was discussing something about getting her nails done. Thinking of watching my wife in the bathroom with various products such as makeup and hairspray, I commented that I'd have made a lousy woman, because I wouldn't be willing to do all the maintenance they seem to require.

One of them commented something to the effect - 'I think it's fun. I like being a girl.'

My point is, I think people tend to 'grow into what they are,' and come to appreciate some aspects of it, even some that look like detriments to the opposite sex. People may be jealous of something the other gender has, but most don't want to be the other gender. So perhaps they find a kind of happiness aided by their gender.

Richard.

 

[NAM001]

Interesting posts, I like them. Probably cause i am a male. I am surprised that there has not been any male pig comments posted that should logically result from topics like this. Men are pretty easily satisfied with but a few needs. Not women. A man can be happy with his 1970 march edition on how to sharpen a mower blade while a woman needs her cosmo mag to take polls to deterine if her man is cheating on her or not. If he is its probably with the mower. Or to find out what turns her man on and what doesnt. All they have to do is ask and we will tell them "you with out your monthly mags, sitting on the mower with a sharp new blade on it". That may sound a little sexist, but look at the gender differences in scuba gear. Men are drawn by something that is functional and women go for fashion. So clearly the values that make one happy is extreemly different. All us men have to do to stop women from buying rinestone wet suits is say that sharks are atracted to shiny things. It doesnt fix the pink trimmed suit matching the fins aspect of gear selection, it does give us guys cold beer time since we dont have to glue replacement stones on her suit. And that does make us happy. As different as the genders are we both find happiness in the others hapiness. The rest is all perspective. One other difference is how happieness is measured. one of us is imperial and the other is metric.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

I understand women may enjoy things men at not fond of and of course the opposite is true. Viva la difference and all that.

What is scary though is if you look at the opposite, who is unhappy, or more to the point, who is depressed. Women are 2X more likely to be depressed than men. I still think we (as a society) have done a pretty good job of screwing them up, setting up multiple roles they feel they must fulfill. The expectations for men are fewer. The difference in depression rates start at puberty and peaks in their 20/30's, just saying that females have a lot of irons in the fire and all that multitasking takes a toll.


Exploring Gender Difference in Depression | Psychiatric Times