Conservatives Happier People

Data guy Nate Silver posts survey data on X which shows conservatives are just plain happier people than liberals. He writes:

Here's an attempt at a deeper dive at understanding why conservatives are so much happier than liberals. Mostly looking at how persistent the gap is in survey data rather than extrapolating too much.

After which he posts this table, but doesn't give its source which this site says is CES standing for Cooperative Election Survey.

If Silver doesn't want to give the most obvious answer, I will. Conservatives resist change because they feel no need, the world is treating them okay or better, and change could make it worse. Liberals seek change because in one way or several the world doesn't suit them as it now is, and they feel they've less to lose if change goes sour.

This leaves aside the whole "neurotics and normals can view the exact same objective set of circumstances and see quite different things" issue. Liberals are much more likely to self-report having been given a less-than-positive mental health diagnosis.

Regardless, for men and women of all races, all age groups, all education levels conservatives are happier than liberals. The differences are not trivial and this is not a new finding.

Full disclosure: I am a conservative white man from the Silent generation with a postgraduate degree. That's like drawing a straight flush. I should be (and mostly am) giddy with happiness when the vicissitudes of aging don't put a damper on my spirits.