Are New Jersey Couples among the Unhappiest in the United States?
When someone is fortunate enough to have a happy and healthy relationship, that is something to be valued and cherished. Not everyone who is dating or in a long-term relationship is happy, so where do the Happiest Couples reside in the United States?
A new study conducted by the online mental health wellness website Counseling Psychology found that the Happiest Couples in the United States live in Georgia, Utah, and Washington. According to their research, couples in Utah have the shortest duration of disagreements while couples in Georgia have the most deep and meaningful conversations, plus couples in the state of Washington spend the most time laughing together.
The bad news is that "Survey Says" that the state of New Jersey is in the top ten most Unhappy Couples in the United States. What qualifies a state for having the most Unhappy Couples includes:
*Couples that do not laugh often together
*Couples that lack spontaneity and don't have many impromptu activities
*Long-lasting disagreements without resolution
*Lack of deep and meaningful conversations
*Least amount of time spent together on hobbies
Even though New Jersey is not as poorly rated as Wisconsin (the least spontaneous couples) or Alabama ( long-lasting disagreements) or Michigan (fewest deep, meaningful conversations), it's still a bad look for the couples surveyed from the Garden State. The contrast is that New Jersey's neighboring states landed higher Couples's Happiness Scores: Pennsylvania is ranked as the 13th Happiest State and New York is the 17th Happiest State.
The researchers at Counseling Psychology say that the average American rates their Happiness in their relationship as 8 out of 10 and in states like New Jersey those Happiness scores fall below that median.
We should also consider that New Jersey has the ninth highest divorce rate in the United States but their neighboring states of Pennsylvania (second highest rate) and New York (eighth highest rate). Unhappiness is not exclusive to New Jersey couples and their relationships because the state of New Jersey has the ninth most Unhappy Employees in the United States.
Whether they are in relationships for the wrong reasons or there is just an overall Unhappiness issue with New Jersey, this latest study is a sign that people in New Jersey may need to re-evaluate some aspects of their lives. Aristotle once said "Happiness depends upon ourselves", so maybe many of these "Unhappy" people are just individuals who are looking for "Happiness" in unfulfilling places. Johnny Lee once sang about "lookin' for love in all the wrong places" or am I just dating myself now only quoting people from before the turn of the 21st century?
Great New Jersey Stores That We Once Loved That Are Now Closed
Gallery Credit: Harry Hurley