If men and women report equal levels of happiness, why do women experience more depression than men?
Researchers think the answer might be related to intensity of emotions and the roles women play in society.
According to researchers, women, on average, are more likely than men to report “higher levels of positive affect.” That is, they experience more intense positive emotions, which seem to balance out the negative emotions. And because women women are more likely to be open to intense emotional experiences, one theory suggests that this intensity makes them more vulnerable to depression if they encounter bad or uncontrollable events.
Another explanation revolves around the traditional role as caregiver that’s typically prescribed to women. The theory goes — since caregivers are expected to be more emotionally responsive, women may be more willing to express those emotions. In fact, regardless of a person’s gender, in experiments where participants were encouraged to be emotionally responsive, those same participants indicated more extreme emotions.
In other words, women are just as happy as men — only more so in the extreme.
I know you’re reporting other people’s work, but when I read stuff like this, I can’t help but drop my jaw in awe.
Perhaps it has to do with, oh, I don’t know, say, the fact that women have a SUBORDINATE role in society? That they are disproportionately verbally, physically, and especially sexually abused as children and adults in all societies? Because they are disproportionately impoverished in all societies? Because they are belittled, devalued, and respected less than a man of equal talent and ability? Because misogyny is openly accepted and a national past-time? Because medical research is highly skewed toward optimizing the health of men? Because they are publicly used as objects of ridicule and disdain by a media that then approves of the resulting self-destructive behaviors?
Maybe because they are systematically oppressed by a structure that is so efficient at reifying its sexism and misogyny that its very existence is seamlessly integrated into our daily lives, making it effectively invisible?
it would be great to have a life full of happines.*
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