On Certainty and Well-Being

A recent Gallup poll found that higher levels of religiosity correlates positively with well-being (one goes up, so does the other) and another done in 2007 found that Republicans report much better mental health than independents or Democrats.

Discussion of these correlations is not conclusive. Regarding the latter, it is noted that the correlation between party identification and mental health persists even when other factors are controlled for, such as income, which tends to be higher on average among Republicans. The researchers speculate that religious activity involves people in more social interaction, proven conducive to well-being, and engages people in meditative states. And provides coping mechanisms for the vagaries of life.

All of which is true but the high levels of well-being and mental health reported by people religious and Republican shares something fundamental in common—a sense of certainty about the state of the world, how it should be, and their rightful place in it.

More on this next week.