Why Lumberjacks are Happy and You’re Not

The results are in and nature (i.e. God) wins again. A Bureau of Labor Statistics survey has found that lumberjacks and farmers are the happiest, least stressed, and most fulfilled workers, further evidencing that everything we need to be joyful and satisfied in this life is not manmade. Nor does it have much if anything in common with the prevailing culture.

A Washington Post analysis of the survey noted, “The most meaningful and happiness-inducing activities were religious and spiritual,” followed by “the second-happiest activity — sports, exercise and recreation.”

I am fond of harping about how a godless society is a miserable one. Ericka Andersen noted in USA Today last year how “broad-based evidence demonstrates that attendance at worship services is indispensable to a happy, generous, and flourishing society.” Yet despite resounding proof of religion’s benefits, American church attendance fell below 50 percent for the first time last year, according to Gallup.

The health benefits of time spent outdoors are also well-known (as is the zest for life inherent in the life of a lumberjack, as elucidated by Monty Python). As our attention spans continue to shrink, research shows that “going outdoors and spending time in nature can help to improve attention span in as little as twenty minutes.” Nature also reduces stress, boosts mood, and engages all the senses at once (I'm pretty sure sawdust is the best smell in the world). In my limited experience with virtual reality, the only senses that were engaged were my eyes and the part of my brain that induces motion sickness.

It’s the same with sports, exercise and recreation. For twelve or more of our formative years, we had it drilled into us to “eat healthy and exercise.” Physical education was mandatory in school. We know (excepting the blatantly false Food Pyramid) what to do to be our healthiest, happiest selves. But we're "lookin' for [joy] in all the wrong places," ignoring the obvious needs of our species as they are no longer in front of our eyes.

As society becomes softer and more entitled and as we slog further from our ancestral roots, we're more inclined to dismiss the simple, unchanging truths about mankind: that the earth was made for us, and we were made to be in and of the earth…

This article was originally published by The Spectator. Read the full piece here.