Are happy states sustainable states? Can we make sustainability happy?

A report from Live Science

http://www.livescience.com/15673-happiest-states-2011-gallup.html

The results are preliminary for 2011, with the year's complete rankings for U.S. states by Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index expected to come out early next year. 

The well-being Index score is an average of six factors, including included life evaluation (self-evaluation about your present life situation and anticipated one in five years); emotional health; work environment (such as job satisfaction); physical health; healthy behavior; and basic access (access to health care, a doctor, a safe place to exercise and walk, as well as community satisfaction).  

"Top 10" States (3 states tied and so are included in the top 10):

• Hawaii: 71.1

• North Dakota: 70.5

• Alaska: 69.4

• Nebraska: 68.4

• Minnesota: 68.3

• Colorado: 68.3

• Utah: 68.1

• New Hampshire: 67.9

• Iowa: 67.9

• Kansas: 67.8

• Vermont: 67.8

• Maryland: 67.8

At the bottom, West Virginia fared worst on life evaluation and physical health, two areas in which the state's residents have seriously struggled since the launch of the Well-Being Index in 2008, according to Gallup officials. Kentucky took the bottom spot for emotional health, while Mississippi is again at the bottom on basic access, as it has been in three previous years. 

My observations:  historically, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, and Vermont have been characterized as politically liberal, or at least have had strong communal tendencies.  Omaha has been powered by a city-owned and operated power company (Omaha Power and Light), and other Midwest states have a traditional of community support and help due to their agrarian base.  Iowa has legalized gay marriage as part of its liberal, community-oriented philosophy.

In a previous post about Canadian communities and sustainability, access to social support services and strong communities were seen to be part of the sustainability picture.  Access to services, esp. medical care and safe areas to exercise make people happier.  

Asperger's Syndrome as superhero symptom

So, back to the Asperger's thing again:  in Bones, interestingly, it's the woman scientist who's autistic-like.  Which would make immediate sense, since scientists are perceived as cold, rational decision makers.  However, in Leverage, the super-thief is a woman and autistic-like, as befits her cold, rational choice of a career.

Not all heros, or superheroes, are Asperger syndrome characters, of course, but it's interesting to see this condition, or the stereotype of this condition, move to the forefront.  In the past, the cold, emotionless hero (think Bogart, or Gary Cooper) were exemplars of masculinity.  Jimmy Stewart achieved masculine hero status for remaining cool, but had the brilliant ability to portray a manic quality hidden underneath his masculine exterior.

The cold rational scientist should be the mad scientist, but we all know how to recognize the mad scientist: by his maniacal laugh.  Too much emotion, too much hysteria too close to the surface.

And, speaking of hysteria:  having the cold emotionless thief or scientist as woman adds added punch to the hero role (the former masculine role model).  Leverage is cool that way, since the computer geek is an  African-American, a change from the usual stereotype.