A recent Forbes survey of the top 20 happiest countries in the world lists the United States at #15. Finland was #1. 

With that empirically established what's the problem? 

Why are we so miserable in the Land of the Free? We have the biggest economy in the world. So, what's the problem?

Overall, the Fear of losing freedoms is like a blanket over our national consciousness. It seems like everyone is afraid they're going to lose something important in their lives.

These fears are magnified by the political polarization in the nation that are tearing apart norms and precedented laws at an alarming rate since Trump turned the Republican party into a cult of one.

With a presidential election looming in November, this is a particularly divisive time because democracy is on the ticket. 

If Trump wins, it will become an authoritarian hell in America. He openly advocates for shredding the Constitution and making himself a dictator at his rallies.

Americans are afraid, confused, and angry at the constant chaos across the country. As a nation we can't do anything about mass shootings that plague our schools and public places. Other counties have travel warnings about the risks of visiting the United States.

Many older Americans long for a mythical past where everything was just peachy. 

Many younger Americans see no future for themselves because of the devasting effects of climate change brought on by greedy corporations. It's a bleak outlook, but not an unrealistic one.

We have several generations that have always known war (or undeclared wars like Vietnam). It's no wonder people's mental states have been weakened by the constant global combat that has been their norm.

The battle for equality for all races has become more intense now than it was prior to the Civil War. Racism is ripping our social fabric apart. Extremism is everywhere.

We have millions of homeless and disenfranchised people living in the streets of cities from coast to coast. Note: there's no homelessness in Finland.

Since the pandemic we have large swaths of people who've become addicted to social media where there is little, if any, content control. Lies and misinformation are on a thousand platforms spreading hate. Tech companies rely on the massive traffic they produce online.

As it stands, the brief summary above is just some of the main reasons Americans aren't as happy as many other countries.

"We have seen the enemy, and it is us." - Pogo