How Has the Lockdown Affected Your Emotions?

Repeated theme on the Happiness Hour, so I want you to start calling in now. Maybe I can help you get through this emotionally, or at least in terms of behavior, and maybe I can't, and maybe you will be able to share what you have done if it's been successful. 1-800-PRAGER-776. I feel, I tell you, I think about the people in apartments, especially a New York-like apartment. Now, New York has voted Democrat, and I do believe that if you vote a certain way, and the people who do that, you were warned about them, as people have warned about the left being in power for decades, if not a century. And, or more. But nevertheless, I do feel for people who are, who have been cooped up in an apartment. Here's an interesting question that you may have a thought on. What divides the mask wearer, the 24/7 one, I mean nobody wears it to sleep, so it's not 24/7. It's, how about, 15/7. The people I see outdoors, the people I see outdoors wearing masks, even walking alone, what animates them? So I think I know the answer, but since I so don't relate to it, I can't fully understand it. Are any of you that frightened that you want to wear a mask? I don't mean in general, but Now, you want to wear a mask because it's the safe thing to do even if you're walking alone. Well, the thing on the driving in the car, I believe, I don't believe anybody is driving in the car alone, let's put it that way, wearing a mask because they think it will keep them safe. You don't think so either, right? Or you do think so? You don't know why. All right, that's a good question. If you're one of them, tell us why. In fact, if you're one of them, we'll send you an award. You deserve some sort of prize for listening to this show and doing something so foolish. So, and you know, I won't insult you. I insult in general, but not to you. To a person because you're created in God's image and I am very keenly aware of that fact. So these are the questions about how people are handling this. For myself, it's been a mixed bag because I have very, very good, as Dr. Malmer, the psychiatrist I have on the Happiness Hour said, you have, he said to me, great shock absorbers, and that's correct. But I also have an immersion in reality because it's my temperament is not to tune out, and because I have to do a radio show. I need to know what's going on. So I am more aware than most about what is happening to this country. The idea that there is an enemy within, and the reference is entirely to Trump supporters, 74 million terrorists within. That's essentially the message that is going out at this time in this country. And so you feel vulnerable at your place of work. I don't blame you. So these are, these are toughies. Look, the name of my book on happiness is happiness is a serious problem. So is that not true? Is happiness not a serious problem? Of course it is. There's one other aspect that I'd like to isolate for your consideration. Most pain, in our society at least, has been caused by the micro. Not the macro, as in macroaggression, right? Macro, the big picture. And I'm a fan of the macro, and I completely disorient, get disoriented when they give me their scenarios. But this is a new phenomenon that society is governed by models. And that has not done very well for us. If you ask, well, would I have done better? I would have asked the, the, those likely to get COVID because of age or infirmity to stay locked down, the rest of the society not to, to develop a herd immunity as a result. And I would know that there were limitations to my power. So that means you let people do what they want, but the Democrats have such power in the political sphere that they won't allow you to do what you want. It's a big, big problem at this time, but I was saying the name of my book is Happiness Is a Serious Problem. I have known all along that we were so lucky. Do you know, I, I don't think I've shared this. I've shared about Superman, but I haven't shared this. I look back at America when I was younger, and one of the distinguishing features of this country was it left you alone. And that is so important a value. If you don't want the government— the government involved in your life, you are in the majority of Americans. And yet it intrudes more and more. I believe that the greatest source of unhappiness is events we cannot control. That's a big issue. You can be fully in charge of your own life, which is a very remarkable moral achievement, but you are not fully in control of macro life. So I, I get the challenges, believe me. 1-800-DENNIS-PRAGER, 776-877-243. 7776. All right, let's go to, uh, let's go to Patty, or excuse me, Patsy, my apologies, in Glendale, Arizona. Hello from Glendale to Glendale.

Hello, Dennis. I've been trying for years to talk to you, and I'm so excited. Um, great. I've read your book. I loved your book, especially when you said— now, I read it a long time ago, so obviously I'm not quoting you specifically— but where you said life isn't fair, and it really isn't fair. But this political stuff's driving me crazy because it's playing with my faith. And, um, how can God allow this evil to happen. Abortion, not supporting Israel, obviously with the new administration, man being man, woman being woman, you know, all of this stuff. And I, I start rationalizing and saying, well, maybe we're in the end times, maybe You know, he's going to come and, you know, make everything right. And then I start thinking, oh, is my faith failing? Because I know we're supposed to pray for our leaders, which I even do for Biden. I pray more for our nation, but I do pray for him. What can I do to So I feel like I really have faith and I'm not just rationalizing that, you know, God chose him as a leader for a reason, to show, to wake people up possibly. I don't know. I'm struggling, Dennis.

Right. No, no, God bless you. Look, first of all, remember this: to struggle is part of faith. The name Israel God's chosen people, when he renamed Jacob Israel, explained it. Read it, read it in the Bible. Because he struggles with God. That's what Israel means, struggle with God.