--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I contend that the reason why America is…" description: "\"I contend that the reason why America is not as happy as it was in 1950 or 1920 or whenever, 100 years ago, is because our priorities are wrong, but it..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/825/glenn-beck-872_america_i-contend-that-the-reason-why-america-is_481107.png" --- # I contend that the reason why America is not as happy as… ![“I contend that the reason why America is not as happy as it was in 1950 or 1920 or whenever, 100 years ago, is because our priorities are wrong, but it has nothing to do with exploiting the planet and has everything to do with losing faith in God.” quote by Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/825/glenn-beck-872_america_i-contend-that-the-reason-why-america-is_481107.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/825/glenn-beck-872_america_i-contend-that-the-reason-why-america-is_481107.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/825/glenn-beck-872_america_i-contend-that-the-reason-why-america-is_481107.png) > “I contend that the reason why America is not as happy as it was in 1950 or 1920 or whenever, 100 years ago, is because our priorities are wrong, but it has nothing to do with exploiting the planet and has everything to do with losing faith in God.” [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. America’s declining happiness stems from misplaced priorities and loss of faith, not environmental exploitation. **In simple terms:** Happiness dropped due to wrong values and lost faith. Key Takeaway Re‑evaluate priorities and restore faith. Themes values faith national happiness priorities spirituality Mood concerned reflective Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy making - community building - personal reflection - education reform Key Concepts cultural critique social psychology religion Questions to Reflect On - What values are currently prioritized? - How can faith be nurtured in a pluralistic society? A Different Perspective Overlooks economic inequality and systemic issues that also affect wellbeing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Faith in god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith-in-god/) [Losing faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/losing-faith/) [Priorities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/priorities/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) ## Related quotes > [“As far as Alistair was concerned, the supposed civilized people of the west had their priorities wrong. They raised meek girls, but he saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-savage/as-far-as-alistair-was-concerned-the-supposed-civilized-people-of-the/) [Vivienne Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-savage/) > [Our priorities are all wrong if we only care about how long people are in prison for, and not what goes on inside them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ash-sarkar/our-priorities-are-all-wrong-if-we-only-care-about-how-long-people/) [Ash Sarkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ash-sarkar/) > [“Having the right priorities in a wrong world will humble you with a journey that only love can sustain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/having-the-right-priorities-in-a-wrong-world-will-humble-you-with-a/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [“If your schedule is unmanageable and overwhelming, it's likely your priorities are in the wrong place.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glynnis-whitwer/if-your-schedule-is-unmanageable-and-overwhelming-it-s-likely-your/) [Glynnis Whitwer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glynnis-whitwer/) > [Stop Losing Faith in God. He is always there for you at all times. Don't blame him for problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/stop-losing-faith-in-god-he-is-always-there-for-you-at-all-times-don/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Most people search for miracles, leaving no stone unturned, but never find them. Therefore, losing faith in God. But miracles are defined all around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/most-people-search-for-miracles-leaving-no-stone-unturned-but-never/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [Losing faith in one's self means losing faith in God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/losing-faith-in-one-s-self-means-losing-faith-in-god/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Happy for America, happy for Europe, perhaps for the world when, on the delivery of Cornwallis's sword to the illustrious, the immortal Washington, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-sampson/happy-for-america-happy-for-europe-perhaps-for-the-world-when-on-the/) [Deborah Sampson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-sampson/) > [I'm happy to represent myself as a black woman in front of America and I'm happy for America to rally behind me and see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-lindsay/i-m-happy-to-represent-myself-as-a-black-woman-in-front-of-america/) [Rachel Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-lindsay/) > [If I added to their pride of America, I am happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/if-i-added-to-their-pride-of-america-i-am-happy/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [“that America will never be happy till she gets clear of foreign dominion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/that-america-will-never-be-happy-till-she-gets-clear-of-foreign/) [Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/) > [The flag stands there waving out to us with joy. The stars in heaven are gleaming with pride back at us. The flowers are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-flag-stands-there-waving-out-to-us-with-joy-the-stars-in-heaven/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Both my parents had never been to New York, so when they got to go out with me for 'Good Morning America,' they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/both-my-parents-had-never-been-to-new-york-so-when-they-got-to-go-out/) [Katelyn Ohashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/) > [“The reason America is in its death-throes is because America has lost moral authority.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/the-reason-america-is-in-its-death-throes-is-because-america-has-lost/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [The reason America is a special nation is because it was founded by people who were first on their knees before they were on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/the-reason-america-is-a-special-nation-is-because-it-was-founded-by/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) ## More by Glenn Beck > [We can't afford any president to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/we-can-t-afford-any-president-to-fail/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [Question with boldness, hold to the truth, and speak without fear,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/question-with-boldness-hold-to-the-truth-and-speak-without-fear/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [“You can hold on to the smallest doubt and take comfort in it, stay in denial and go on with your carefree life, until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/you-can-hold-on-to-the-smallest-doubt-and-take-comfort-in-it-stay-in/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [The president should not be able to make me or you ever worried about what's going to happen in our personal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/the-president-should-not-be-able-to-make-me-or-you-ever-worried-about/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [I was one of the hardest-hitting conservatives on George W. Bush. Republicans didn't like me on George W. Bush. Republicans still don't like me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/i-was-one-of-the-hardest-hitting-conservatives-on-george-w-bush/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [ The hottest year in global \[sic\] history was 1934. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/the-hottest-year-in-global-sic-history-was-1934/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [I have no problem if you want to be a socialist. But for those people who are in the middle, you know, I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/i-have-no-problem-if-you-want-to-be-a-socialist-but-for-those-people/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [Always remember where we come from, how we got here, and Who led us into the warmth of the sunshine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/always-remember-where-we-come-from-how-we-got-here-and-who-led-us/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [Music is the language of the heart, and conservatives always screw it up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/music-is-the-language-of-the-heart-and-conservatives-always-screw-it/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [I am a conservative, but I am not a zombie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/i-am-a-conservative-but-i-am-not-a-zombie/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [I am going to take something I learned over in Israel. Their Independence Day is preceded the 24 hours before with Memorial Day, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/i-am-going-to-take-something-i-learned-over-in-israel-their/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [God thank you for everything you've given us. For the time we have together. And for the miracle of Christmas. Thank you for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/god-thank-you-for-everything-you-ve-given-us-for-the-time-we-have/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [ \[Tyler Perry\] has the luxury of not doing the political stuff, which is really where I want to be as a company. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/tyler-perry-has-the-luxury-of-not-doing-the-political-stuff-which-is/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [“I wondered when exactly I had exchanged my conscience for fearful obedience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/i-wondered-when-exactly-i-had-exchanged-my-conscience-for-fearful/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [“In the Westerville, Ohio, school district, for example, a union contract provision stipulated that a coin flip would be used to determine seniority if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/in-the-westerville-ohio-school-district-for-example-a-union-contract/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) [Explore all 344 Glenn Beck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I contend that the reason why America is not as happy as it was in 1950 or 1920 or whenever, 100 years ago, is because our priorities are wrong, but it has nothing to do with exploiting the planet and has everything to do with losing faith in God.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Glenn Beck" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/i-contend-that-the-reason-why-america-is-not-as-happy-as-it-was-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/i-contend-that-the-reason-why-america-is-not-as-happy-as-it-was-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/825/glenn-beck-872_america_i-contend-that-the-reason-why-america-is_481107.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/825/glenn-beck-872_america_i-contend-that-the-reason-why-america-is_481107.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/825/glenn-beck-872_america_i-contend-that-the-reason-why-america-is_481107.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I contend that the reason why America is not as happy as it was in 1950 or 1920 or whenever, 100 years ago…” — Glenn Beck", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Glenn Beck", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I contend that the reason why...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/i-contend-that-the-reason-why-america-is-not-as-happy-as-it-was-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/i-contend-that-the-reason-why-america-is-not-as-happy-as-it-was-in/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```