I bet you know what today is: September 11th, 9/11, Patriot’s Day. A day that lives in the collective American consciousness like few events before it. Instead of revisiting the events of that day—the horror and the heroism—I’d like to look at what was born from it: patriotism.

I’m pretty sure America is the best country ever, and I’m proud of it, flaws and all, but I’ve never before looked into the link between patriotism and happiness. Until today, that is. Then I found out several things, such as:

• National pride leads to happiness, more so than racial pride (The Atlantic).
• Belonging to a country brings more joy than belonging to anything or anywhere else (Daily Mail).
• National satisfaction is directly proportional to personal happiness (Live Science).
• Patriotism is a great antidepressant.

However…citizens of wealthy countries base happiness on more than just national pride, FYI.

Regardless, patriotism is a good thing. It encourages people to be selflessness. It encourages unity and togetherness. It encourages an airplane filled with people to sacrifice themselves for the greater good.

Choose Joy.

—A