# Nearly all Americans see a moderately happy life as normal, not a failure

Canonical page: https://data.verasight.io/culture/nearly-all-americans-see-a-moderately-happy-life-as-normal-not-a-failure/

> Indexed question in Culture.

## Reading

In a May 2026 Verasight survey, nearly all Americans (92%) regard a moderately happy life as ordinary rather than a shortfall, calling it normal and common.

Just 8% take the opposite view, that such a life is a failure and problematic.

## Topline

Living a moderately happy life is:

Nearly all Americans see a moderately happy life as normal, not a failure.

- ... normal and common.: 92.0%
- ...a failure and problematic.: 8.0%

## Methodology

- Mode: Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
- Population: US adults age 18+
- Field dates: 2026-05-11 → 2026-05-11
- Base (unweighted): 1,000
- Margin of error: +/- 3.3%
- Module: society
- Sponsor: Verasight
- Weight variable: weight
- Weighting targets: age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status

## Source

- Canonical question URL: [https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26#q-5.18](https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26#q-5.18)

## Citation

Verasight SPSP Omnibus Survey #2026-045, fielded May 11-11, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.3%.

Canonical question URL: [https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26#q-5.18](https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26#q-5.18)