Man, do we feel great. Just ask.

Gallup did and they report Friday that "personal satisfaction" is at a 16-year high, 87 percent.



"As 2017 begins, Americans are more satisfied with their personal lives than they have been in a decade. Eighty-seven percent say they are satisfied with their own life, including 57 percent who are very satisfied. Both figures have improved since dipping during the recession and are at or near pre-recession levels," said the polling outfit.

And maybe remarkably in the current political environment, it's Democrats who are feeling better than a year ago.



"The 55 percent of Republicans who are very satisfied today is essentially unchanged from 56 percent a year ago. By contrast, Democrats' personal satisfaction increased from 56 percent in 2016 to 63 percent in 2017," Gallup reported.

But unlike their personal satisfaction, Americans remain concerned about their satisfaction with the direction of the country.

The bottom line, said Gallup:

Americans continue to be satisfied with their personal lives but are dissatisfied with the direction of the country. This is part of a broader pattern in which people typically rate their personal or local situation much better than they do the comparable situation in the country at large. Gallup has noted this pattern in ratings of education, crime and healthcare. Unlike U.S. satisfaction, which has varied widely, Americans' personal satisfaction has been broadly stable over the years. A majority have said they are satisfied with their personal lives since Gallup first asked the question in 1979.

Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner's "Washington Secrets" columnist, can be contacted at pbedard@washingtonexaminer.com