How do you measure happiness? A difficult question; but even more challenging, How do you define happiness? Sometimes I think in terms of my personal emotional status (Am I happy today?) At other times I think of happiness as a broader evaluation (Am I happy with my life as a whole?) Authors of a United Nations sponsored report account for both meanings of happiness. Their primary assessment tool includes six variables: social support, freedom to make life choices, generosity, GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy at birth, and perceptions of corruption.
The United States came in 17th overall, just behind Mexico and ahead of Ireland. Britain finished in 22nd place, Russia in 68th, China 93rd and Iraq 105th. War-torn Syria came in an unsurprising 148th, while a handful of West Africa countries seemed to be the unhappiest of all, with Benin at 155th and neighboring Togo bringing up the rear at 156th.
Denmark is the happiest country in the world, followed by Norway, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Sweden.
According to the report, there are some common themes in the happiest places, including:
1. It (mostly) pays to be rich.
Money may not buy happiness, but it sure doesn't hurt. Happy places are usually expensive places to live.
2. More money means more problems.
The author warns that the advertising industry is preying on our weaknesses and urges, thereby making us less happy. Stress and disillusionment may explain why the overall happpiness figures for the industrialized West have been declining, while countries in developing regions such as Latin America and sub-Sahara Africa have been becoming happier overall.
3. Nice weather doesn't correlate to happiness.
With the lone exception of Australia (No. 10), all of the world's top ten happiest countries have long, bleak winters. Iceland (No. 9) barely sees the sun at all.
4. Happy people ride bicycles - by choice.
Denmark and the Netherlands (No. 1 and No. 4 on the list) are renowned for being the most bicycle-friendly nations. To be sure, the remark of a Chinese interviewee reflects the attitude of many people, wherever their country ranks, "I'd rather cry in a BMW than laugh on a bicycle."
What makes you happy? What are the primary factors which affect your happiness? With whom would you be willing to change places? What can you do (with others) to raise the overall happiness in your community? Do not ignore these questions. Some unhappy people become terrorists. Some simply live lives that are irritable, moody, lacking in gratitude - and very unhappy.
based on material from The World Happiness Report
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