Report: World slightly happier than it used to be
 

This article was in the Daily Sun today (09-11-13): "Report: World slightly happier than it used to be"

Happiest countries:
1. Denmark
2. Norway
3. Switzerland
4. Netherlands
5. Sweden
6. Canada
17. United States

Seventeenth out of more than 150 countries isn't bad, but there's room for improvement. As far as I can tell, they didn't give any clue as to how they went about ranking so many countries. So it's not likely we would know what we need to do to bring about improvement.

1) What do you think we need, as a country, to do to be happier?

2) If they were to rank The Villages separately, where would we be on the list?

3) Do you think The Villages, and other retirement communities like ours, contributed much to our #17 standing?

Note: I have a feeling they used universal health care as part of their ranking system, so most likely this report is biased. And who knows in what other ways it might be biased.

I dunno. I've always heard there are more suicides in Sweden than any other country, yet it's ranked as 5th happiest out of a hundred?

You heard wrong.

Sweeden #44
 

According to Wikipedia, Sweeden is ranked 44 out of 110 countries listed at 11.1 suicides per 100,000 people. For context the USA is ranked 33 at 12 suicides per 100,000 people.

Maybe you were thinking about Greenland, it is #1 and off the charts.

Come to your own conclusions.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...y_suicide_rate

Yes, the first six all have universal health care. No, the AP reported it so there was certainly no bias toward universal health care.

Blondes do have more fun.

I knew that.

Gracie always has the best answer for everything, doesn't she? :bowdown:

how could it be biased? Either they have it or they don't.

I saw that list and there was something weird I seem to remember about the country right ahead of us or right below us, can't remember. It was something like I can't believe they beat us out. Maybe it was Mexico.

How can people be happy in some of the coldest places on earth?

(1.Denmark 2. Norway 3. Switzerland 4. Netherland 5. Sweden 6. Canada)

.

IMHO saying that "the first six having universal health care" in and of itself is not necessarily a good or bad thing and it can be pretty much a moot point if not properly, thoroughly and honestly defined. UHC can be likened to our world's water supplies where the water in one area can be pristine and highly palatable whereas in another it can be chock full of contaminants and hazardous to our health!

...and I do agree with SkyGuy - it is his opinion. Mine falls in the area that universal health care leads to the happier lifestyle.

Come on, everybody finds someone to hate.

Just what I was thinking. You took the words right out of my mouth. Oh and short daylight hours and lack of sunshine.

Or 22 hours of sun in the summertime!!!

Do not forget saunas, blondes, and herring!

Perhaps the first point of order is to gather the details concerning this survey. I would like to know how people were selected, how many people answered the survey, etc. Say 1000 surveys represents 100%. Let's say 300 are returned that's only 33%. What if 10% of those came from the number one country? there are so many built in biases and/or problems with survey's that they wind up being items of amusement.

Besides which you can have people living in the same vicinity and one thinks the world is his oyster the other the world is hell???????????????????

By the way I don't hear of too many people attempting to leave America....unless you consider Ed Snowden. Even Alex Baldwin decided to stay after making outrageous comments

Speaking for a lot of retired Canadians, we are very happy because we spend six months a year in Florida! :MOJE_whot::pepper2:

I'm surprised no one suggested that happiness might be genetic. If we were talking about health in general, someone would have suggested it. I guess mental health doesn't qualify as being genetic? :)

Of course it's genetic. Some "groups" aren't capable of of producing a happy, stable society, other groups are. What is the ONE common thing the "happiest" have in common...and what do the LEAST happiest have in common? Hint: it's not diversity.

I do not know. What is it?

Since we're expressing opinions, mine is that this is a no-brainer. How can knowing that one has access to health care NOT lead to a happier lifestyle? Think of how much less stress and worry there would be in the face of universal health care, not just for oneself but in such contexts as parents for their children, adults for their elderly parents, and so forth. I'm not at all surprised that all the top happiest countries have UHC.... Are there other factors? I'm sure there are, but this is a pretty big and important one.

It appears that while some are insistent on talking up health care, I checked back on the genesis of this report....I found not one word about health care despite some who are attempting to find at least something good....actually,no surprise...from the report a small recap..

"The report shows that, where happiness is measured by how happy people are with their lives:

Happier countries tend to be richer countries. But more important for happiness than income are social factors like the strength of social support, the absence of corruption and the degree of personal freedom.
Over time as living standards have risen, happiness has increased in some countries, but not in others (like for example, the United States). On average, the world has become a little happier in the last 30 years (by 0.14 times the standard deviation of happiness around the world).
Unemployment causes as much unhappiness as bereavement or separation. At work, job security and good relationships do more for job satisfaction than high pay and convenient hours.
Behaving well makes people happier.
Mental health is the biggest single factor affecting happiness in any country. Yet only a quarter of mentally ill people get treatment for their condition in advanced countries and fewer in poorer countries.
Stable family life and enduring marriages are important for the happiness of parents and children.
In advanced countries, women are happier than men, while the position in poorer countries is mixed.
Happiness is lowest in middle age."

First World Happiness Report Launched at the United Nations - The Earth Institute - Columbia University


For the entire 170 page report...

http://www.earth.columbia.edu/sitefi...s%20Report.pdf

AND great Vodka!


.

Gary Owen!

I agree with Twinklesweep. As a Canadian, I definitely feel that "free" healthcare makes us all feel more secure and therefore happier.

Don, it may interest you to know that in 2011, 20% of Canada's population was foreign born. That is the highest proportion among the G8 Countries. The sixth happiest country is proud of it's cultural diversity. :boom:

Perhaps for some but not for others.

We were watching a HGTV show last evening whereby folks see three homes and then decide which one they will purchase.

This particular segment featured an architect, Canadian by birth, and his wife, born in Scotland............now both countries are not considered as ones with abundant sunshine year round.

They were in the process of relocating from San Diego California to Oregon.

Oregon, as we all know, has its share of cloudy days and rain.....being in the Pacific Northwest.

The husband actually said, "I'm looking forward to some cloudy days"......
Both appeared to be tired of the constant sunshine in San Diego.....

Guess it's all what one becomes accustomed to...........they were both very HAPPY and contented to be purchasing a home in cloudy rainy Oregon.

When we were younger and chose to relocate back to Vermont from Florida, we were THRILLED to have the snow back........whereas that wouldn't quite be the case at the moment.

Yet.......each April school vacation we were thrilled to land in Florida and feel that balmy warmth as we stepped off the airplane....

Also, those countries mentioned do have "seasons".......so when one gets tired of one season, there is always the next..........

Happiness Is Not A Constant
 

I have read ever post and did not find this line of reasoning offered.

Perhaps we should consider "time" There are times in out lives when we are happy and times when we are sad depending on what is affecting us.

for instance young married couples just starting out and looking forward to the prospects of a bright and profitable future. The thought of having children and building their careers. Move forward teen age kids are driving you nuts, the corporation isn't living up to its promises to reward you for hard work and loyal service. the neighborhood is going to the dogs.

Move forward your desire for your retirement years is plagued because you didn't save enough, not your fault the economy dropped. Health problems begin to wear on you.....................................

In summary asking the question are you happy depends on at what time of your life it is asked and what your life is at that moment. Further it can be of short duration or long duration. I am miserable when I have a cold and miserable if I am getting a divorce and miserable if my golf game does not meet my expectations I am miserable when my guaranteed health care plan tells me I have no choice but to wait six months for my elective surgery and that my taxes are going up to cover the plan. See nothing is free

Quote:

Originally Posted by Villages PL (Post 743969) This article was in the Daily Sun today (09-11-13): "Report: World slightly happier than it used to be"

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I have a niece and her husband who live in Sweden in a farmhouse. Very serene location.
Surrounded by just pasture type land. No close neighbors.

Both are very contented.......she is in management at I.K.E.A. He also has a good career..........they enjoy getting away into the wilderness camping and so on..........and they also enjoy ice fishing in the winter months.

Denmark is a short hop and skip from their location in southern Sweden. They can go to Renaissance Fairs, etc.

They also are able to travel all over Europe as easily as we are able to fly to Florida from Vermont.......

They have flown to the South Pole to see the penguins (to photograph them); they have traveled in Italy , etc.

I would say that people who live in homogenous type societies are happier than those who live in non homogenous societies. Basically, their outlooks on life, their customs, and so on and so forth...their cultural values, would be similar.......not taking into account generational differences which happen in all societies.

Sweden also is a socialist type country and even university is provided for (higher education).
Sweden was also "ahead" in giving dads paternity leave when a baby was born, etc.

However, it isn't always about medical care............as far as being happy, but that also is provided in Sweden.

I have a friend who was born in Switzerland.......she returns every now and then; however, she chose to raise her children in the U.S. The fact that Switzerland is a neutral country does permit its citizens to not worry about war so much.....at least their participation in it.

Ironically, her American raised daughter has chosen to raise her own family in The Netherlands, where her husband was born...........they also are content there; visited us last summer. She was raised in Vermont.

Vermont used to be a homogenous type state when we first arrived in 1970........however, it has a lot more diversity now.....especially up near the University of Vermont in Burlington on Lake Champlain......they actually have resettled various ethnic groups in Vermont via our U.S. Government resettlement programs.

But, I do recall the "old Vermont" and when it was a homogenous type society with salt of the earth dairy farmers, apple growers, villagers, towns folk whose ancestors had been born and raised here........life was simpler.
People were content with their simple lives based on the changing of the seasons.........once all of us "out of staters" came up wondering why we all couldn't get this or that product.........things began to change. The locals had made do or gone without. They knew how to survive off of their land.
They had simple tastes. I think that says a lot. Plus, they were all alike.


What is happiness? | This Emotional Life
From PBS.org Food for thought. Please click above hyperlink............

Maybe it's what they do to stay warm!

they have 2 things in common
1. nanny states
2. no military to speak of so not involved in world conflicts.
whats not to be happy about?

I've removed my post as well (since the post I quoted and was replying to as being honest, has been removed).

Let's get back on Topic.... World Happiness Index and where various countries rate.

Good post. I hope you didn't mean the part about getting a divorce. I know how sweetly you have always spoken about Mrs. Rubicon and I think of you both as a pair of Sand Hill Cranes.

People are happiest when they feel safe and secure
 

I understand. However, getting back to my original post, I still say homogenous societies who share the same basic backgrounds, ethics, morality, and so on........will be happier.

Our country was built by immigrants from all over the world.....
Doing genealogy for so long.......I totally embrace that fact....
We were the "melting pot" where all could seek freedom to live life as they chose.

However, in the past twenty years or so "diversity" has taken over to the point that we all have to be politically correct at all times. I happen to enjoy people from all cultures.........as do our adult children and their children..........I was referring to the "criminal element" infiltrating our state , selling drugs and hooking kids on drugs.......which becomes a vicious cycle and causes CRIME. A state that once was a utopia can easily be changed by newcomers bearing drugs. Thankfully, our police have good heads on their shoulders and are doing their job.....

People are happiest when they feel SAFE and SECURE....
When they do not feel a need to lock their doors........

Again, please refer to my other post re family members in Sweden and friends from Switzerland and The Netherlands, countries mentioned in the OP....