Unhappy?
Maybe you’re not in the right country!
1 If you’re not feeling
as happy as you’d like,
maybe you should
consider moving to
another country –
like Denmark, for
example. According
to social psychologist
Adrian White, who analyzed data and surveys of
80,000 people in 178 countries, Denmark is the
happiest nation in the world, closely followed by
its northern European neighbors Finland, Norway,
and the Netherlands.
2 Not surprisingly, perhaps, the happiest countries
are also the healthiest and wealthiest and those
that provide their citizens with a good level of
education. People may pay high taxes in these
countries, but they are rewarded with other
benefits such as shorter work weeks, as well as
more vacation time. All of these contribute to
a general sense of well-being. Size also matters.
Smaller countries, which have a strong sense
of national identity and social cohesion, rate
better in terms of happiness than countries
with larger populations.
3 While the governments of many countries seek
to increase wealth and prosperity for their
citizens, at least one government has made its
citizens’ happiness a priority. In Bhutan, a tiny
country between China and India, happiness is
part of government policy. Instead of measuring
GNP (Gross National Product), Bhutan measures
GNH (Gross National Happiness). Their rationale
is that by putting a high value on health,
education, and general well-being, citizens’
lives will be improved in ways that enrich their
nation’s environment and culture. The program
seems to be working: 19 percent of Bhutan’s
inhabitants live below the poverty level, yet only
4 percent of the population claim to be unhappy.
4 There could well be lessons here for other
governments hoping to improve both their GNP
and GNH. Happier people tend to be more
productive, leading to greater economic wealth.
Moreover, they are often healthier, resulting
in lower spending on health care. Ideas for
producing happier citizens might include reducing
unemployment – a major cause of unhappiness –
improving parenting skills to create happier families,
and finding ways to stimulate kindness toward
others, which is known to make both the givers
and receivers happier. In Japan, for example,
“community credit” programs encourage couples
who live too far from their aging parents to “adopt”
an elderly person locally to care for. By doing this,
they can earn credits that their own parents can use
to “buy” similar volunteer care in their own
neighborhoods. Governments adopting such
programs might well see both the happiness and
wealth of their nations improve.
5 Of course, neither relocating to a new country
nor waiting for new government policies may
be the best way to guarantee your future
happiness. Fortunately, however, researchers
are coming to the conclusion that the main
ingredient for a happy life is love. And that’s
something that no government can help
you with.