Sweden is ranked as number 7. Are we the seventh happiest people in the world?! Hell no! This is mainly based on health and wealth. Healthy is not necessarily the same as happy in my book.
I think that measuring "average happiness" of a country is basically impossible. I take this survey as just a bit of fun.
On the other hand, I do think health is important (the surveyors did not say wealth is important) as I can't think of anything more miserable than having one's children die in infancy as happens in many poor countries.
Originally posted by rtpm: I think that measuring "average happiness" of a country is basically impossible. I take this survey as just a bit of fun.
On the other hand, I do think health is important (the surveyors did not say wealth is important) as I can't think of anything more miserable than having one's children die in infancy as happens in many poor countries.
Yes 'a bit of fun' was the way I saw it too - despite the fact that the researchers were, I think, quite serious about their study!
Annika was right about the Swedish result I 'think' - how can a people who often live in almost total darkness for part of their year be classifed as the seventh most 'happy' people of those surveyed? Carole B.
One of the things about 'happinesss' is ones status with regard to other people. I haven't seen the survey but often the unhappiest people are those where they perceive inequality in their own society. Perhaps in Sweden the fact that it's a very equal society by world standards, and they're all in the dark together!
Posts: 719 | Location (City & State): Valle d'Aosta | Registered: 24 November 2005
This is a very interesting survey. I wonder if it takes into account how many people are on antidepressants. That is probably why the US ranks 23. You wouldn't believe all the young girls my daughter knows (20's) who are on antidepressants....they just falsely think they're happy. I noticed Ireland ranked 11...maybe that's because they hit the sauce more!!!
I agree that health is definitely more important then wealth. If you aren't healthy enough to enjoy your wealth, then what good is that?
Mani - I totally agree with you on that one. Doesn't take much to make me happy...me/family sipping wine in Italy...that's all!
Posts: 572 | Location (City & State): North Carolina | Registered: 29 June 2004
Originally posted by suefischio: One of the things about 'happinesss' is ones status with regard to other people. I haven't seen the survey but often the unhappiest people are those where they perceive inequality in their own society. Perhaps in Sweden the fact that it's a very equal society by world standards, and they're all in the dark together!
The survey is linked on my first post here Sue....
What startled me most was the average lifespan in many places. I saw many countries where the people live on average about 40 years. I'm presuming it's the AIDS epidemic taking all the young folks. Italy's lifespan is twice that. We take life for granted while others never have a chance.
Originally posted by mani doro: What startled me most was the average lifespan in many places. I saw many countries where the people live on average about 40 years. I'm presuming it's the AIDS epidemic taking all the young folks. Italy's lifespan is twice that. We take life for granted while others never have a chance.
Yes exactly. Actually I think the life expectancy of 40 is often the result simply of war, disease, bad nutrition etc. not just AIDS. I think its all very well to talk about the fine gradations of perceived happiness between different rich countries (Sweden, Italy, the US etc) but just imagine if you lived in a country where your children died in infancy, there is not enough food and people are all dying of AIDS. A bit of darkness in the winter and being forced to eat lutefisk would pale in comparison with that.
Ugh- I realise that the survey was meant to be a light hearted bit of fun - sorry about taking it seriously.
I think the premise is weird and flawed. Some very ignorant people are content to be so, some are smug about it, some even arrogant. Many of those people plan one trip for a whole lifetime to something like the Grand Canyon or Disneyworld, or insert something closer to a different country. They tend not to think very much about things that do not impinge on their daily round in a way that is immediate and evident. They are probably self-proclaimed "happy." Some people are more awake and take war, disease and disaster that happens elsewhere as pertinent to themselves because eventually anything that happens is important to everyone in some way. I think they may be happy at times and discontent at others. Then there are those who dedicate themselves to something so thoroughly (I think of PETA here) that because they have so little control over the world they must be discontent all the time and are often contentious and hard to bear. Since everyplace has some of each, the questions would have to be in the thousands to get a result that would stand up to the least discriminating eye. I am pretty happy, although I do not have Bill's idyllic situation. I am not in the first group, nor the last, so maybe I'm in the middle with almost every one of you. If I were Swedish I'd have wilted away by now from the dark. BTW, prosecco also works.
Originally posted by Judith in Umbria: If I were Swedish I'd have wilted away by now from the dark. BTW, prosecco also works.
You need to get out there with your cross-country skis, get the endorphins going and then when home have a hot bath and jump under a warm duvet with the person of your choice or a good book. With a Valdobbiadene prosecco, of course.
Posts: 719 | Location (City & State): Valle d'Aosta | Registered: 24 November 2005
Originally posted by Judith in Umbria: If I were Swedish I'd have wilted away by now from the dark. BTW, prosecco also works.
You need to get out there with your cross-country skis, get the endorphins going and then when home have a hot bath and jump under a warm duvet with the person of your choice or a good book. With a Valdobbiadene prosecco, of course.
What about a nice sauna followed by a roll in the snow (also with person of your choice! ) followed by some nice aquavit!
Yup, that's one good thing about Sweden. I'm not far enough north to have sun 24 hours in the mid summer, but close enough - or how about sunset late at night and sunrise at 3? In between, it's still not dark. The sky is bright, it's just that you can't see the sun.
However, I'd gladly trade some of those sun hours in the summer for a few more in the winter, when the sun rises at 9 and sets at 3. That's no fun. I still have to sleep during those light summer nights, so it might as well be dark. Btw, lots of people find it hard to sleep during the summers because of the light.
It's heartening to see that there are at least two ladies with faith that there is choice and that the chosen would be caught dead on skis and in bed or a snowbank. Given reality, I think I choose Pantelleria-- Italian and long summer season.
about how badly 'the World and his wife' treat me - I wouldn't go as far as actually saying I was unhappy. 
How about you?
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) followed by some nice aquavit! 
