I'm happy!...

[trekkiedane]

...and it's official

Anyone on the board need some consolation? I'm here, and I'm prepared to read your rants and if you're in dire need for it I may even hug you!

 

[An Officer]

That's interesting. I'm surprised Britain made it so high, considering most of the population is on anti-depressants - but maybe that explains it!

 

[trekkiedane]

That's interesting. I'm surprised Britain made it so high, considering most of the population is on anti-depressants - but maybe that explains it!

Oh, but happy-pills are also very popular here

 

[Adm_Hawthorne]

I'm equally surprised that the US is so high up on the list.

That really surprises me.

Denmark being number doesn't surprise me. The country seems very in tune to its inhabitants.

 

[B.J.]

I don't understand the top 4. How can you be so happy where it's so frickin' *cold*?!?

 

[trekkiedane]

I don't understand the top 4. How can you be so happy where it's so frickin' *cold*?!?

You get to really appreciate the different seasons

 

[Beagleman]

33?? And we're surrounded by countries happier than us... time to invade some of them! (Poland is safe though)

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I'm equally surprised that the US is so high up on the list.

That really surprises me.

Denmark being number doesn't surprise me. The country seems very in tune to its inhabitants.

I'm not too surprised. Despite all our partisan bickering, Americans are optimists at heart.

 

[Kestra]

I don't understand the top 4. How can you be so happy where it's so frickin' *cold*?!?

I'd be happier living somewhere colder!

 

[Peak]

Of course Denmark is happy. There's a lot of beer there..

 

[Adm_Hawthorne]

I'm equally surprised that the US is so high up on the list.

That really surprises me.

Denmark being number doesn't surprise me. The country seems very in tune to its inhabitants.

I'm not too surprised. Despite all our partisan bickering, Americans are optimists at heart.

I definitely feel that people living in the States are taking a downward turn toward pessimism. I don't know if that's just cyclic or if it's more of a perm movement, but it is there.

People are clearly becoming more and more disheartened and disillusioned with their quality of life here, and I could easily see our happiness level moving further down the list within the next 4 years.

In fact, I was expecting us to be closer to 30 than 20 already.

 

[Emher]

Must be a false list, Sweden can not be as high as 4th place. Not that many optimists around here.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I'm equally surprised that the US is so high up on the list.

That really surprises me.

Denmark being number doesn't surprise me. The country seems very in tune to its inhabitants.

I'm not too surprised. Despite all our partisan bickering, Americans are optimists at heart.

I definitely feel that people living in the States are taking a downward turn toward pessimism. I don't know if that's just cyclic or if it's more of a perm movement, but it is there.

People are clearly becoming more and more disheartened and disillusioned with their quality of life here, and I could easily see our happiness level moving further down the list within the next 4 years.

In fact, I was expecting us to be closer to 30 than 20 already.

A lot of it is just the recession. This is the worst economic situation in at least a generation. You're also thinking in short time scales, and I'm thinking in longer ones--many decades. I do not think that, over the long term, our sense of optimism is eroding.

It might, if we experience hard economic times for not just years but decades. But I think it's too early to tell just yet if that's what is happening.

 

[Adm_Hawthorne]

I don't know, RM. Our culture has shifted to a super "instant gratification" society that I can easily see us only taking a couple of more years to slide down that scale.

That which may have taken decades in the past seems to be happening at an exponentially faster rate, attitude wise, in our current social setting in the States.

 

[The Boy Who Cried Worf]

Sorry to be stereotypical, but aren't Scandinavian countries, especially Finland, notorious for high rates of suicide and alcoholism(unless they're happy because they are always drunk)?

 

[Canadave]

Top ten!

 

[scotpens]

Must be a false list, Sweden can not be as high as 4th place. Not that many optimists around here.

I know what you mean. I've seen your country's movies!

 

[trekkiedane]

Of course Denmark is happy. There's a lot of beer there..

And it's cheap! I just bought two cases of the local Giraf Gold for the same price of one case of Duff!

Must be a false list, Sweden can not be as high as 4th place. Not that many optimists around here.

From the article (my emphasis):

"The Scandinavian countries do really well," says Jim Harter, a chief scientist at Gallup, which developed the poll. "One theory why is that they have their basic needs taken care of to a higher degree than other countries. When we look at all the data, those basic needs explain the relationship between income and well-being."

Basically it's about the welfare state... perhaps like this: The Welfare State... Yeah! -looks way more important that way!

Sorry to be stereotypical, but aren't Scandinavian countries, especially Finland, notorious for high rates of suicide and alcoholism(unless they're happy because they are always drunk)?

There's a bit of myth in that, although Finland is rather high in the suicide chart.

Suicide
Alcohol consumption

 

[O'Dib]

I'm guessing a lot of the score is cultural. How likely people are to put on airs for a public poll.