World\'s happiest countries

[ILuvHyd]

Does money buys happiness? Yes and no. See the latest research report from business week on their rankings of World's happiest countries.

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/10/happiest_countries/index_01.htm?chan=rss_topSlideShows_ssi_5

Surprised to see Bhutan at Rank 8 with Life Expectancy at 55 years and GDP Per Capita: $1,400 and US at Rank 23

[jay62728]

Does money buys happiness? Yes and no. See the latest research report from business week on their rankings of World's happiest countries.

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/10/happiest_countries/index_01.htm?chan=rss_topSlideShows_ssi_5

Surprised to see Bhutan at Rank 8 with Life Expectancy at 55 years and GDP Per Capita: $1,400 and US at Rank 23[/quote]


I posted the following message in another thread. I am posting it here again.
“Indians’ optimism has a lot to do with their economy….. But even though Indians are the happiest, the numbers of those satisfied aren’t very high.
In Europe, most young people seek a good living environment above all and work-related aspects in life are relatively less important. But the priorities of Indian youth and young people in other “new economies” are different--for them, work, a good career and a position with high status are what matters”.
http://www.forbes.com/2007/09/22/ind...acescan02.html

When people mature, their priority changes. Most of the young Indians are now too much obsessed with money (and to some extent, power) and that’s the main reason they are the most optimistic people in the world.
At initial days they confuse “optimism” as “happiness”. As they grow older, many of them will realize what they have done and what ought to be done for their own happiness. Earlier you get that exposure to money, easier it will be for you to realize that. That’s one of the reasons people in western countries have different aspiration from life as compared to Indians and Chinese.

Have you seen the movie, “Paheli”? It’s a nice movie, made for common Indians, particularly for a section of Indian community. It totally missed its target audience but appreciated by many people (naturally it's a "floof" movie).

In short, it’s very tough to be happy yourself without others being happy. Even many great saints became very unhappy during later part of their lives (e.g. Vivekananda). Neither traditional religion nor power or money can bring that seemingly alluding “mokhsa” to anyone, at any time.

We also have economic and political reasons for that as well. Let others point that out :)


"Happiness quotient" is a nice concept many west European nations have introduced lately to measure development and prosperity of their country (rather than using only GDP or par capita income type of monetary parameters).

[jay62728]

The Economics of Happiness: http://gmj.gallup.com/content/103549/Economics-Happiness.aspx

(Interesting article from International Herald Tribune) Happiness quotient absent from trade talks: "Does trade make people happier? After all, economics is a science whose underlying models are entirely devoted to finding ways of increasing happiness. Yet somehow, along the way, economists and others began using income, possessions and other material measures as shorthand for good feelings.": http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/05/01/news/glob02.php

[Desi]

Does money buys happiness? Yes and no. See the latest research report from business week on their rankings of World's happiest countries.

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/10/happiest_countries/index_01.htm?chan=rss_topSlideShows_ssi_5

Surprised to see Bhutan at Rank 8 with Life Expectancy at 55 years and GDP Per Capita: $1,400 and US at Rank 23[/quote]

A fly sitting on a heap of cowdung is perfectly happy, but if that is all it wants from life then more power to the cows.

What is happiness? A feeling of being content? If that feeling comes from less exposure and awareness of what could be, then is that the happiness we want? If so, then let us all migrate to Bhutan.

[jay62728]

A fly sitting on a heap of cowdung is perfectly happy, but if that is all it wants from life then more power to the cows.

What is happiness? A feeling of being content? If that feeling comes from less exposure and awareness of what could be, then is that the happiness we want? If so, then let us all migrate to Bhutan.[/quote]

Sometimes we stop learning from nature. Sometimes flies show more intelligence and maturity than many of us, so far happiness is concerned.

[Desi_by_Nature]

I was watching a TV program on this a few days ago ..basically the topic of dicsussion was that some study had found that homelss people on the streets/slums of Calcutta (who actually have no access to food, water, shelter) are much more happier than homeless people in Los Angeles (who still manage to get food and shelter with help from the city).

The study pointed out that homeless people in Calcutta live in a close knit communities and take care of each other inspite of their conditions ...whereas in the US just like every other community, homeless people don't have a sense of community.

Perhaps people are much more happier in places places where family and social bonds are stronger - and maybe that's why so many of us are keen to R2I inspite of the much better standard of living in the US.

[Desi_by_Nature]

Actually i just found the link to the abstract of the study that I mentioned in the previous post.
Here it is:

http://www.springerlink.com/content/n5221p52wh16n046/

[Going_nowhere]

Happiness is a state of mind. If you can maintain that state of mind for a longer time every day, then you're happy.


If you get rid of all possessions (emotional, material, etc), then you get to a situation where you have nothing to lose. In that situation, "shani bhi tumhaara kuch nahin bigaad sakta". :)

[jay62728]

Actually i just found the link to the abstract of the study that I mentioned in the previous post.
Here it is:

http://www.springerlink.com/content/n5221p52wh16n046/[/quote]
Thanks DBN. I enjoyed the article. Just a minor change; The report compares with Portland (Oregon), not LA.

ABSTRACT: The current study assessed the subjective well-being of a broad spectrum of homeless people. One-hundred-and-eighty-six homeless people from the streets of Calcutta (India), California, and a tent camp in Portland (Oregon) were interviewed, and responded to measures of subjective well-being. They answered questions about life satisfaction, satisfaction with various life domains, and their experience of positive and negative emotions. The mean rating of life satisfaction was slightly negative for both American samples but positive for the pavement dwellers in Calcutta. Satisfaction with self-related domains was positive, whereas satisfaction with material related domains was generally negative. Satisfaction with social domains appears to be the area of largest variation among the groups. We discuss the importance of social factors and basic material needs as they relate to overall subjective well-being of the homeless.

[Desi_by_Nature]

Thanks DBN. I enjoyed the article. Just a minor change; The report compares with Portland (Oregon), not LA.
[/quote]

Well a part of survey was conducted in California ....i think in the TV discussion they specifically mentioned it being done in LA.
Anyway I was suprised to learn that the homeless and impoverished in India are actually more happier than the homeless in the US.
Unfortunately i don't have the entire article ..i guess it needs to be purchased from Springer.