You Very Well Could be Happier Elsewhere

[furrbear]

"Go where the grass is greener". An old phrase but it just might be true. Researchers have looked at what they call a "subjective well being" index of happy places-nations where the people are happier than other places, and have come up with a list and map of the happier and not so happy places. Top of the world-Denmark. The criteria is not necessarily all about how wealthy or not the nation is either. Some wealthier nations did not score very well at all.

..."Which particular out there makes a huge difference in your happiness level. National levels of contentment vary widely, from the morose Moldavians to the chronically cheerful Danes. Happiness, it turns out, is like oil. Some countries are awash in it; others are bone dry." ...more, at least we still have some choice, there

Here is the paper and map from the study: Subjective Well Being

Comments

It's always something.

[allanh.livejournal.com]

Randy and I had a long discussion on this subject (not having seen the article you're referencing), in which we realized that we seem to make friends with local merchants and neighbors anywhere we live. Even going out of town to somewhere like Dallas (Arlington and Hurst) or Vancouver BC for a week or so, we manage to find people who are friendly and treat us well.

This led us to the conclusion that home really IS where you choose to make it. If someone isn't happy in place A, moving to place B may be a factor in increasing happiness, but I don't believe it will be a lasting happiness unless the person gotten happier on their own (drugs, therapy, better job, etc.).

Re: It's always something.

[furrbear.livejournal.com]

Dave is guilty of wanting to move somewhere else to be happier, but I always tell him, "We can move, but you won't be happy. You can't move somewhere to be happy unless you can be happy where you already are."