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11/08/2008 03:55:11 PM · #26 |
| From the research I just did, most of the countries listed have much higer rates of suicide and alcoholism per capita than the United States. |
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11/08/2008 04:15:37 PM · #27 |
Originally posted by rodneyg:
From the research I just did, most of the countries listed have much higer rates of suicide and alcoholism per capita than the United States. |
Very interesting... and thanks for sharing. Is it published yet? |
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11/08/2008 04:17:41 PM · #28 |
Originally posted by ambaker:
The whole deal still seems subjective. The author of the study picked criteria the author deemed applicable to finding the happiest country. When one of the "happiest" countries happens to have a government that is quite strict, and restrictive of development, outside influence, and whatever else they want to restrict, it seems to me that the author of the study did not value personal freedom very highly. |
Freedom has little to do with happiness in some cases. People who live by deeply strict religious codes can be plenty happy. If it's what they know and how they were raised they may have no issues (even though we think they should). Our freedoms are irrelevant to the way they willingly live their lives. I assume there are billions of people on the globe who don't believe in free will and more who believe in it but with limitation.
Originally posted by rodneyg:
From the research I just did, most of the countries listed have much higer rates of suicide and alcoholism per capita than the United States. |
From what I understand a few studies over the years have shown the rate of alcoholism and suicide being partially attributed to the longer periods of darkness during the winter that causes severe depression in some. So I'll assume there's an odd skew given that fact/theory.
Message edited by author 2008-11-08 16:24:48. |
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11/08/2008 04:21:23 PM · #29 |
Originally posted by pawdrix:
From what I understand a few studies over the years have shown the rate of alcoholism and suicide being partially attributed to the longer periods of darkness during the winter that causes severe depression in some. So I'll assume there's an odd skew given that fact/theory. |
I can tell you that Canadian Winters take their toll. Suicide rates her go off the charts during many winters. |
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11/08/2008 04:36:21 PM · #30 |
Originally posted by K10DGuy:
Originally posted by pawdrix:
From what I understand a few studies over the years have shown the rate of alcoholism and suicide being partially attributed to the longer periods of darkness during the winter that causes severe depression in some. So I'll assume there's an odd skew given that fact/theory. |
I can tell you that Canadian Winters take their toll. Suicide rates her go off the charts during many winters. |
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), "cabin fever" where the weather restricts activities, the illnesses that abound when folks are shut in together... |
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11/08/2008 04:37:30 PM · #31 |
Originally posted by BeeCee:
Originally posted by K10DGuy:
Originally posted by pawdrix:
From what I understand a few studies over the years have shown the rate of alcoholism and suicide being partially attributed to the longer periods of darkness during the winter that causes severe depression in some. So I'll assume there's an odd skew given that fact/theory. |
I can tell you that Canadian Winters take their toll. Suicide rates her go off the charts during many winters. |
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), "cabin fever" where the weather restricts activities, the illnesses that abound when folks are shut in together... |
ahhh, cabin fever. I know it well. With 3 kids aged 1 to 4, I'm dreading the coming winter. lol. |
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11/08/2008 05:04:19 PM · #32 |
Originally posted by Prash:
Originally posted by kolasi:
[KNowing that me, my family and my fellow citizens are guaranteed excellent health care, free high quality education, and countless other benefits...well, that would be good enough for me.
I think that there is some transparency in the way the govt handles money in these countries, people have a sence that thier money is going to the right places, and not in the pockets of a few, or to pay for sensless wars..etc |
It is nice to hear your opinion.. and hopefully this is not because you dont like U.S.:=)
Thanks for sharing. |
I was born in the US!
why would wanting to have taxes go back to people paying them imply that i dont like the US?!?!? |
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11/08/2008 05:31:05 PM · #33 |
Originally posted by ambaker:
I could publish a study that says the United States is the happiest country on earth, because we have Disneyland and Disney World, the two happiest places on earth. Next would come France and Japan, because they only have one Disney park each. It would be obvious to just about everyone except Disney investors, and perhaps some Disney employees, that my study was flawed.
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Remember that Denmark does have one Legoland. Perhaps not as happy in absolute terms as one Disneyland - but counted per capita, Legoland and Denmark wins :)
Other sources of the Danish happiness may be found in Carlsberg and Tuborg.
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11/08/2008 06:10:18 PM · #34 |
Originally posted by johst582:
Originally posted by ambaker:
I could publish a study that says the United States is the happiest country on earth, because we have Disneyland and Disney World, the two happiest places on earth. Next would come France and Japan, because they only have one Disney park each. It would be obvious to just about everyone except Disney investors, and perhaps some Disney employees, that my study was flawed.
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Remember that Denmark does have one Legoland. Perhaps not as happy in absolute terms as one Disneyland - but counted per capita, Legoland and Denmark wins :)
Other sources of the Danish happiness may be found in Carlsberg and Tuborg. |
My theory is that after Hamlet, the Danish people said, "Well it can't get any bloody worse than that." and have been living in a relative state of bliss ever since. |
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11/08/2008 07:15:39 PM · #35 |
Originally posted by K10DGuy:
Originally posted by pawdrix:
From what I understand a few studies over the years have shown the rate of alcoholism and suicide being partially attributed to the longer periods of darkness during the winter that causes severe depression in some. So I'll assume there's an odd skew given that fact/theory. |
I can tell you that Canadian Winters take their toll. Suicide rates her go off the charts during many winters. |
USA/Canadian suicide rates are almost identical
//www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/country_reports/en/index.html
though northern European countries is double that
& Bahamas is one third .... (no data on the others..)
alcohol related illnesses: northern European countries are also higher than usa & canada
(from the same site)
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11/08/2008 07:23:33 PM · #36 |
Originally posted by PapaBob:
Unfortunatly goverments have a poor record of providing good services at effective costs. |
And you base this statement on what? The notion that government services are inherently inferior to ones provided by for profit companies is a belief held as an article of faith by many Americans, but it is not the common belief in countries where the government provides services such as health care or housing.
In the US we spend a great deal of our money on the military and roadways. They are both very good.
Our medical care is very good, run for profit (mostly) and just about half of Americans have access to it.
A few years ago there was a movement to get Social Security money out into the private sector to earn more, thank goodness that didn't go through or folks who depend on Social Security would be living on the street today.
The goal private sector companies is to maximize profit for shareholders, the goal of government run institutions is to provide the best service they can for the most people. Different metrics of success will produce goals.
Part of what makes the average American less happy than they might otherwise be is the notion that they are being done wrong, by their government, by folks that are freeloading off their hardwork. This sense of being the victim of other people's vile scheme makes people unhappy. Don't worry, be happy. |
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11/09/2008 12:30:21 AM · #37 |
Here is a map of world happiness which is set in the same context that the list is from.
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11/09/2008 12:43:59 AM · #38 |
I think happiness has a lot less to do with money or gov't than it does with simple attitude.
If someone is used to method A and you suddenly switched to method B people are going to be unhappy.
But if someone is raised entirely with method B they wont know to be unhappy about it.
They adapt and develope a sence of comfort that makes them happy.
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11/09/2008 12:44:36 AM · #39 |
Over the past 30 years, in survey after survey, this nation of five and a half million people, the land that produced Hans Christian Andersen, the people who consume herring by the ton, consistently beat the rest of the world in the happiness stakes. It's hard to figure: the weather is only so-so, they are heavy drinkers and smokers, their neighbors, the Norwegians, are richer, and their other neighbors, the Swedes, are healthier. So what makes a Dane so happy and why isn't he wallowing in misery and self-doubt like so many of the rest of us?
That's a question that also intrigued Professor Kaare Christensen at the University of Southern Denmark.
"If you ask people on the street where they think the happiest country in the world, they'll say, you know, like, tropical islands and nice places, like Italy or Spain. Places with nice weather and good food. But in Europe, they're actually the most unhappy people," Dr. Christensen explains.
So Christensen and a team of researchers tried to discover just why Denmark finds itself on top of the happiness heap.
"We made fun of it by suggesting it could be because blondes have more fun. But then we could prove that the Swedes have more blondes than the Danes, and they were not as happy. So we tested different hypotheses," Christensen says.
After careful study, Christensen thinks he isolated the key to Danish anti-depression. "What we basically figured out that although the Danes were very happy with their life, when we looked at their expectations they were pretty modest," he says.
By having low expectations, one is rarely disappointed.
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Here is a link to the original article.
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11/09/2008 02:47:44 AM · #40 |
Bhutan on your list is probably the most interesting, which follows a policy of "Gross National Happiness"...although I hear younger generations are becoming uneasy and more and more curious...still though refreshing to see a things from a different perspective
Check the link below and look through the photo stream, pretty interesting...
Bhutan photostream and commentary
Edit to add this: "Bhutan was the last nation in the world to introduce television in 1999. Recently they banned a number of channels including international wrestling and MTV, which they felt did little to promote happiness." Ha Ha!
Message edited by author 2008-11-09 02:50:12. |
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11/09/2008 04:02:31 AM · #41 |
Originally posted by BrennanOB:
Our medical care is very good, run for profit (mostly) and just about half of Americans have access to it.
The goal private sector companies is to maximize profit for shareholders, the goal of government run institutions is to provide the best service they can for the most people. Different metrics of success will produce goals.
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Just don't get sick if you're in the other half.
US health insurance companies exist to maximize profits, they do this by not accepting anyone who might actually need their insurance, denying the claims of the seriously ill, canceling coverage should one become ill etc. |
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11/09/2008 04:30:41 AM · #42 |
Originally posted by MattO:
I would question any source that states 100% of anything.
If you or anyone else can tell me that any nation, country, continent, or even community has a 100% Literacy rate, well lets just say I'd do things in public that would make you blush.
Matt |
I think DPC has a 100% literacy rate (applying would be damn hard without it). I am also pretty sure that the community where I work has a 100% literacy rate as well. But I guess you mean a geographical community. And even then, I think that in my country, communities exist with a literacy rate over 99,5%, which boils down to 100% when rounded. :)
OT: Nordic countries always score high in these happiness rating. A topic like this goes to show that it's pretty hard for Americans to accept that people outside the best country in the world can be happier than they are. You guys are just plai jealous. ;)
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11/11/2008 02:36:18 AM · #43 |
Originally posted by Prash:
Originally posted by Azrifel:
Originally posted by kenskid:
What country has the highest tax rate?
Denmark has the highest income tax rate, with its top-taxed citizens paying 68% of their hard-earned crowns. [b]The basic tax rate begins at 42%[/b].
Source: Guiness World Records
****Can you even imagine paying 42% to 68% income tax?**** |
I can and I do. :) |
Kudos, Sander!
I am curious. Do you ever wish you lived in a country like U.S. where taxes are much lower (relatively)? Or are you happy with a bit more that the government does for you in return for high taxes? |
I was away for a few days, feeling very happy in Germany with my friends, so a late reply. :)
10 years ago I seriously considered moving to the US or Cananda, but that was not because of taxes. At that moment I absolutely did not know what I liked and did not appreciate my country at all. Some years of serious thinking later I decided to stay here.
Paying less taxes would be very nice. Some taxes I consider debateable, like the Holland specific (but also in Denmark I believe) 30-40% eco-tax on cars, while I already pay 60% extra tax on fuel for the same reason. But in general the high taxes and what I get in return indeed make me happy.
We have a good healthcare system, good social services when I get sick or loose my job (get fired, not when I quit myself), good equal for everyone education systems, good attention to environmental issues, safety, roads, public transport, good pension systems, decent daycare etc.
I don't have to worry about these issues, so I can concentrate on my direct personal issues.
For sure I bitch and moan about taxes, government spending, etc. But in general paying 50% is not so bad for what we get in return. It is maybe the allocation of the money that most irritates me. But that is why we too can vote on one of the 30 parties in the next elections. :)
The only thing that makes me unhappy in this country at the moment is not financial related but our stupid immigration laws that stop me from living with my wife. She is the only reason why I consider moving away to another country with less tax but an absolutely non-existing social system. That being the former Soviet Union. Well, in one year I think she can be with me and then I will be really happy. :)
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11/11/2008 02:39:46 AM · #44 |
Originally posted by pawdrix:
Originally posted by Azrifel:
Originally posted by kenskid:
What country has the highest tax rate?
Denmark has the highest income tax rate, with its top-taxed citizens paying 68% of their hard-earned crowns. [b]The basic tax rate begins at 42%[/b].
Source: Guiness World Records
****Can you even imagine paying 42% to 68% income tax?**** |
I can and I do. :) |
...but you're happy. Right?
There needs to be a taxes to happiness ratio.
I think in well run country that provides good services at a relatively high tax rate will have happier people than those countries with low tax rates and less service. |
I am happy indeed. Good services and huge freedom for everyone of any race, religion and sexual orientation. Many happy people. :) You know our country.
But I think that the happiness is unmeasurable. When you don't know what you miss, you cannot be unhappy about it right?
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11/11/2008 02:43:29 AM · #45 |
Originally posted by Camabs:
Originally posted by MattO:
I would question any source that states 100% of anything.
If you or anyone else can tell me that any nation, country, continent, or even community has a 100% Literacy rate, well lets just say I'd do things in public that would make you blush.
Matt |
I think DPC has a 100% literacy rate (applying would be damn hard without it). I am also pretty sure that the community where I work has a 100% literacy rate as well. But I guess you mean a geographical community. And even then, I think that in my country, communities exist with a literacy rate over 99,5%, which boils down to 100% when rounded. :) |
In the Nordic countries and Western Europe you have educational equality. The educational systems are very good and everyone has equal access to them. And huge extra free support for the children who struggle, be it educational, financially or medically.
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11/11/2008 02:45:56 AM · #46 |
Originally posted by BrennanOB:
Our medical care is very good, run for profit (mostly) and just about half of Americans have access to it. |
That might make the other half feel pretty miserable now won't it?
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11/11/2008 07:30:16 AM · #47 |
Originally posted by Azrifel:
[quote=pawdrix]
...but you're happy. Right?
I am happy indeed. Good services and huge freedom for everyone of any race, religion and sexual orientation. Many happy people. :) You know our country.
But I think that the happiness is unmeasurable. When you don't know what you miss, you cannot be unhappy about it right? |
"You know our country."
Sure I do. I was an Honorary Dutchman up until "the incident" when I did a little naked dance on the corner of Damrak and Dam. Let's just say It didn't go over too well but I still love Holland. |
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11/11/2008 08:07:46 AM · #48 |
Originally posted by Camabs:
OT: Nordic countries always score high in these happiness rating. A topic like this goes to show that it's pretty hard for Americans to accept that people outside the best country in the world can be happier than they are. You guys are just plai jealous. ;) |
However, saying that (and I am being serious here for once) I read that the Scandinavian(Nordic) countries also have some of the highest rates of suicide in the world. So surely all the happy people are still alive, and the unhappy kill themselves, thus leaving those performing the survey to say "Yes, most of the people living in these countries are very happy" obviously not counting those very unhappy ones who topped themselves. food for thought?
Ah, here is the list from the World Health Organisation.. It would be good to see how the happiest nations compare to the ones with highest rates of suicide.. and at a glance there are a number of Scandinavian countries in there (Sweden, Denmark, Finalnd, Mexico etc..)
Message edited by author 2008-11-11 08:08:05. |
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11/11/2008 08:13:38 AM · #49 |
IGNORE THIS IS YOU LIKE< WAS DISCUSSED EARLIER.. sorry.
Originally posted by Simms:
Originally posted by Camabs:
OT: Nordic countries always score high in these happiness rating. A topic like this goes to show that it's pretty hard for Americans to accept that people outside the best country in the world can be happier than they are. You guys are just plai jealous. ;) |
However, saying that (and I am being serious here for once) I read that the Scandinavian(Nordic) countries also have some of the highest rates of suicide in the world. So surely all the happy people are still alive, and the unhappy kill themselves, thus leaving those performing the survey to say "Yes, most of the people living in these countries are very happy" obviously not counting those very unhappy ones who topped themselves. food for thought?
Ah, here is the list from the World Health Organisation.. It would be good to see how the happiest nations compare to the ones with highest rates of suicide.. and at a glance there are a number of Scandinavian countries in there (Sweden, Denmark, Finalnd, Mexico etc..) |
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11/11/2008 09:35:12 AM · #50 |
| ... and posting twice, 6 minutes apart, serves what purpose? |
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