The happiest nations in the world

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

11/11/2008 10:32:15 AM · #55

Originally posted by Prash:

By having low expectations, one is rarely disappointed.

And by having the opposite ("Maybe I'll win the lottery this week!") one often is ...

Message edited by author 2008-11-11 10:32:36.

11/11/2008 12:01:55 PM · #56

Originally posted by GeneralE:

Originally posted by Prash:
By having low expectations, one is rarely disappointed.

And by having the opposite ("Maybe I'll win the lottery this week!") one often is ...

:-)

11/11/2008 12:14:25 PM · #57

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..)

You know what, your theory may in fact be right.... that unhappy people quit (suicide) and so what remains is a group of happy ones then.

However, it is hard to believe that everyone who is tad unhappy commits suicide... there is gotta be some of them who are unhappy, but (fortunately) not brave enough to end their own life.

OTOH, it is possible that the countries with high suicide rate have lower quality mental health care as compared to the U.S. say... so people who manage their 'unhappiness' better here in the U.S. tend to stay neutral at worst but not suicidal (generally speaking).

Any thoughts on this theory? It can be a great thesis topic to explain the correlation between a high suicide rate and a higher happiness index too. :-)

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

11/11/2008 12:23:14 PM · #58

Originally posted by Prash:

OTOH, it is possible that the countries with high suicide rate have lower quality mental health care as compared to the U.S. say... so people who manage their 'unhappiness' better here in the U.S. tend to stay neutral at worst but not suicidal (generally speaking).

Any thoughts on this theory? It can be a great thesis topic to explain the correlation between a high suicide rate and a higher happiness index too. :-)

Personally, I'd sooner suspect a link between SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and these countries' northerly location. Diminished light exposure causes a severe depression in some people, and I think living at high-latitudes would accentuate this in susceptible people.

11/11/2008 12:29:13 PM · #59

Originally posted by GeneralE:

Originally posted by Prash:
OTOH, it is possible that the countries with high suicide rate have lower quality mental health care as compared to the U.S. say... so people who manage their 'unhappiness' better here in the U.S. tend to stay neutral at worst but not suicidal (generally speaking).

Any thoughts on this theory? It can be a great thesis topic to explain the correlation between a high suicide rate and a higher happiness index too. :-)

Personally, I'd sooner suspect a link between SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and these countries' northerly location. Diminished light exposure causes a severe depression in some people, and I think living at high-latitudes would accentuate this in susceptible people.

Hmm. I hope thats the case too.

I however still wonder about Bhutan getting placed in the top 10. They dont even feature in the suicidal nation's list. And they are by no means a materialistically rich nation to my knowledge.

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

11/11/2008 12:34:53 PM · #60

Originally posted by Prash:

I however still wonder about Bhutan getting placed in the top 10. They dont even feature in the suicidal nation's list. And they are by no means a materialistically rich nation to my knowledge.

Religions: Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25%

Materialism is not high on their list of necessities for happiness -- something the rest of the world might learn from before we "consume" the entire planet.

Source: CIA World Factbook

Message edited by author 2008-11-11 12:35:44.

salmiakki

Apple iPhone 16 Pro

Sony Sonnar T* 35mm F2.8 ZA

11/11/2008 12:40:05 PM · #61

Originally posted by GeneralE:

As someone who actually lives in one of these countries listed (Finland), I can agree with your comments entirely. SAD is a very real thing for those of us living with little light in the winter. So much so, for example, my company is putting natural daylight lamps around our office to help alleviate some of the potential problems. At this time of year we are losing around 5-6 mins daylight everyday. Of course, the upside to all of this is the long daylight hours in the summer. As for the taxes, yes on paper they are high, but honestly I don't pay that much more tax than I did when I lived in the US, but get more to show for it.

pawdrix

Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.4D IF

11/11/2008 12:59:34 PM · #62

When I visited Sweden a long while back it was also hard to find pubs and from what I understood taxes on alcohol were very high. A few people I met attributed the high rate of alcoholism to the fact that people used to make strong homemade alcohols.

Another thing is when people begin drinking at home it's easier to let the habit spin unchecked and with less control.

I hadn't realized that Mexico joined the merry band of Scandnavian countries.

d56ranger

Canon EOS-20D

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

11/11/2008 01:01:22 PM · #63

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 don't mind paying taxes - it's what I get in return that I'm concerned with.

11/11/2008 01:42:54 PM · #64

Is this hapiness?

[thumb]738386[/thumb]

P.S. Yes this is me holding the just received shipment of my first DSLR - the 450D. This picture tells me that I was happy for a moment then.. and get the same feeling when I am taking pictures outside. Is this happiness? Of course it involves a material good (a digital camera).. but can we still compare it to the happiness a Bhutanese lama feels when meditating in the mountains?

pawdrix

Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.4D IF

11/11/2008 01:46:53 PM · #65

Originally posted by d56ranger:

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 don't mind paying taxes - it's what I get in return that I'm concerned with.

That's why I'm a borderline Socialist...

Free University, free healthcare, free or subsidized transportation, no road tolls etc.

It balances out quite well in the end. Too many Amercans panic or at least worry some about healthcare and even work miserable jobs just so they don't lose benefits. Higher education has reached insane cost levels. Something really needs to be done on those two fronts.

US citizens are getting dumber and dumber by the minute which is part of the reason we're in the shape we are in today. Some Education might get us back in the game.

Message edited by author 2008-11-11 13:48:59.

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

11/11/2008 02:05:24 PM · #66

So up to what tax rate are you willing to pay? And...does it matter that others that don't work as hard as you and/or don't pay in as much will "take" more than you in the end?

If you were taxed at 65% and had free government Healthcare, good roads, housing for the "poor" and free public transportation, but couldn't afford a fancy DSLR with three lens' would you still be happy?

Originally posted by d56ranger:

LoudDog

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

11/11/2008 02:05:45 PM · #67

Of course people that live in a country with progressive taxes and lots of social programs are going to be happy when surveyed!!!

I canâ��t speak for other countries, but (roughly) In the US the top 20% of wage earning people pay 80% of the income taxes and the bottom 50% pays hardly any income taxes (when looked at as a percentage of the total). If this holds true in a country with lots of social programs you have 80% of the people benefiting (a lot) off the other 20%. Thus, 80% happy, 20% not happy making for a pretty happy country.

Skew taxes a little more to the top and you can even shoot for the top 10% or even top 5% paying for everything to make even more people happy!

11/11/2008 02:14:06 PM · #68

If "something" being done means 'government' in charge of higher education...I'll pass. Why?..look at our state run public education system....it stinks.

If you meant that government will pay everyone's tuition at the university level, I'd say no thanks. We currently have a student grant and loan program. I for one could not get a grant but got low interest loans for my university education. It took me about 4 years to pay back but I did. I have a degree and a good job. So for me, the current system worked.

The loans are there. If you want an education borrow low interest...GET YOUR DEGREE....and then pay it back. The payback terms were very "adjustable". I was able to re-schedule payback deadline dates...etc...

Now, if you borrow $20,000 and then drop out a year before graduation, then you wasted you money and your time.

Originally posted by pawdrix:

Originally posted by d56ranger:

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 don't mind paying taxes - it's what I get in return that I'm concerned with.

That's why I'm a borderline Socialist...

Free University, free healthcare, free or subsidized transportation, no road tolls etc.

It balances out quite well in the end. Too many Amercans panic or at least worry some about healthcare and even work miserable jobs just so they don't lose benefits. Higher education has reached insane cost levels. Something really needs to be done on those two fronts.

US citizens are getting dumber and dumber by the minute which is part of the reason we're in the shape we are in today. Some Education might get us back in the game.

11/11/2008 02:15:36 PM · #69

Originally posted by d56ranger:

Originally posted by kenskid:

I just want to comment here, not meaning to steal the conversation:

What if one doesnt even know what a DSLR is? What if a society is untouched by the consumerism fever? In Bhutan, fancy public advertisements incl. hoardings and billboards are banned. I can bet many people there dont even know about some of the things that are a teenage necessity here in the U.S. like iPods and cellphones.

If they dont know about it, they dont miss it. You miss it only when you see it with your neighbor.. and then you want it too. Add to that their simple lifestyle guided by spirituality. Perhaps ignorance is a bliss to an extent:-)

pawdrix

Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.4D IF

11/11/2008 02:51:56 PM · #70

Originally posted by kenskid:

So up to what tax rate are you willing to pay? And...does it matter that others that don't work as hard as you and/or don't pay in as much will "take" more than you in the end?

Ken-For starters I don't mind paying taxes and never have. I do think that better educated Americans would intern be better voters and then we would get better representation. That would seriously solve half of our problems and that's no exagerration.

I wouldn't worry so much about "the poor" they are the least of our worries. Whatever it is you think they're getting...trust me, it ain't shit. I would set my sights, if I were you on the people at the tippy top. They're the ones fucking you worse...every step of the way.

The reason we have bad services are our own fault. We vote in complete boneheads and we ask for almost no regulation or transparency.

All the socialist governments in Europe with they're miriad problems are still better run than ours. If they had our bloated pockets they would be ruling the world and then some.

I would move to Europe in a minute but culturally things have gotten strange with the huge influx of people from the Mid-East and Africa. Last time I was in Paris it felt more like Morocco or Algeria and some parts resembled Senegal where you realize there is a prevalent value system that is in direct conflict with the value system country was built on. Things are way off balance. Wierd mix and the same is happening in England.

eta: Regarding taxes, I would pour money into Primary Education in numbers that are off the charts to insure that school was fun, productive and far better/cooler than hanging out on the streets. Also a great way to get kids who don't have a good home structure to be in a better safer social environment.

I also mentioned Healthcare. That and Education are my two main concerns outside of the basic services we need.

Message edited by author 2008-11-11 15:25:50.

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

11/11/2008 04:35:25 PM · #71

Originally posted by kenskid:

If "something" being done means 'government' in charge of higher education...I'll pass. Why?..look at our state run public education system....it stinks.

California's didn't "stink" before it was financially emasculated by Proposition 13. Even today, California's public universities rank among the top of any schools -- public or private -- nationwide.

Conservatives like to say "you can't solve a problem by throwing money at it" (not that they've ever tried), but likewise you can't keep expecting to get more for less ... and starving the lesser-performing schools is just counter-intuitive, when it's clear that at least part of that underperformance is due to a lack of resources -- current textbooks, experienced teachers, clean classrooms, and the like.

We've been "throwing money" at the richest of the rich for the past few years, and look where that strategy has gotten us.

11/11/2008 05:24:32 PM · #72

So now let's throw some money at the non-producers. Will it work? We'll know in a few years.

Edit:

Up until a few weeks ago we weren't throwing money at the Richest of the rich....If you mean lowering tax rates for companies and small business that employe people..that's really not "throwing money at them". It is more like letting people keep more of their money.

And just today...Pelosi now says we should bail out the auto industry. Do you think we should throw money that way?

Originally posted by GeneralE:

Originally posted by kenskid:
If "something" being done means 'government' in charge of higher education...I'll pass. Why?..look at our state run public education system....it stinks.

California's didn't "stink" before it was financially emasculated by Proposition 13. Even today, California's public universities rank among the top of any schools -- public or private -- nationwide.

Conservatives like to say "you can't solve a problem by throwing money at it" (not that they've ever tried), but likewise you can't keep expecting to get more for less ... and starving the lesser-performing schools is just counter-intuitive, when it's clear that at least part of that underperformance is due to a lack of resources -- current textbooks, experienced teachers, clean classrooms, and the like.

We've been "throwing money" at the richest of the rich for the past few years, and look where that strategy has gotten us.

Message edited by author 2008-11-11 17:33:14.