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  1. TopTop #1
    Glia's Avatar
    Glia
     

    Why Finland And Denmark Are Happier Than The U.S.

    What does it take to be happy? The Nordic countries seem to have it all figured out. Finland and Denmark have consistently topped the United Nations’ most prestigious index, The World Happiness Report, in all six areas of life satisfaction: income, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom, trust and generosity.

    Each year, a group of happiness experts from around the globe rank 156 countries based on how “happy” citizens are, and they publish their findings in the World Happiness Report. Happiness might seem like an elusive concept to quantify, but there is a science to it. When researchers talk about “happiness,” they’re referring to “satisfaction with the way one’s life is going,” Jeff Sachs, co-creator of the World Happiness Report and a professor at Columbia University, tells CNBC Make It. “It’s not primarily a measure of whether one laughed or smiled yesterday, but how one feels about the course of one’s life,” he says.

    Since the report began in 2012, Nordic countries — which include Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland, plus the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Aland — consistently turn up at the top of the list. (The United States, on the other hand, typically lands somewhere around 18th or 19th place.)
    https://youtu.be/6Pm0Mn0-jYU
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  2. TopTop #2
    cyberanvil
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    Re: Why Finland And Denmark Are Happier Than The U.S.

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by Glia: View Post
    What does it take to be happy? ...
    And then there is that Muslim irritation.

    https://www.brookings.edu/articles/i...welfare-state/
    Last edited by Barry; 02-17-2020 at 01:45 PM.
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  3. TopTop #3
    podfish's Avatar
    podfish
     

    Re: Why Finland And Denmark Are Happier Than The U.S.

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by cyberanvil: View Post
    And then there is that Muslim irritation.

    https://www.brookings.edu/articles/i...welfare-state/
    and your point re Glia's post is?? that even happy places aren't all unicorns and rainbows, but also have some social issues and racist reactions to them (as the article points out, the anti-Muslim reactions are strongest in outlying places with few Muslims). I think we could have guessed that, since those places are populated by actual people. The takeaway should be that we by comparison aren't doing well and can do better.
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  4. TopTop #4
    cyberanvil
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    Re: Why Finland And Denmark Are Happier Than The U.S.

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by podfish: View Post
    and your point re Glia's post is??...
    The Nordic countries have it figured out? Well, CNBC and the UN think so. But welfare states create dullness, lack of innovation and a numbness to reality. Happy, maybe not. Maybe only content. Welfare give a ways are rarely sustainable. Sorry Bernie, your dream doesn't work except in the very short term.

    The Muslim influx has added another layer of welfare and cultural dilution which disturbs many Nordics.
    the Gefira report expects the Swedish to be a minority by 2066 i.e. by the end of this century only one-third of the population will be of Swedish descent.


    How Can Scandinavian Countries Perform So Well Economically?
    Last edited by Barry; 02-18-2020 at 12:25 PM.
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  5. TopTop #5
    podfish's Avatar
    podfish
     

    Re: Why Finland And Denmark Are Happier Than The U.S.

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by cyberanvil: View Post
    ... welfare states create dullness, ....
    really? that sounds like a bit of personal dogma. Know any Scandinavians? spent any time in a "welfare state"? although I guess those dull numb folks that populate them aren't particularly worth a visit...
    Last edited by Barry; 02-18-2020 at 12:25 PM.
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  7. TopTop #6
    cyberanvil
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    Re: Why Finland And Denmark Are Happier Than The U.S.

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by podfish: View Post
    really? that sounds like a bit of personal dogma. Know any Scandinavians? spent any time in a "welfare state"? although I guess those dull numb folks that populate them aren't particularly worth a visit...
    You're right, I don't have any Scandinavian friends and I haven't lived in a welfare state. But isn't the Internet great?

    "Nordic-system evangelists would have you believe that citizens of freer-market countries are stressed while those living under generous social-welfare systems are happier and more relaxed. If American-style capitalism is depressing and dehumanizing, why are Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Norway not that far behind us, ranking in the top twelve countries for antidepressant use? Is it just the long winters? Why are their drug-related deaths booming? Isn’t it possible that a generous, far-reaching welfare state depletes people’s sense of drive, purpose, and self-respect, and enables them to explore chemical forms of happiness?"

    National Review: Ten Reasons We Can’t, and Shouldn’t, Be Nordic

    CultureWatch: Scandinavia, Socialism, and the Welfare State
    Last edited by Barry; 02-19-2020 at 12:24 PM.
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  8. TopTop #7
    podfish's Avatar
    podfish
     

    Re: Why Finland And Denmark Are Happier Than The U.S.

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by cyberanvil: View Post
    You're right, I don't have any Scandinavian friends and I haven't lived in a welfare state. But isn't the Internet great?
    well, it's kinda great. I'm getting a hard-to-find air filter in time for the weekend, so that's pretty great. It's even greater at helping you find quotes and clips that confirm whatever you'd like confirmed.

    Granted, anecdotal evidence from casual acquaintances, or glib observations from limited personal experience, aren't a gold standard for evidence either. But in both cases, it's wise to stay aware of the biases involved. Still, whatever conclusions you want to draw from either do meet the low bar required for making assertions on the interwebs. Any approximation to reality is a plus.
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  10. TopTop #8
    rossmen
     

    Re: Why Finland And Denmark Are Happier Than The U.S.

    This thread inspired me to research the net on immigration from us to and from sweden. I have personal interest in this since I know five Swedish men who have immigrated to soco, all because they fell for American women. Oh yeah i know one Swedish woman married to an American man too.

    About five thousand Swedes per year immigrate here every year in the 21st century. Couldn't find the stats for American emigration, though Swedish reporter's think it's mostly for love. I guess when government is relatively functional, personal hookups move people the most.
    Last edited by Barry; 02-20-2020 at 03:03 PM.
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  11. TopTop #9
    cyberanvil
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    Re: Why Finland And Denmark Are Happier Than The U.S.

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by rossmen: View Post
    This thread inspired me to research the net on immigration from us to and from sweden. ...
    Ain't love great!
    Last edited by Barry; 02-21-2020 at 01:56 PM.
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  12. TopTop #10
    wisewomn's Avatar
    wisewomn
     

    Re: Why Finland And Denmark Are Happier Than The U.S.

    Or maybe it's the lack of light and sunshine, relatively speaking, that causes the unhappiness and depression, kind of a perpetual SAD if you will. It seems to be the case across most of northern Europe/Scandinavia/Siberia. Maybe their enlightened social systems (excepting Siberia) act to offset the effect of light deprivation.

    Or this:

    Depression Around The World: How Do Countries Stack Up?
    By Jordan K. Turgeon and Riddhi Shah

    If you’re a woman living in the United States, you’re six times more likely to be depressed than a man living in China, says a new study.

    In the first cross-national survey of its kind, nearly 90,000 people in 18 countries were screened for major depressive episodes using a standardized set of questions. Researchers found that people living in wealthier nations are more likely to have experienced a depressive episode than those in low and middle-income countries. The study was conducted by researchers from the State University of Stony Brook as part of the WHO’s World Mental Health Survey Initiative.

    Nearly 15 percent of those living in the 10 rich nations reported having at least one depressive episode in their lifetime. For poorer countries, the prevalence of a depressive episode was only 11 percent. The two most depressed countries are France, with a 21 percent prevalence, and the U.S., with a 19 percent prevalence.

    The researchers also went on to study the socioeconomic factors affecting depression. They found that regardless of location, women are almost twice as likely to experience depression. In wealthy nations, income levels are another predictor of depression: poor respondents carry double the risk of depression.

    So what’s causing this cross-national divide in depression levels? The study’s researchers speculate that one reason could be the sharp income inequality in wealthy nations. Any other possible reason is the low level of awareness about mental illness in poorer countries. Or, say the researchers, it could be perhaps just be that depression is an illness of affluence.

    https://www.huffpost.com/entry/depre...tries_n_910345

    As for women in US vs. men in China it seems to be pretty clearly a function of sexism vs. male privilege. Who woulda thunk?

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by cyberanvil: View Post
    You're right, I don't have any Scandinavian friends and I haven't lived in a welfare state. But isn't the Internet great?...
    Last edited by Barry; 02-21-2020 at 01:52 PM.
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