Are you happy about your life, generally speaking? Do you have all the things you want and need?
My Danish friend loves to mention how happy people are in her country — and she has a point. Denmark consistently places in the top 5 on the World Happiness Report, finishing second to Finland in 2023.
It’s demoralizing to look at this report. The US finished 15th, and hasn’t ever broken the top 10 in history. It is hardly surprising. Despite being the wealthiest large nation, we have a list of big problems. Our lagging in these rankings flies in the face of our obsessive focus on self-improvement, and continuous growth.
Have we been led astray? Or are we looking at these reports entirely wrong?
Some issues with the happiness report
First, we often assume that a statistic is all encompassing. My aforementioned friend from Denmark is a perfect example. Despite being in such a happy nation, she is currently in a major funk, feeling quite depressed, to the point that she’s unable to work. Remember that a nation is a very large place, with many storylines and opportunities for happiness and the lack thereof. Don’t confuse this report for meaning everyone is living in bliss. Remember that statistics can be misleading. They can say what you want them to say in many cases.
At the core of the World Happiness Report, is a central question which is worded carefully and called The Cantril Ladder:
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