Worlds Happiest Nations

Happiness is often a very personal experience, even though related to people around us. I remember reading a quote by one of the most popular artist Salvador Dali saying,"Each Morning when I awake, I experience again a supreme pleasure that of being Salvador Dali" This is other way of saying that by being what i am and with whatever resources i have, i am happy. The aim of this article is not to tell what makes us happy but to discuss a very interesting report published by the the United Nations on happiness called "The Worlds First Happiness Report".

A conference was mandated by the United Nations General Assembly. The report was published by the Earth Institute and Co-edited by the institutes director Jeffrey Sach. The report demands a new worldwide demand for more attention to happiness  and absence of misery as criteria for governments policy.

The report is interesting from many points of view. it says that happier countries tend to be richer countries but more important than income are social factors such as strength of social support, absence of corruption and the degree of personal freedom. the authors have cited the example of the United States which has achieved striking economic and technological progress over the past half century without gains in the self reported happiness of its citizens. Instead , uncertainties and anxieties have widened considerably, social trust is in decline and confidence in government is at an all time low.

Happiest countries in the world are in Northern Europe(Denmark,Norway,Finland,Netherlands). The least happy countries are all poor countries in Sub Saharan Africa(Togo, Benin, Central African Republic,Sierra Leone). It is not just wealth that makes people . Factors like political freedom , strong social networks and an absence of corruption are together important than income alone in explaining well being differences between top and bottom countries in the rating of happiness.

The report cites unemployment as  a major cause of much unhappiness as much as bereavement or separation. A work, job security and good relationship and good relationship do more for job satisfaction than high pay and convenient hours. The report also says that stable family life and enduring marriages are important for happiness of parents/children.

India as a nation mired by corruption,unemployment, poverty and a tendency to copy the Western nations has resulted in deteriorating social relation. We would like to see our nation in a much elevated postion in this report than in its present position.

The link is of the happiness report:
http://www.earth.columbia.edu/sitefiles/file/Sachs%20Writing/2012/World%20Happiness%20Report.pdf