Why Finland And Denmark Are Happier Than The U.S.
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Published 2020-01-09
Learn more about work-life balance secrets from the happiest countries in the world on CNBC Make It: cnb.cx/37So3YY
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.)
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Are Nordic People Really That Happy?
All Comments (21)
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The Nordic countries are societies. America is a business.
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Not having to worry about healthcare and education takes away majority of burden for most people.
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I'm Finnish and one thing that I find very important is that I try to be happy about the things I have, and not be sad about the things I don't have. Because a fact of life is that you can't have everything, no matter what you do. Learn to appreciate what you have in your life, don't worry about the things you didn't manage to get.
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No super rich and no super poor. No corruption and a general trust in government. Social support and security. Perfect formula for a happy society! Beautiful ❣
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Very simple, they have a government working for the people instead of corporations.
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The "formula" is wanting less, consuming less, and changing your priorities. Make people a priority, not things.
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To be more happier you need:
1. More often walking outside
2. Communicate with people
3. Do something meaningfully -
It blows my mind that there are places in the world where education is free and giving birth doesn't cost the world and the experience in the hospital is wonderful. Here in South Africa, schooling is so expensive that most people just drop out. Mothers are often treated badly in maternity wards as well (so badly that we have a term for it - obstetric violence). I hope these people realize what they have.
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Here In Denmark we find it so funny and amusing that Americans actually think they are the best country in the world
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Scandinavian Countries: Let's use Tax Money to help our taxpayers
USA: Let's use Tax money to help corporations and use up our weapons -
For a happy life all you need to take of your:
1) Health (physically & mentally)
2) Loved ones (you like to spend your time with)
3) Your passion (work you love to do) -
A documentary that makes you think... envious of Finland and Denmark, happy as well for them! I am from India where according to me everything's been going wrong since the independence from the Brits and may be before that. We have a glorious and rich past that's why we became a colony. But today happiness in our country is only defined by how much MONEY you have and that leads to destruction of all values in our society. From our PM to me everyone is unhappy, selfish, uncivil, in a race... let my country awake!
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I'm a (called Grab) driver. I met a passenger from Finland. Really friendly and nice to talk to. He asked me to stop at the Mcdonald because he's hungry and wants to buy a burger to eat. When he came back, he bought another burger and drink... for me! Wonderful people.
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As a European it‘s so weird to know that things we take here for granted don‘t exist in the US at all.
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You can feel it when you go over there too. I visited Amsterdam for 2 weeks and it completely changed my life and the way I look at things. Nothing in particular happened while I was there, it's just in the atmosphere. I'm going to Finland tomorrow, and I'm so excited!
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As a 19 years old girl from Myanmar, where the military coup happened in 2021 and all the human rights are being rubbed until now, the luck you guys have seems to be so invaluable. Even when the things are out of our control here, I still wish we could rebuild our country from the scratch with good people and good system when the evils actually have received their Karmas.
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Goes to war for trillions: Silence
Suggests healthcare is a human right: HOW YOU GONNA PAY FOR IT?!?!? -
Three elements of happiness: Someone to love, Something to do and Something to look forward to.
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I believe that the culture in these countries have a big part in people's happiness there. The fact that you're taught to have work-life balance, making sauna a "sacred" place to not be angry, having a "cozy corner" and "summer house". It's like the culture there teaches people ways they can make their stressful life a little less stressful.
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I grew up in Mexico City , I always found jobs that were walking distance . I used to see people wasting their lives 3-4 hours daily in the traffic. I never wanted that life for me . I then moved to Canada and although I am happy here, after visiting Iceland it was an eye opener. Canada has it good but nothing can compare to the Nordic countries. People really live there. People only worry to have enough money. There’s not a competition like there’s in North America where people compare to others all the time. I hope I can get the experience to live in a Nordic country one day . “Boring life” is ideal for my lifestyle. I don’t care about earning that much, I just wanna work Monday to Friday; finish early and having enough time to enjoy my life; my friends, my family, my time ❤
