Happiest country in the world? Denmark

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This chap isn't happy in Denmark :
savethemales.ca -

Yes, but he also contends that "Feminism is elite social engineering designed to destroy gender identity" created by the Rockefellers and Rothschilds whose "twin objectives are depopulation and totalitarian world government." He then goes on to argue that feminism, communism, and 9/11 are all connected. Clearly he's insane.
 

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While I suppose I have no inherent objection with Denmark topping the list, I guess my protestation comes from the fact that one cannot quantify that which is inherently subjective. You can't scientifically quantify happiness anymore than one can quantify "good" or "beauty".

I think the key here is that they are trying to do away with the measure of the "success" of a nation being tied to the measure of its GDP. That gives away the true intentions of the authors.
 

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While I suppose I have no inherent objection with Denmark topping the list, I guess my protestation comes from the fact that one cannot quantify that which is inherently subjective. You can't scientifically quantify happiness anymore than one can quantify "good" or "beauty".

It's obviously a tricky, necessarily inexact determination. I'm not sure it's quite as elusive as "good" or "beauty," but I don't want to go into that now.
Basically, I agree with you.

I think the key here is that they are trying to do away with the measure of the "success" of a nation being tied to the measure of its GDP. That gives away the true intentions of the authors.

"That gives away the true intentions"?
But what would be wrong with those intentions?
Surely the whole point of using economic success as a metric is the assumption that happiness is quite directly related to affluence or its lack.
But there's no reason to believe that.
To try to assess happiness directly would make more theoretical sense.
The question is, Can we hope to do that?
If we could, it would be the far more telling measure.
 

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Yes, but he also contends that "Feminism is elite social engineering designed to destroy gender identity" created by the Rockefellers and Rothschilds whose "twin objectives are depopulation and totalitarian world government." He then goes on to argue that feminism, communism, and 9/11 are all connected. Clearly he's insane.
Yes,the more I read the funnier it got.The world's most paranoid man.
 
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I saw something about happiness on one of those nighttime news programs, and they mentioned Denmark as one of the happiest places. One of the reasons they cited was a strong sense of community. There's always a dance or party or some other sort of social event going on, so the people are socially active. They don't sit around at home watching TV (they only have a few channels anyway) and people don't suffer the same kind of social isolation many of us in the U.S. face.

Another reason they cited was because the tax rates are so high, everybody makes about the same amount of income, whether you're a trash collector or a physician. This is OK, because everyone is paid well enough to make a comfortable living, although not an extravagant one. Doctors become doctors because they are want to be doctors, not for prestige or money. If you don't have the skill or desire to be a doctor, and you just want a job that pays the bills, you can be a trash collector--or whatever you want to do--and you don't have to worry about not making enough money. The report said there's little sense of people being better than others based on their profession. A trash collector is as respected and valued a member of the community as a physician. They interviewed on trash collector who said he loved his job. He got to drive around town, visit people, and socialize. When he came around, everyone seemed geniunely happy to see him, and would stop to chit-chat.

Speaking for myself, I don't cope with stress very well, but I work in a high-pressure, fast-paced, deadline sensitive corporate environment...and it's killing me. If I could make a living doing a cushy, relaxing, easy-going sort of job (I don't know exactly what), I'd probably be a lot happier. But in the U.S. those sorts of jobs don't pay very well, and I'm barely making enough money as it is.

Alas, I've never had a gift for learning other languages. If I thought I could learn Danish, I'd seriously consider relocating to Denmark (or Sweden or Norway or one of the other countries high on the list).
 
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I saw something about happiness on one of those nighttime news programs, and they mentioned Denmark as one of the happiest places. One of the reasons they cited was a strong sense of community. There's always a dance or party or some other sort of social event going on, so the people are socially active. They don't sit around at home watching TV (they only have a few channels anyway) and people don't suffer the same kind of social isolation many of us in the U.S. face.

Another reason they cited was because the tax rates are so high, everybody makes about the same amount of income, whether you're a trash collector or a physician. This is OK, because everyone is paid well enough to make a comfortable living, although not an extravagant one. Doctors become doctors because they are want to be doctors, not for prestige or money. If you don't have the skill or desire to be a doctor, and you just want a job that pays the bills, you can be a trash collector--or whatever you want to do--and you don't have to worry about not making enough money. The report said there's little sense of people being better than others based on their profession. A trash collector is as respected and valued a member of the community as a physician. They interviewed on trash collector who said he loved his job. He got to drive around town, visit people, and socialize. When he came around, everyone seemed geniunely happy to see him, and would stop to chit-chat.

Speaking for myself, I don't cope with stress very well, but I work in a high-pressure, fast-paced, deadline sensitive corporate environment...and it's killing me. If I could make a living doing a cushy, relaxing, easy-going sort of job (I don't know exactly what), I'd probably be a lot happier. But in the U.S. those sorts of jobs don't pay very well, and I'm barely making enough money as it is.

Alas, I've never had a gift for learning other languages. If I thought I could learn Danish, I'd seriously consider relocating to Denmark (or Sweden or Norway or one of the other countries high on the list).

This maps to my experience there. I spent 6 weeks there on business in the Copenhagen area. They may be happier overall - depending on the criteria used - but they are smaller and much more racially homogenous than the US is. Education and fiscal and social policies are far easier to implement in such a society. Even considering the climate, which I don't find appealing, I personally wouldn't want to live there. The standard of living there is well below that of the US.

All that said, in the US you have to take charge of your life or you will end up on the stress treadmill. Wanting the next great gadget, a bigger house, new furniture, keeping up with the neighbors, etc., etc. Then stressing about doing your high paying job and keeping your job all adds up to stress and likely lower contentment. Just say no to stuff, save your money. Try the 60% rule - live on 60% of your income. The best things in life aren't things.

Except a big dick, of course! :biggrin1:

Jack
 
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Wyldgusechaz

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I don't think you get the point, Chuck.
That list purports to give the average level of happiness.
Population has nothing to do with it.
This is a very simple point. I don't know how to clarify it if you actually don't see it.
If because of its huge population, the United States has more individual happy people, it would, for the same reason, also have more individual unhappy people.
Nice that you did the totalling ... but to what end?
It's irrelevant.


WOW!!!

I get the point exactly. MB was baiting an ardent capitalist like me so I put it back on her. However the ability to achieve happiness amongst 5 million people, with an excess of oil over their needs, is a far easier task than creating happiness for 300 million people. Of the very large countries, we are the best at creating happiness. We may not hit the level of Denmark but we beat the big ones rather handily.

Its fairly easy to make one very good cup of coffee. Making tens of millions of pretty good ones like Starbucks does is quite a trick. The difference between 273 and 247 given that the 247 encompasses a country of 300 million is pretty incredible. There is an old axiom *perfect is the enemy of very good* We don't hit perfect but we seem to be very good. Very good for 300 million is a feat.

BTW I am incredibly happy with my life. Its one fun thing after another. And count me as a true capitalist. No gloomy socialism for me. Those folks seem joyless.
 

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Those folks seem joyless.

Wyldgusechaz,

You hit on something here. If Danes are so happy, then why is the population of Denmark - and most of Europe - rapidly shrinking? The US population is still expanding and it's not just immigrants. Could it be that people are really happier, more hopeful and optimistic in the US?

Jack
 

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Wyldgusechaz,

You hit on something here. If Danes are so happy, then why is the population of Denmark - and most of Europe - rapidly shrinking? The US population is still expanding and it's not just immigrants. Could it be that people are really happier, more hopeful and optimistic in the US?

Jack

Sometimes the belief in god trumps the belief in condoms.
 

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Wyldgusechaz,

You hit on something here. If Danes are so happy, then why is the population of Denmark - and most of Europe - rapidly shrinking? The US population is still expanding and it's not just immigrants. Could it be that people are really happier, more hopeful and optimistic in the US?

Jack

IMO and its my strictly my opinion, because there is little way to advance one's position in life, there is a lack of optimism for the future in a lot of European countries. Thats socialism. Germany's birth rate is .7 %. Denmark's is 1%. Same all over Europe. Replacement is 2.1%. They aren't replacing themselves. Very very me oriented, very self oriented. And economic. They don't see an expanding pie like many of us here in America do. They see the same pie, the same size and they don't want to share it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/23/world/europe/23germany.html
 

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I love being right. (Costa Rica is an American territory)

Well, you're wrong about that statement. Costa Rica is an independent country that has never, ever, been under American rule. Read some history and economics before talking about things of which you know nothing.
 
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It's obviously a tricky, necessarily inexact determination. I'm not sure it's quite as elusive as "good" or "beauty," but I don't want to go into that now.
Basically, I agree with you.



"That gives away the true intentions"?
But what would be wrong with those intentions?
Surely the whole point of using economic success as a metric is the assumption that happiness is quite directly related to affluence or its lack.
But there's no reason to believe that.
To try to assess happiness directly would make more theoretical sense.
The question is, Can we hope to do that?
If we could, it would be the far more telling measure.

I'm not claiming that their intentions are nefarious, just deceptive, extremely arrogant (in a way that only academics can manage to acheive) and naive, and I suspect the end result is totalitarianism.

Their theory is that a government's legitimacy ought to be based not on economic production as it is today, but rather on human thought (happiness). Right now, every government monitors economic production quite heavily and seeks to control it to greater or lesser degree (socialist vs. capitalist) because that is the basis of its legitimacy. If it's legitimacy is based on human thought, then it will naturally seek to monitor and eventually control that instead.

IMO it is not the business of governments to monitor and control the thoughts of the population, rather the thoughts of the population ought to, generally, control the government.

Lastly, If I were to agree that hapiness is a better measure than wealth, I disagree with the notion that a government's job is to maximize the hapiness in its population. Rather, it is the job of the government to maximize the opportunity for its individual citizens to maximize their own hapiness.
 

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Well, you're wrong about that statement. Costa Rica is an independent country that has never, ever, been under American rule. Read some history and economics before talking about things of which you know nothing about.

You got me there. I meant Puerto Rico. My error.

But I am still right about America. You are one of the blame America firsters. I praise what we have done here. Arnold Schwarzneggar said it best "America is where you come to see your dreams realized."

I can think of no higher praise.
 

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Well, you certainly don't know a lot about Europe, that's for sure!
Shrinking populations? Dying countries? Give me a break!
The only country that has serious demographic problems in Europe is Russia.
And yes, Europe has a lot of immigration, and yes there are a lot of muslims. But in the US there are a lot of latino immigrants. What's the point?

And populationwise, the European Union has about 500 million inhabitants. The US has 300 million. But that doesn't matter because the well-being factor is a relative factor not a total.
The question should be, why are the Americans less "happy" than the Danish. And not how can the Danish be happier than us.

The American dream is a great thing, but most Europeans won't agree with "pull yourself up by your bootstraps." We believe in making sure everyone can accomplish his or her dreams. And that's the difference, for example, in Denmark new parents both get a year off work to spend time with their newborn and they both receive their income from the state.
But, I guess if you're an ardent capitalist, you wouldn't like living in the wellfare states of Europe at all.
 
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peterchristian

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Ok wyldgusechaz, you are the exact reason why when Americans walk around the streets of Copenhagen, parading around with their loud obnoxious voices complaining that there aren't any Starbucks, we roll our eyes. You claim my country is a "nothing" country when in fact you have no idea what you're talking about. I'd rather live in my charming little country with beautiful people, gorgeous scenery, great nightlife, a great, safe standard of living and a happy population than in the US. We're not at all gloomy "socialists" - you make it sound like we're living in grim commie block housing. There are a lot of wealthy people here, and the minimum wage here is 30 dollars an hour - yes half of it gets taxed, so it comes to 15 dollars an hour. But guess what´? Free state of the art education, free medical care, clean cities, low crime. You make it sound like this is some pathetic tiny country, when in reality, many see us as the envy of the world.
 
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