'If your happy and you know it, clap your hands'

[killarney_sailor]

Don't know how many people saw this survey reported last week? It reports on happiness levels in several dozen countries. Essentially people were asked if they were happy or not. They subtracted the # of unhappy from the # of happy to get an index value.

The two most happy countries were, remarkably, Fiji and Nigeria. You could argue for a very long time about what happiness is and the relationship is between happiness and expectations, etc, etc

There has been a lot of research on this idea of quantifying happiness. A few years ago Bhutan was trying to use a measure of GNH (gross national happiness) rather than GDP to guide the government's actions. Don't know how far they have gone with it or if it is giving the results they want. Many other governments are trying to come to terms with how to calculate/use happiness measures.


http://www.legermarketing.com/admin/...r_2011-ENG.pdf

As for Fiji, we were there several months ago and it did seem a pretty happy place in spite of the frequent military coups and racial tensions between the native Fijians and Indian population. I wonder if the kava (mildly intoxicating drink that many/most? Fijians have at the end of the work day) has anything to do with it? Maybe if you have a buzz on every day the world does seem to be a happy place. Anyway, we really liked Fiji, except that it rained a lot.

[SloopJonB]

Originally Posted by killarney_sailor

There has been a lot of research on this idea of quantifying happiness. A few years ago Bhutan was trying to use a measure of GNH (gross national happiness) rather than GDP to guide the government's actions. Don't know how far they have gone with it or if it is giving the results they want. Many other governments are trying to come to terms with how to calculate/use happiness measures.

Legalize weed. GNH will go through the roof and GDP will drop into the cellar.

GDP is only there as a measure of the PURSUIT of happiness anyway.

[aeventyr60]

Close reaching up the Mallaca Straits, shorts no shoes or shirt, sun shining, 1 tuck in the main made our 42 miles in just under 6 hours, a few hours to cocktail hour to go. I'm a happy man...

Send me some of that BC firewater and I'll be adancing a jig too...

[SloopJonB]

Originally Posted by aeventyr60

Close reaching up the Mallaca Straits, shorts no shoes or shirt, sun shining, 1 tuck in the main made our 42 miles in just under 6 hours, a few hours to cocktail hour to go. I'm a happy man...

Send me some of that BC firewater and I'll be adancing a jig too...

You'll still be back at the dock thinking "Nahhh, we can do it tomorrow man."

[bljones]

I think we get "happy" and "content" mixed up.

Happiness is just contentment peaking. I think Denis Leary got it right.

"Happiness comes in small doses folks. It's a cigarette butt, or a chocolate chip cookie or a five second orgasm. You come, you smoke the butt you eat the cookie you go to sleep wake up and go back to ******* work the next morning, THAT'S IT! End of ******* list! "


Overall, I'm pretty content. Hell, I live in the first world, I don't have to worry about the secret police busting down my door in the middle of the night, I can sustain my lifestyle, and I don't have to decide whether to buy groceries or rum because I can't afford both.

[flyingwelshman]

[bljones]

Zombie hands!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!