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Still, your average Pole thinks if you don't have 15 locks on your door and a huge fence around your yard with motion detectors everywhere, one's house would be visited every single night by burglars...
This reminded me about my ex-polish boyfriend, except he lived in the US
This index is definitely more about the standard of living rather than happiness. Russians love to party, and the poorest Russians I have ever met where also the happiest people I have ever met. (It is not so much money or government that make you happy, it's family and friends, of course!)
If you rank them on propensity to party and enjoy life, I would put Russia, France, Spain, Italy and some of the Latin American countries at the top.
This reminded me about my ex-polish boyfriend, except he lived in the US
This index is definitely more about the standard of living rather than happiness. Russians love to party, and the poorest Russians I have ever met where also the happiest people I have ever met. (It is not so much money or government that make you happy, it's family and friends, of course!)
If you rank them on propensity to party and enjoy life, I would put Russia, France, Spain, Italy and some of the Latin American countries at the top.
Just look at the list of suicide rates by the country--it should tell you a thing or two. Russia is not nearly one of the happiest countries--quite the opposite. You must have confused Moscow millionaires with the rest of the population.
Russia ranks the 8th in top suicide rates--not the 8th in "happiest". List of countries by suicide rate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This reminded me about my ex-polish boyfriend, except he lived in the US
This index is definitely more about the standard of living rather than happiness. Russians love to party, and the poorest Russians I have ever met where also the happiest people I have ever met. (It is not so much money or government that make you happy, it's family and friends, of course!)
If you rank them on propensity to party and enjoy life, I would put Russia, France, Spain, Italy and some of the Latin American countries at the top.
Just look at the list of suicide rates by the country--it should tell you a thing or two. Russia is not nearly one of the happiest countries--quite the opposite. You must have confused Moscow millionaires with the rest of the population.
Russia ranks the 8th in top suicide rates--not the 8th in "happiest". List of countries by suicide rate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Also, do not forget that Dagestan and Chechnya, are at least formally, still parts of Russia. Enough said. "happiest", yeah.
Just look at the list of suicide rates by the country--it should tell you a thing or two. Russia is not nearly one of the happiest countries--quite the opposite. You must have confused Moscow millionaires with the rest of the population.
Russia ranks the 8th in top suicide rates--not the 8th in "happiest". List of countries by suicide rate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
According to this suicide rate list Haiti, Iran and Syria are the happiest countries on earth. Also it looks like the difference between the 8th place and the 28th place is 10 people per 100,000.
I based my assertion not on Moscow millionaires, but on my grandma's village in the Ural mountains, and on my personal experiences with people I met there vs. the people I met from other countries.
According to this suicide rate list Haiti, Iran and Syria are the happiest countries on earth. Also it looks like the difference between the 8th place and the 28th place is 10 people per 100,000.
I based my assertion not on Moscow millionaires, but on my grandma's village in the Ural mountains, and on my personal experiences with people I met there vs. the people I met from other countries.
Did you read my post? I said "the poorest."
As to low suicide rates in Muslim countries--most population being very religious Muslims does not promote high suicide rates, as to places like Haiti--local culture is not conductive to suicide and Caribbean Latinos tend to be cheerful people in general, living in sunny, warm climate.
I was born, lived and worked in Soviet Untion, then Russian Federatioin, had seen the destruction of the country and know about the suffering that is happening here every day.
Do you know that pensions don't buy decent food for a person and many old people can not survive and have to beg?
Are you aware about many cases of people being abducted slavery? This surfaces in Russian news all the time.
Do you really know about the horror of life in Russia?
The hundreds of thousands that had been murdered in Chenchnya just recently, many of whom were civilians? This is alive in memory. The torture camps that existed just few years ago?
I remember the times when people hung themselves so that their family weren't burned alive because they were defrauded by mafia in the 90s, when they did anything just to survive and eat well, I remember my mother being shots at in the fields when trying to pick a couple of carrots to eat, because we ate nothing but rice, I remember being robbed at gun point by emergency car/ambulance crew. I remember snipers and tanks too. Cases of Western pharma companies conducting experiments on humans in Russian hospitals and people being taken for organs, from the streets, from the army, from hospitals. Relative being executed as for giving water to Russian soldier, for "aiding Russians". Our generation did not forget these things. Russia is such a "happy" place that people do anything--anything--to get out of there and obtain a citizenship of a non-3rd world country.
Last edited by Vichel; 12-23-2011 at 09:43 AM..
Reason: Let's keep it cool
I have lived in 4 four different countries for extended periods from 5 to 15years. I honestly couldn't say which of them are happier or sadder. Each place expresses itself a bit different.
I have never been to Sweden or Finland but i have heard that there is a lot of depression and alcoholism and they have some of the highest suicide rates in the world. Is this true? If so that might indicate some unhappiness in the society don't you think. But never having been in either country I am only going by hear-say.
Most Americans I meet are very unsatisfied with their nation, their government, their healthcare, their education system and police. Considering most of these factors I'd probably put the UK above the US.
But I guess the same could apply to most countries. I thought Germany had great transport for example but apparently Germans think otherwise.
I'm happy with the country, but very dissapointed with so many people here. I find it annoying that people find everything offensive here, and any small minority opinion (no necessarily race) is instantly considered the majority because companies fear getting sued. I mean, it is becoming offensive to say Merry Christmas here in USA... what kind of joke is that?! Everything is becoming too politically correct.
As to low suicide rates in Muslim countries--most population being very religious Muslims does not promote high suicide rates, as to places like Haiti--local culture is not conductive to suicide and Caribbean Latinos tend to be cheerful people in general, living in sunny, warm climate.
I was born, lived and worked in Soviet Untion, then Russian Federatioin, had seen the destruction of the country and know about the suffering that is happening here every day.
Do you know that pensions don't buy decent food for a person and many old people can not survive and have to beg?
Are you aware about many cases of people being abducted slavery? This surfaces in Russian news all the time.
Do you really know about the horror of life in Russia?
The hundreds of thousands that had been murdered in Chenchnya just recently, many of whom were civilians? This is alive in memory. The torture camps that existed just few years ago?
I remember the times when people hung themselves so that their family weren't burned alive because they were defrauded by mafia in the 90s, when they did anything just to survive and eat well, I remember my mother being shots at in the fields when trying to pick a couple of carrots to eat, because we ate nothing but rice, I remember being robbed at gun point by emergency car/ambulance crew. I remember snipers and tanks too. Cases of Western pharma companies conducting experiments on humans in Russian hospitals and people being taken for organs, from the streets, from the army, from hospitals. Relative being executed as for giving water to Russian soldier, for "aiding Russians". Our generation did not forget these things. Russia is such a "happy" place that people do anything--anything--to get out of there and obtain a citizenship of a non-3rd world country.
I am sorry that your reality in Russia was very different from my reality. It's no wonder why you have so much resentment, and are trying to take it out on me.
Sounds like you lived through some of the conflicts in the Caucasus region? No wonder why it was very different.
I was born in the USSR, and I was not a child when I moved, and I went back often to visit my family, who still lives there. Since jobs weren't plentiful, and pensions were low, my family in the Ural mountains always maintained their own vegetable gardens, cows, pigs, chickens, goats. Their days consisted of taking care of animals, getting water and wood for heating and cooking, wild mushroom picking in the woods, taking care of their potato field, taking care of the grass for the cows. My grandpa made furniture from wood, and could disassemble a TV or a radio and put it back together. All these tasks were accomplished by relying on the help of the extended family, and were followed by cooking a big family meal, drinking some homemade wild berry liqueur, and singing Russian folksongs. My days there were the best in my life, and I learned invaluable lessons about family, hard work, and that you don't need money for happiness. This experience made me who I am today, and I am very grateful for that. And I am still planning to write all of that down for my kids and grandchildren.
Today Russia is part of the BRIC countries, which, according to Goldman Sachs are the largest economic threat to the developed world. While Europe is in decline, Russia is growing, and has 6% unemployment rate. It's the second largest exporter of oil in the world.
Many of my friends have moved back. I would love to retire in Russia some day. In fact, it would be nice to move back, but I have too many ties in the US, so visits will have to do for now.
my top 10 list Based off Chartsbin Happy Planet index, i expect it to be a BIG surprise to most people, mind you the U.S. got a rating of 30.73, and most of Europe's ratings are in the 40's. This Goes to show money doesn't = Happiness
1. Costa Rica 76.12
2. Dominican Republic 71.78
3. Jamaica 70.09
4. Guatemala 68.37
5. Viet Nam 66.52
6 Colombia 66.10
7. Cuba 65.68
8. El Salvador 61.46
9. Brazil 61.01
10. Honduras 60.99
11. Nicaragua 60.54
Excellent response. It's hard to imagine why the OP would feel the need to include the cynics' response to Norway's #1 ranking. Why didn't OP do so for the US?
According to that report the US #1 in health care? You've gotta be freaking kidding me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LindavG
Not hard to guess who those "cynics" are
I don't understand why the author feels the need to include the perspective of "cynics" about Norway in this article, it's not relevant in any way. How can Norway's ranking be a fluke if it's #1 for the third year in a row? Who cares if it's a "godless" country (I actually see that as positive) and what difference does it make where their GDP comes from? Obviously the Norwegians are perfectly happy with their "massive welfare state bankrolled by high taxes" so I don't see what's wrong with that either.
Notice this little gem later in the article:
Maybe Europe will hold "only" 13 out of the top 20 slots next year
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