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I've done a fair bit of traveling and I could subscribe to Grey's opinion that some southern countries are actually behind the likes of Estonia and Czechia. The south is generally not known for 'advancement'.
Well travel more and open your eyes better...unless you have a peculiar view of what "advancement" really means....having an open market with screaming street vendors for you is a sign of backwardness?? Lack of fast food joints?? Or people honking during peak hours??
Spain, for example, can put Canada to shame on some aspects when it comes to QOL....so Italy or Portugal.....
Last edited by saturno_v; 09-07-2017 at 04:12 AM..
By the way, the Happy Planet Index has a different take on happiness (don't worry probably is bunk too)....here the champion is Costa Rica where the Nordic countries are left behind....
It gives you an idea how pointless is to try to measure happiness...
Some studies have found out that average happiness correlates with suicide rates. The happier everyone else are, the more suicidal persons will commit the act.
By the way, the Happy Planet Index has a different take on happiness (don't worry probably is bunk too)....here the champion is Costa Rica where the Nordic countries are left behind....
It gives you an idea how pointless is to try to measure happiness...
True, it's an entirely subjective point of view. What defines happiness? My some measures Bhutan is the happiest place in the world, yet the country is severely lacking in basic commodities (and that's an understatement).
True, it's an entirely subjective point of view. What defines happiness? My some measures Bhutan is the happiest place in the world, yet the country is severely lacking in basic commodities (and that's an understatement).
I don't think so. Income, security, a good place for you and your family, a social network... these are quite universal definitions of happiness.
Some studies have found out that average happiness correlates with suicide rates. The happier everyone else are, the more suicidal persons will commit the act.
Go figure.
Yes, basically these "studies" have found out how silly these "happiness" rankings are....
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ariete
I don't think so. Income, security, a good place for you and your family, a social network... these are quite universal definitions of happiness.
No wonder the Nordic Countries fare so well.
Social and family networks particularly strong in the southern countries not the Nordic ones...and there are a lot of poor countries that could be no more different than the Nordic ones with high suicide rates...again these rankings are pure bunk, totally subjective...
Again, look at stats...Scandinavian among the highest and quite a lot of EU countries below double digit.
First of all, most of Eastern European countries are in the EU, so get your facts straight first.
Also, according to WTO (2015 census):
Suicides per 100,000 people per year (age standardized)
South Korea 24.1
Belgium 16.1
Japan 15.4
Finland 14.2
Sweden 12.7
USA 12.6
France 12.3
New Zealand 12.3
Iceland 11.8
Austria 11.7
Ireland 11.1
Switzerland 10.7
Australia 10.4
Canada 10.4
The Netherlands 9.4 Norway 9.3
Germany 9.1 Denmark 9.1
Luxembourg 8.6
Portugal 8.5
UK 7.4
Spain 6
Israel 5.4
Italy 5.4
Greece 3.2
There are only a handful of developed countries that are below double digits, most of them have it more than 10, and the low ones include two Scandinavian countries. Only Finland is higher and Sweden is a little bit higher.
Quote:
Southern EU countries "barely more advanced than Eastern European ones?? talking about laughing ahahahah!!!....Do yourself a favor and travel more my friend....maybe you can start reading some of the links I posted...
They are indeed barely more advanced than EE countries. Italy and Spain are still above but Portugal and Greece are no longer ahead.
Quote:
These happiness surveys are indeed bunk....highly debatable, or worse, total BS.
They are indeed full of ****, but trying to use a blanket "suicidal" statement over Northern Europe is just as dumb.
First of all, most of Eastern European countries are in the EU, so get your facts straight first.
Also, according to WTO (2015 census):
Suicides per 100,000 people per year (age standardized)
South Korea 24.1
Belgium 16.1
Japan 15.4
Finland 14.2
Sweden 12.7
USA 12.6
France 12.3
New Zealand 12.3
Iceland 11.8
Austria 11.7
Ireland 11.1
Switzerland 10.7
Australia 10.4
Canada 10.4
The Netherlands 9.4 Norway 9.3
Germany 9.1 Denmark 9.1
Luxembourg 8.6
Portugal 8.5
UK 7.4
Spain 6
Israel 5.4
Italy 5.4
Greece 3.2
There are only a handful of developed countries that are below double digits, most of them have it more than 10, and the low ones include two Scandinavian countries. Only Finland is higher and Sweden is a little bit higher.
The eastern European countries have barely made it in the EU (some are not still fully integrated in the EU framework).....Greece is part of the EU since 1981, Spain and Portugal joined in 1986 and, by the way, this is not a discussion about developed vs less developed countries (with many countries being practically developed but somehow not considered that way by you but that is different story)
Correlate the Scandinavian countries suicide rate with the heavy use on antidepressant (I posted the list as well, some of the Scandinavian nations are the most heavy users)....suicide rates have come down in these countries in the last 10-20 years but I suspect there is a linkage with the massive increase in the consumption of antidepressant.....the few eastern European countries on that list are in the lower portion of the ranking.
For countries that claim to be "the happiest" there is something that does not look right (I visited them an my opinion confirm this)...as that book I mentioned before said, the myth of the happy Scandinavian is a well known (sad) joke.
So I stand by the claim that for countries that should be considered happy they have a rather high suicide rate and heavy use of antidepressant.
Handful of developed countries under double digit?? more than that just on your list, real world to you, even Greece is a fully developed country.
Quote:
They are indeed barely more advanced than EE countries. Italy and Spain are still above but Portugal and Greece are no longer ahead.
Barely more advanced?? Have you actually visited these countries?? I agree that there are EE countries that are, for all practical intent and purpose, well into developed stage but evidently you never set foot (or if you did you were blindfolded) in the southern European countries......again in real QOL Spain, Italy and Portugal can rival Canada or the US (and actually being ahead on certain aspects)....
Last edited by saturno_v; 09-07-2017 at 01:03 PM..
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