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Poor Lithuania, on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, (I am told is known to be quite wicked in the long winters.) Lithuania shares land borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, Poland to the south, and Russia to the southwest.
A long deceased great-great-grandmother was Lithuanian. Family stories about her temperament are legion, strongly spiced by such terms as "harpie" and "shrew." I've conversed with several former coworkers who immigrated from that region, many of whom actually shuddered after describing how different it was from here.
With their weather, and the contentions with Russia over their long history, I cannot help but wonder what keeps them going at all.
Estonia has had a fair share of similar problems with the collapse of the Soviet Union along with the other Baltic Countries, but they currently have a much better run more democratically elected government with a first world economy.
Estonia has had a fair share of similar problems with the collapse of the Soviet Union along with the other Baltic Countries, but they currently have a much better run more democratically elected government with a first world economy.
over 1/4 of the population commits suicide in Lithuania. Hard to believe.
Indeed. Because it's not true. This type of relatively harmless misunderstanding of the data is exactly the same type that causes so many disagreements in COVID land.
As rruff pointed out - it's 28 out of 100,000....not 28%. That's about twice the USA average.
About 47000 people died of suicide (USA) last year out of 3.5 million or so total deaths. Bit less than 1.5%. But since 3500 hundred thousand people live in the USA - and 47000 of them died from suicide - that's 47000/3500 or 13.4...close enough for this argument.
Lithuania - population 2.9 million - with a death rate of 1.5% (meaning, 45000 total Lithuanians died last year) - latest data says maybe 650 people committed suicide - that's about 1.5% (of 45000) - the very same as the USA.
But since just 30 hundred thousand people live there, 650 / 30 = 22% (it's older data - it's a bit low).
Gives the ridiculous appearance that suicide is crazy-high compared to the USA. The truth is - death from ALL KINDS OF THINGS is about 50% higher (that is, 1.5% versus 1% total deaths) in Lithuania - and suicide is no exception.
So - WHY? Easy: "Lithuanians are the world's heaviest drinkers." Raises death rates for dozens of things, including violent endings and, obviously, suicide.
Conclusion: No one should take comfort when compared to Lithuania with regard to suicide rates - unless your own nation drinks that much - which - as the data shows - no one does.
This morning on the news (I live in US - Louisiana) they talked about why Finland people were happier. it had a lot to do with being satisfied with what they had and not "keeping up with the Jones's". Also, they were "one" with nature. Calm and satisfied people.
I won't speak to happiest as I surmise this is one of those specious 'surveys' media likes to promote for clicks and other political reasons. However, I know consistently on world living quality of life type surveys, across a spectrum of variables that Finland and their Scandinavian neighboring countries, in general, consistently used to score very high. I would be interested in seeing if this is still the case with a cross longitudinal survey, especially in the areas where they have had immigration "refugee resettlement" from places they are more likely to experience "cultural abrasion" from like Iraq & Somalia.
Traditionally, the countries that score highest have tended to have a lot of homogeneity amongst the demographic breakdown; good, bad , indifferent. Pointing this salient fact out, as it seems the media in their promotion of certain "globalist" policy goals, tend to avoid talking about areas in large metros in formally relatively safe metro cities which are now acquiring "No Go" zones which even their own law enforcement cannot effectively control.
I believe this would impact "happiness" ratings, but, I bet certain questions are not asked.
While traveling to Europe over a decade ago, I got to know a young Finn woman briefly after participating in a walking tour and having lunch. When asked about differences in culture between euro countries (there were others amongst our group), readily stated the Fins like their privacy and personal space and tend to be more quiet in general.
...I know consistently on world living quality of life type surveys, across a spectrum of variables that Finland and their Scandinavian neighboring countries, in general, consistently used to score very high. I would be interested in seeing if this is still the case with a cross longitudinal survey, especially in the areas where they have had immigration "refugee resettlement" from places they are more likely to experience "cultural abrasion" from like Iraq & Somalia.
Traditionally, the countries that score highest have tended to have a lot of homogeneity amongst the demographic breakdown; good, bad , indifferent. Pointing this salient fact out, as it seems the media in their promotion of certain "globalist" policy goals, tend to avoid talking about areas in large metros in formally relatively safe metro cities which are now acquiring "No Go" zones which even their own law enforcement cannot effectively control.
I believe this would impact "happiness" ratings, but, I bet certain questions are not asked.
While traveling to Europe over a decade ago, I got to know a young Finn woman briefly after participating in a walking tour and having lunch. When asked about differences in culture between euro countries (there were others amongst our group), readily stated the Fins like their privacy and personal space and tend to be more quiet in general.
It seems to me these are good observations, and you've emphasized the homogeneity point made earlier by our friend in HI. As a people, we don't like to get our "feathers ruffled" by unfamiliar events. I think that is animal instinct.
Like I said in my OP, personally I think happiness is an inside job. If we all could learn to forestall our initial fear of the unknown long enough to see if there truly is a danger, perhaps we could find ourselves happy even in a state of "cultural abrasion."
There is (surprisingly, I thought) a deep amount of thought put into the happiness survey, which I initially also wrote off as nonsense clickbait. Still - it has shortcomings. Did you read the report? It's huge - and it's annual - and it knows far more than I do about what makes for a happy nation. But I still have questions:
1. Note that the criteria for the questions didn't intentionally skip racism or weather or whatever -but - instead - over the years - was weeded down in response to consistent and wide survey results that - mainly - those things just aren't in the top 6 of "what makes me happy."
2. A comparison of Euro Nations to the USA is doomed from the outset - as although the USA does not have a homogeneous population, they do have homogeneous regions (I'm generalizing here, not insulting, but - Floridians live there for weather, New Yorkers for Politics, Nebraskans for corn - it is literally impossible for them to agree on "what makes me happy" - unlike,say, Finland.) So - while Racism in the deep south is a huge issue to SOME americans - on the pole of 350,000,000 it ain't in the top six. For similar reasons, neither are taxes, crime, etc.. Huge in some areas, nothing in others - overall average - not in the top six.
3. As a result- Finns aren't asked about weather in the survey. They're asked about independence - an area where they score high (and many nations do) and they care deeply (and many nations do).
4. What else counts? Life expectancy, Social Support, Perceptions of Corruption, Generosity and GDP.
GDP (per capita or any other way) is waaaaaay better USA than Finland - yet Americans don't find it too important, so our "happiness" doesn't score well.
Life expectancy is higher in many nations than the USA (for many reasons - homogeneity is one of them) and so we are not proud or happy for that - but it's mainly unimportant to us (USA) and more important (elsewhere) - so they get the "Happy" point there too.
Social Support - hugely important everywhere, and Americans rightly feel left behind. Unrightly, though, half of Americans feel it's the gov'ts job, and half don't - a sentiment odd in other nations - so no happy point there.
Corruption? USA has lots of crime by any measure - can't beat the Fins there.
Generosity? I am certain the USA - as a whole - donates more than anyone, anywhere. But again, half the nation is a generous lot, and the other half WANTS that lot - makes for a medium average. Finland? No one wants it. Everyone gives it. All happy.
And so on.
SO - while I understand the Fins are probably truly happy - I'd bet the USA has a greater number of people happier than any Fins....and also a huge number of UNhappy people! And until we all agree - which is exactly never - you can expect the other nations to lead that list, and not the USA - despite having, in theory, all the tools to make it happen.
There is (surprisingly, I thought) a deep amount of thought put into the happiness survey, which I initially also wrote off as nonsense clickbait. Still - it has shortcomings. Did you read the report? It's huge - and it's annual - and it knows far more than I do about what makes for a happy nation. But I still have questions:
1. Note that the criteria for the questions didn't intentionally skip racism or weather or whatever -but - instead - over the years - was weeded down in response to consistent and wide survey results that - mainly - those things just aren't in the top 6 of "what makes me happy."
2. A comparison of Euro Nations to the USA is doomed from the outset - as although the USA does not have a homogeneous population, they do have homogeneous regions (I'm generalizing here, not insulting, but - Floridians live there for weather, New Yorkers for Politics, Nebraskans for corn - it is literally impossible for them to agree on "what makes me happy" - unlike,say, Finland.) So - while Racism in the deep south is a huge issue to SOME americans - on the pole of 350,000,000 it ain't in the top six. For similar reasons, neither are taxes, crime, etc.. Huge in some areas, nothing in others - overall average - not in the top six.
3. As a result- Finns aren't asked about weather in the survey. They're asked about independence - an area where they score high (and many nations do) and they care deeply (and many nations do).
4. What else counts? Life expectancy, Social Support, Perceptions of Corruption, Generosity and GDP.
GDP (per capita or any other way) is waaaaaay better USA than Finland - yet Americans don't find it too important, so our "happiness" doesn't score well.
Life expectancy is higher in many nations than the USA (for many reasons - homogeneity is one of them) and so we are not proud or happy for that - but it's mainly unimportant to us (USA) and more important (elsewhere) - so they get the "Happy" point there too.
Social Support - hugely important everywhere, and Americans rightly feel left behind. Unrightly, though, half of Americans feel it's the gov'ts job, and half don't - a sentiment odd in other nations - so no happy point there.
Corruption? USA has lots of crime by any measure - can't beat the Fins there.
Generosity? I am certain the USA - as a whole - donates more than anyone, anywhere. But again, half the nation is a generous lot, and the other half WANTS that lot - makes for a medium average. Finland? No one wants it. Everyone gives it. All happy.
And so on.
SO - while I understand the Fins are probably truly happy - I'd bet the USA has a greater number of people happier than any Fins....and also a huge number of UNhappy people! And until we all agree - which is exactly never - you can expect the other nations to lead that list, and not the USA - despite having, in theory, all the tools to make it happen.
Good summation! Thank you.
I think this one is put to bed. Thanks to everyone that contributed. I am bowing out. (I am happiest out here in the real world; this is just a place to stop and chat a spell.) To you all: Be well, and be happy -- it truly is in your control.
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