Friday, May 20, 2011

Seeking the Soul: Happiness

                                                                          
Today are added (at bottom) similar rankings from Nationmaster, which only lists a top 50 (Germany is not in their top 50), the World Database of Happiness, and the World Vaules Survey, whose map is above.

The pursuit of happiness was one of the "unalienable" rights that America's Founding Fathers held the "Creator" had endowed all "Men" with and which that "Tyrant" King George III had deprived them of.  Happiness, pursuit of, or captive, was not put in the United States Constitution by the F.F.'s (nor was God or other Creator-like synonyms).

So how happy are Americans compared to other peoples?  Here are two sets of rankings. The first is from Professor Adrian White of the University of Leicester. The map, a marketing stroke of genius, is also Professor White's.
                                                                         
Top 10 happiest (Prof. Adrian White):

1. Denmark 
2. Switzerland 
3. Austria 
4. Iceland
5. The Bahamas
6. Finland
7. Sweden
8. Bhutan
9. Brunei
10. Canada

Other:

23. USA
35. Germany
41. UK
62. France
82. China
167. Russia


Top 10 happiest (Forbes magazine):


1. Denmark
2. Finland
3. Norway
4. Sweden (tie)
4. Netherlands
6. New Zealand (tie)
6. Costa Rica
7. Canada
8. Israel (tie)
8. Switzerland
8. Australia


Other


14. USA
17. UK
33. Germany
44. France
73. Russia
125. China

Top 10 happiest (Nationmaster)


1. Iceland
2. Sweden (tie)
2. Denmark
2. Netherlands
5. Australia
6. Ireland (tie)
6. Switzerland
8. Norway
9. UK (tie)
10. Venezuela

Other


13. USA (tie)
13. France
29. China
46. Russia


Top 10 (World Database of Happiness)


1. Costa Rica
2. Denmark
3. Iceland
4. Switzerland
5. Finland
6. Mexico
7. Norway
8. Canada
9. Panama
10. Sweden

Other


21. USA
29. Germany
32. UK
47. France
59. China
91. Russia

Top 10 happiest (World Values Survey)


1. Denmark
2. Puerto Rico
3. Colombia
4. Iceland
5. Northern Ireland
6. Switzerland
7. Netherlands
8. Canada
9. Austria
10. El Salvador

Other


15. USA
20. UK
34. W. Germany
36. France
48. E. Germany
53. China
88. Russia