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US "Happiness" at an all time low

Elixir

Elixir

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US drops to record low in 2025 World Happiness Report​

  1. Finland
  2. Denmark
  3. Iceland
  4. Sweden
  5. Netherlands
  6. Costa Rica
  7. Norway
  8. Israel
  9. Luxembourg
  10. Mexico
  11. Australia
  12. New Zealand
  13. Switzerland
  14. Belgium
  15. Ireland
  16. Lithuania
  17. Austria
  18. Canada
  19. Slovenia
  20. Czechia
  21. United Arab Emirates
  22. Germany
  23. United Kingdom
  24. United States
  25. Belize
I suppose it would be wrong to blame America's slide into authoritarianism; after all, Israel is in the top 10 happiest, with an utter shitbag authoritarian at the helm.
Costa Rica and Mexico both made their top 10 debut on the World Happiness Report this year, coming in at the No. 6 and No. 10 spots, respectively.
European nations Lithuania (No. 16), Slovenia (No. 19) and Czechia (No. 20) are continuing upward trends, according to the report.
The report also listed three nations that have improved happiness since the ranking began in 2012: Serbia (No. 31), Bulgaria (No. 81), and Georgia (No. 91).
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Article is full of deep insight [/sarcasm]
The report suggests that countries where acts of generosity and kindness are frequent often lead to less despair related deaths such as suicide or drug overdose.
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No shit?
What can help? I think setting Tesla dealerships on fire is very therapeutic. Also, buying an AR, stocking up on ammo and dreaming of a clear shot at <300 yards, can probably help as a mental exercise.
More seriously, the report cites eating alone as a factor in the decline of 'Murkin bliss.

Personally, I think living in the Royal Shithole of Trumpistan can be depressing to some people (me).
What do you think, infidels? What horrible thing is causing YOU to be so sad that you're dragging us down out of the top 20?



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Elixir said:

US drops to record low in 2025 World Happiness Report​

  1. Finland
  2. Denmark
  3. Iceland
  4. Sweden
  5. Netherlands
  6. Costa Rica
  7. Norway
  8. Israel
  9. Luxembourg
  10. Mexico
  11. Australia
  12. New Zealand
  13. Switzerland
  14. Belgium
  15. Ireland
  16. Lithuania
  17. Austria
  18. Canada
  19. Slovenia
  20. Czechia
  21. United Arab Emirates
  22. Germany
  23. United Kingdom
  24. United States
  25. Belize
I suppose it would be wrong to blame America's slide into authoritarianism; after all, Israel is in the top 10 happiest, with an utter shitbag authoritarian at the helm.
Costa Rica and Mexico both made their top 10 debut on the World Happiness Report this year, coming in at the No. 6 and No. 10 spots, respectively.
European nations Lithuania (No. 16), Slovenia (No. 19) and Czechia (No. 20) are continuing upward trends, according to the report.
The report also listed three nations that have improved happiness since the ranking began in 2012: Serbia (No. 31), Bulgaria (No. 81), and Georgia (No. 91).
Click to expand...
Article is full of deep insight [/sarcasm]
The report suggests that countries where acts of generosity and kindness are frequent often lead to less despair related deaths such as suicide or drug overdose.
Click to expand...
No shit?
What can help? I think setting Tesla dealerships on fire is very therapeutic. Also, buying an AR, stocking up on ammo and dreaming of a clear shot at <300 yards, can probably help as a mental exercise.
More seriously, the report cites eating alone as a factor in the decline of 'Murkin bliss.

Personally, I think living in the Royal Shithole of Trumpistan can be depressing to some people (me).
What do you think, infidels? What horrible thing is causing YOU to be so sad that you're dragging us down out of the top 20?

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I recently spent 10 days in United Arab Emriates and, even though it has an authoritarian government, it was closer to what can be considered a benign dictatorship. It was clean everywhere, no homeless people (they deport people who don't maintain housing and guarantee houses to the natives, jobs are relatively plentiful), lots of happy children and play areas everywhere for them. Infrastructure in good condition. Taxes are also very low. And very welcoming of foreigners and immigrants (90% of the population is foreign born, and relatively easy to get a visa to live and work there). There also seemed to be more of an optimism in the air, that things were improving. Crime is extremely low, people feel very safe.

I also experienced a lot of generosity and excellent hospitality from the locals. A very welcoming society.

Of course that isn't to say it is all sunshine and roses, those immigrants working menial jobs face harsh labor conditions and low wages (not much different than undocumented immigrants in the US), there is no freedom of speech and other civil liberties, and there is a level of soft corruption where the locals who have connections with the government can get special privileges when it comes to fines and other legal troubles.

But dang, the quality of life seemed quite appealing in a lot of ways.

It got me thinking, if democracy gets us someone like Trump, what really is the advantage?

What we have developing in the US is a cruel, psycopathic dictatorship, like Rome's Nero.

And that of course makes me very sad, to intellectually no longer to be as committed to democracy as I once was (at least US style, perhaps other systems can be much more resistent to authoritarianism), to fear for the future of my country. To constantly worry about those who are vulnerable and will be brutalized by the US government. To worry about the dismantling of the rule of law and democratic institutions. The unbelievable level of corruption.
 
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ideologyhunter said:
Fuck this topic. I'm headed to Finland.
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All I know is that when we slide below the UK, things are dire. The English are probably the most practiced population on the planet at maintaining perpetual depression.

US drops to record low in 2025 World Happiness Report: See global rankings​

Axulus said:
It got me thinking, if democracy gets us someone like Trump, what really is the advantage?
Click to expand...
Democracy didn’t get us Trump, Russia did.
Axulus said:
What we have developing in the US is a cruel, psycopathic dictatorship, like Rome's Nero.
Click to expand...
Very much so. All that’s missing is someone who can play a fiddle to entertain us as we burn.
 
Axulus said:
It got me thinking, if democracy gets us someone like Trump, what really is the advantage?
Click to expand...
Well, the advantage mostly accrues to the poorer majority, rather than the middle class and wealthy minority.

Things like immigrants working menial jobs not having to face harsh labor conditions and low wages, freedom of speech and other civil liberties, and the absence of soft corruption where the folks who have connections with the government can get special privileges when it comes to fines and other legal troubles.

As long as you are one of the fortunate people who get to exploit the system, rather than be exploited by it, totalitarian dictatorships are great. The advantage of democracy is that it helps out the entire population, and throws a lifeline to those who would otherwise be trapped in the lower echelons of society.
 
Elixir said:
bilby said:
Politesse said:
Pro tip: the Finns spend their winters reading by a fire.
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With a lot of Vodka.
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Why isn’t Russia top three, then?
Click to expand...

Let us consult the experts:

"I think that the principal and most basic spiritual need of the Russian People is the need for suffering, incessant and unslakeable suffering, everywhere and in everything. I think the Russian People have been infused with this need to suffer from time immemorial. A current of martyrdom runs through their entire history, and it flows not only from external misfortunes and disasters but springs from the very heart of the People themselves. There is always an element of suffering even in the happiness of the Russian People, and without it their happiness is incomplete."

Fyodor Dostoyecsky, A Writer's Diary
 
Axulus said:
Elixir said:

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It got me thinking, if democracy gets us someone like Trump, what really is the advantage?

What we have developing in the US is a cruel, psycopathic dictatorship, like Rome's Nero.
Click to expand...
Its more like Rome's Caesar IMO. US founders knew as much which is why our constitution was based on a Republic with 3 branches instead of a pure "mob" democracy. Unfortunately, the US has lost most its Republic (as Rome did) and is being governed in crises by the mob.
 
RVonse said:
Its more like Rome's Caesar IMO. US founders knew as much which is why our constitution was based on a Republic with 3 branches instead of a pure "mob" democracy. Unfortunately, the US has lost most its Republic (as Rome did) and is being governed in crises by the mob.
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the mob run Teaparty would be more accurate.
That's the Teaparty schtick, the Deep State manipulating the mob. And it's working, for the Deep State.
Tom
 
What sort of crazy ancient propaganda is that? Rome was never ruled by a mob. Beset by one, a few times, but a riot is not a system of government. And the ascension of the Julii clan to supreme power most certainly did not end riots.
 
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Politesse said:
What sort of crazy ancient propaganda is that? Rome was never ruled by a mob. Beset by one, a few times, but a riot is not a system of government. And the ascension of the Julii clan to supreme power most certainly did not end riots.
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I guess Roman history is another subject RVonse got from right wing blow hards instead of real historians.
 
bilby said:
Axulus said:
It got me thinking, if democracy gets us someone like Trump, what really is the advantage?
Click to expand...
Well, the advantage mostly accrues to the poorer majority, rather than the middle class and wealthy minority.
Click to expand...
You are not taking into account that poorer majority being conned by a demagogue. Hitler started WWII, and by pure luck humanity had not yet invented nuclear weapons. We are not so lucky this time. If a system that helps the poorer majorty eventually leads to nuclear holocaust, as now seems likely, maybe they deserve no vote. There needs to be a minimum standard in place to allow a vote, or we are all fucked.
bilby said:
Things like immigrants working menial jobs not having to face harsh labor conditions and low wages, freedom of speech and other civil liberties, and the absence of soft corruption where the folks who have connections with the government can get special privileges when it comes to fines and other legal troubles.
Click to expand...

bilby said:
As long as you are one of the fortunate people who get to exploit the system, rather than be exploited by it, totalitarian dictatorships are great. The advantage of democracy is that it helps out the entire population, and throws a lifeline to those who would otherwise be trapped in the lower echelons of society.
Click to expand...
Until the minority that votes takes control of the levers of power and fucks over the majority. Now the whole world is fucked, as is happening before our eyes.
 
Axulus said:
Until the minority that votes
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If only a minority votes, it's not a democracy, it's an oligarchy.

The US was designed as a fairly broad oligarchy, and has become a mainly theocratic one, albeit more by way of apathetic self-disenfranchisement than by the explicit restriction of the franchise to the favoured few.

The result is the same though; And such explicit restrictions as those achieved through gerrymandering and voter suppression are certainly almost as important as the large scale apathy, as causes of your current disaster.
 
Elixir said:
US drops to record low in 2025 World Happiness Report
  1. Finland
  2. Denmark
  3. Iceland
  4. Sweden
  5. Netherlands
  6. Costa Rica
  7. Norway
  8. Israel
  9. Luxembourg
  10. Mexico
  11. Australia
  12. New Zealand
  13. Switzerland
  14. Belgium
  15. Ireland
  16. Lithuania
  17. Austria
  18. Canada
  19. Slovenia
  20. Czechia
  21. United Arab Emirates
  22. Germany
  23. United Kingdom
  24. United States
  25. Belize
I suppose it would be wrong to blame America's slide into authoritarianism; after all, Israel is in the top 10 happiest, with an utter shitbag authoritarian at the helm.
Click to expand...

Happiness certainly seems like a worthy goal! Even those who emphasize some other quality will probably admit that happiness is a prerequisite and/or consequence of that other quality. But how is "Happiness" measured?

AFAICT, World Happiness Report bases its measures on the average response of a country's inhabitants to ONE question:
Our happiness ranking is based on a single life evaluation question called the Cantril Ladder:
  • Please imagine a ladder with steps numbered from 0 at the bottom to 10 at the top.
  • The top of the ladder represents the best possible life for you and the bottom of the ladder represents the worst possible life for you.
  • On which step of the ladder would you say you personally feel you stand at this time?
This question is both democratic and universal. Rather than constructing an index from multiple metrics, the Cantril Ladder empowers people to make their own judgements about what matters most, regardless of their culture and background.
Click to expand...

The Report DOES seek better understanding by asking other questions; and doing regression on these results and other statistics to determine WHY the happy countries are happy.

Netherlands and the Scandinavian countries have very low GINI (inequality) scores: This should improve their "Happiness", especially given the ladder-based question. But U.S. and Israel have among the highest GINI's in the developed Western world and yet rank above lower-Gini countries like France. Mexico and especially Costa Rico have high GINIs, yet make the Top Ten List!

Here is a Table of Contents for the World Happiness Report. Click for more insights. For example, in the U.S., Canada and Australia it is older people and not the young who are "happy." This age relationship is reversed in the newly-happy countries of East and Central Europe.

this table gives countries' scores on 13 criteria.
This chart purports to show WHY a country is happy but seems almost useless to me.

For its reports and default graphs, WHR uses a 3-year average. Below see the 3-year average over 14 years for 8 countries. I tried the (more informative?) UNaveraged graph but "noise" (zigzagging )made the graph looked cluttered.


happy3.jpg
 
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