First things first, are you happy? If you say Yes, No, or Sometimes; this will lead to the next question: What exactly does it mean to be happy?
While there are no standard definitions for happiness, there are at least seven key ingredients of happiness. People who live in the happiest countries have:
- Longer life expectancies, that is, they live long
- Have more social support
- Have more freedom to make life choices
- Have lower perceptions of corruption
- Experience more generosity
- Experience less inequality of happiness and
- Have a higher gross domestic product per capita
People’s general happiness was not measured in money terms alone, but also how well their societies promoted prosperity, justice, and environmental sustainability.
For example, countries like Iceland (3rd) and Ireland (19th) both suffered economic losses, but this didn’t greatly affect their happiness because of their high degree of social support, that is, how much people help one another do things without expecting payment.
See the Top 10:
1. Denmark
2. Switzerland
3. Iceland
4. Norway
5. Finland
6. Canada
7. The Netherlands (Holland)
8. New Zealand
9. Australia
10. Sweden
While the countries at the bottom are:
153. Benin
154. Afghanistan
155. Togo
156. Syria, and
157. Burundi
Though Nigeria is neither in the top nor lower rungs of the happiness ladder, it’s easy to see where we fall when measured against what makes up the basic ingredients for happiness.
But all the same, I am sure some will insist that they are happy and who can begrudge them, after all one can choose to be happy!
