Why The 'Happiness Index' Rankings Are BS

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Every year there is a list of happiest places in the world and the list may not be truly representative of true happiness for some people. Here is why!

#travelhappy #happinessindex #happytravellers
Copyright Mark Wolters 2023

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[nzmarkj]

I am a happiness researcher, and you are correct, the rankings differ depending on the definition of happiness. In terms of Finland, the question asked was actually about life satisfaction, which is an Ok view, but may not reflect most people’s views. Mark has equated happiness with outgoingness and sociability, which is another view. My research, where I have asked people what happiness means to them, indicates that it is an underlying sense of contentment and peace. Therefore it is entirely possible that the quiet, introverted and respectful Finns are indeed happy.

[jglove]

I’m a Finn and I live in Finland. Finland is a good country to live in. Peaceful and safe. There is clean air and beautiful nature here. The four Seasons! Although summer should be longer and winter shorter. Nightless nights in summer, dark in winter, Of ​​course there is room for improvement here too, but compared to many other countries, things are really good here.

[SteveInNEPA]

My happiness criteria measurement is simple: are there donuts nearby? 😂

[andrewbennett]

I first learned about this when traveling with a lot of Germans and Danes in hostels in Costa Rica. They consistently said that their understanding of happiness was contentment and security, but what they saw among the Costa Ricans, who under other measures are the happiest country in the world, was joy and zest for life. That particular trip left a strong impression on me and led me to conceive of things differently in places I traveled afterwards.

[Demetri]

I never take those rankings seriously because they are so bias.

[jennyoshea]

Chester is beautiful 🌟☺️ and one of my happy places 👌✨

[hassanalihusseini]

You are on the spot. Had to live in one of these "happiest nordic countries", and it made both my wife and me depressed.The happiest place always was the airport when leaving. Never ever again I want to live there.

[ghaznavid]

Having lived in South Africa my entire life, I agree those safety lists are rubbish. Based on what I read online, you'd think I live in a war zone.

[Stolzmexikaner]

Hey how are you Wolters! I'm really sorry if I forgot your name😅. I agree with you! In fact in every country you will find happy people who are really optimistic and positive about life! The happiness varies by person, not by country. Thanks for sharing this! Greetings from Mexico! 😊😊 Have a nice day!

[karakechck]

Chester resident here. It was ranked as one of the best places to live in the UK. Most people feel lucky to live here.

[livinginvancouverbc]

I've lived in Vancouver 30 years. People are friendly but you will never be accepted into their cliques. And if you are invited by a friend his friends will act like you don't exist or be rude to you. I've had too many sometimes brutal experiences. It's different if you're a visitor because they know you'll be leaving.

[runarandersen]

I have met some Finnish tourists. They were not smiling and didn’t say hello, didn’t make my day better;)

[LibertyDino]

Some countries also try to manipulate the statistics and ignore certain factors to get a higher rating.
Germany is a perfect example for that.

[jasonkrick]

‘Happiness’ is the most misunderstood and overused without knowing what it is.

There is no such thing as ‘happiness’. Happiness is a temporary sensation. No different than snorting lines of coke or taking that first bite of a double chocolate cake. It is a dopamine rush.

Anyone who touts happiness is selling you something.

What life should be all about is contentment followed by gratitude.

Be content with where you are, the you get gratitude. Then hopefully that will fuel motivation for be better.

[WanderToLearn]

I have also felt this, for sure. They're utter BS. Well put together!

[VampiraVonGhoulscout]

Unfortunately, from my traumatic time of trying to move to Finland after Brexit, I have found that it is definitely not as happy as it seems and the expat ratings have plummeted drastically recently because you're only in the "happiest country in the world" if you were born there. If you're an immigrant, the secret to getting a job and a residence permit is to be Finnish and be born there, otherwise you're screwed. Most of the time, employers will not take non-Finnish people no matter how good your resume or language skills are. The door is slammed in your face and there's very much a sentiment of "this is my country, get out".

[alexlindquist]

Great analysis! I think the world happiness index should be rethought of as "governments that provide the most for their people."

[wr]

As a swede, I got chocked when I heard that Finland was the happiest place on earth.

When u are going thru though times in sweden we say "after rain comes sunshine" in finland they say "it could always get worse".

Another saying they have is "who has happiness should hide it" Though thats more so about not bragging but still...

Just like he said, I think they are content.

[anita_R]

A feet feet from my home. The clock in Chester x

[WizardOfOss]

With all those rankings it's all about specific criteria that generally are very much geared towards either locals or expats, not so much regular travelers. Even worse are the "most expensive places" rankings, which generally are all about living a typical western lifestyle no matter where you go, witthout adapting in any way to the local way of living. I once saw the criteria for such a list, and it explained a lot: A house of a certain (pretty big) size, a car (and not a tiny one either), steak for dinner, shopping western brands (and sizes) for clothes....yeah, it's not too hard to see why certain places that actually aren't that expensive at all for travelers often still end up on top of such lists...