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Affluence and happiness

We do hear alot about the "happiness" of simple lives - of people with fewer possessions and less materialism

However a recent study makes for some interesting reading

What do you make of the following results:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/28_07_06_happiness_map.pdf

Reply 1

Kano the Magnificent

poor people in poor countries have miserable lives, hold the front page

Reply 2

username9303

3

Quite interesting to see that the French and the Japanese are only Average on the happiness scale. Makes sense to me though, I would have thought that people that are happy living with fewer possessions and less materialism were found in countries where they could be the other end of the scale if they wish.

Reply 3

SolInvictus

11

Lawz-

We do hear alot about the "happiness" of simple lives - of people with fewer possessions and less materialism

And you hear it from those who have many possessions, but never seem to do the simple thing and part with them.

Reply 4

Howard

5

olliemccowan

Quite interesting to see that the French and the Japanese are only Average on the happiness scale. Makes sense to me though, I would have thought that people that are happy living with fewer possessions and less materialism were found in countries where they could be the other end of the scale if they wish.

Well, the French are well known for being miserable bastards so I'm actually quite surprized to learn they are even averagely happy.

Reply 5

Kano the Magnificent

i want in on the apparent nirvana those in greenland have :smile:

Reply 6

Longshoredrift80

10

olliemccowan

Quite interesting to see that the French ... are only Average on the happiness scale.

Yes, well, you have to take in to account the fact that they're French...

Reply 7

Longshoredrift80

10

Howard

Well, the French are well known for being miserable bastards so I'm actually quite surprized to learn they are even averagely happy.

Heh, this time you beat me to it! :biggrin:

Reply 8

username9303

3

Howard

Well, the French are well known for being miserable bastards so I'm actually quite surprized to learn they are even averagely happy.

True true, and thinking about it they've been having so many social problems with jobs and immigration, with all those riots etc. so having said that, I'm not too surprised.

Reply 9

Lawz-

OP

14

Howard - DO you have any possible illegitimate children who are Jewish by chance? I am noticing an alarming congruence between you two :wink:

Reply 10

Lawz-

OP

14

I think a country to country comparison can be difficult - because variables entirely separate from wealth (such as a general bastardishness for the French) can skew the conclusion - the point is one of a trend really.

The French are currently pretty pissed off about everything... and many of those things have nothing to do with standard of living.

Of course your wife sleeping around all the time doesnt help either ...

Reply 11

Howard

5

Lawz-

Howard - DO you have any possible illegitimate children who are Jewish by chance?

Good question. I have known a lot of people's sisters after all.

Reply 12

shady lane

16

I'm shocked that the US ranked so highly. I don't think Americans are extremely happy by any means! I went to Brazil, and they seem way happier.

Reply 13

username9303

3

shady lane

I'm shocked that the US ranked so highly. I don't think Americans are extremely happy by any means! I went to Brazil, and they seem way happier.

But Brazil has very high crime levels, and many many shanty towns (favellas I think they're called in Brazil) - so those people probably aren't going to be very happy.

Reply 14

Kano the Magnificent

yah i bet the survey teams didn't go there...they probably watched City of God and extrapolated out from the amount of cocaine use

Reply 15

Howard

5

shady lane

I'm shocked that the US ranked so highly. I don't think Americans are extremely happy by any means! I went to Brazil, and they seem way happier.

Happiness is relative isn't it though. It means different things to different people - for example, a Frenchman who claims to be overjoyed with happiness would probably be the equivalent of someone with suicidal tendencies in Brazil.

Reply 16

shady lane

16

Howard

Happiness is relative isn't it though. It means different things to different people - for example, a Frenchman who claims to be overjoyed with happiness would probably be the equivalent of someone with suicidal tendencies in Brazil.

hahahahahah

Reply 17

naivesincerity

2

Lawz-

We do hear alot about the "happiness" of simple lives - of people with fewer possessions and less materialism

However a recent study makes for some interesting reading

What do you make of the following results:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/28_07_06_happiness_map.pdf

Interesting that the Italians and Spanish see themselves as happier than the French

Course money brings happiness. And it means if you have enough, you can do whatever the hell you like.

Reply 18

dsch

13

it isn't one of those things where a relationship is maintained indefinitely. A certain amount of affluence is clearly necessary for well being, to pay for warmth, food, a certain required level of luxury. After this threshold has been met, additional wealth makes less and less difference to happiness.

Reply 19

Howard

5

naivesincerity

Interesting that the Italians and Spanish see themselves as happier than the French

Course money brings happiness. And it means if you have enough, you can do whatever the hell you like.

"Enough to do what they want but not enough to do nothing" That's how Steve Forbes recently described his approach to leaving a legacy to his children.

I think it's great to see some of the world's richest people taking a good long look at what they are going to do with their billions. My hat's off to Bill Gates and Warren Buffet; after years of criticism over being stinginess they throw a complete curve ball and together set up the largest philanphropist institution the world has ever seen. Good for them!

Affluence and happiness

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