A passage in the U.S. Declaration of Independence says that all men are created equal and are endowed by God with certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
While that all sounds great, the reality is that Americans may not have access to happiness in the same manner as citizens of many other countries on Earth – especially the Scandinavian nation of Finland.
According to the annual “World Happiness Report” generated through Gallup poll surveys that rank happiness levels in 156 countries around the globe, Finland is the world’s happiest country for the second year in a row.
Interestingly, the rest of the joyful top 10 is dominated by more Nordic countries, including No. 2 Denmark, No. 3 Norway and fourth-ranked Iceland. Next up are the Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, New Zealand, Canada and Austria.
Nope, the United States ain’t anywhere in there. We’re ranked 19th,one notch lower than last time and the lowest ever for the good old red, white and blue.
But I guess the good news is, America isn’t in the unhappiest top-10, either. That list is heavily dominated by African nations, including South Sudan at No. 1 and the Central African Republic at No. 2.
The rest of the miserable list features Afghanistan, Tanzania, Rwanda, Yemen, Malawi, Syria, Botswana and Haiti.
For the record, Finland has ranked in the top-5 on the happy charts for eight years running.
So why Finland? Why do the approximately 5.5 million Fins get to live such cheerful and lengthy lives?
According to the survey, there are multiple factors.
One is education. Finland is renowned for its top-notch education system, and most people there have a higher literacy rating than elsewhere on Earth. Adult education is even big, with secondary evening schools and other forms of adult study centers being a fixture in society.
Another is the nation’s economy, which makes finding gainful employment relatively easy and provides Fins with a higher per capita income than in most countries.
People in Finland also live longer than in most countries, with the average man making it to age 79 and the average woman hanging on until she’s 84. Fins also like their water quality and their access to housing and healthcare, and not surprisingly are more engaged in civic affairs and activities than citizens of most countries (now there’s a stark contrast with what typically goes on in these parts). And most Fins indicated there is someone in their lives they could rely on in a “time of need.”
Good for them. I’m happy the Fins are so happy.
One thing, though: There’s that latitude problem. The vast majority of Finland lies within the “subarctic” zone – where temperatures aren’t very kind for a significant portion of the calendar year – and a quarter of it is actually inside the Arctic Circle. For more of a geographic perspective, even Finland’s southernmost coastline on the Baltic Sea is hundreds of miles north of the border between North Dakota and Manitoba.
Basically, I’m not keen on living anywhere that’s even partially associated with the word “arctic.” But come to think of it, maybe that’s why there are only about 5.5 million happy Fins rather than 55 million.
Oh, those clever Fins.
Anyway, frigid conditions notwithstanding, I think there is something to be learned from Finland. Maybe life isn’t so hard to figure out after all, and maybe with a few adjustments, other countries – like the U.S. – could be on a similar level of contentment.
Then again, maybe Americans should be satisfied with being in the top-20 and focus on protecting that ranking. It seems to me we would want to do anything we can to keep from dropping further down the chart – and maybe even ending up in the wrong top-10.
Unfortunately, I’m not confident about that situation. All things considered, I fear we’re headed in the wrong direction with regard to the happiness equation.
And keep in mind, that’s not from someone who’s just a 24-7 doom-and-gloomer. I’m just someone who observes what’s apparent and who watches the evening news now and then.
Doug Davison is a writer, photographer and newsroom assistant for the Houston Herald.
Email: ddavison@houstonherald.com.
