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Suicide rates are surprisingly bad proxies for both happiness and base needs; for example, Scandinavia is notoriously high ranking for suicide, among other big
by gwern 9y ago
Suicide rates are surprisingly bad proxies for both happiness and base needs; for example, Scandinavia is notoriously high ranking for suicide, among other big anomalies: http://slatestarcodex.com/2015/01/15/depression-is-not-a-proxy-for-social-dysfunction/ http://slatestarcodex.com/2015/01/15/depression-is-not-a-pro... Or closer to home:
> But American whites have higher rates of depression than blacks. There are the usual contradictory studies and arguments about how to adjust for which confounder, but I’m pretty sure this is something like a consensus position right now. More solidly, white Americans have much higher suicide rates than black Americans.
- tokai 9y ago>Scandinavia is notoriously high ranking for suicide, Why do you perpetuate this myth, even when the source you posted yourself talk against it?
- gwern 9y agoIt doesn't, and the offered alternative is that they tend to be middling, which remains a huge exception considering they are generally considered to be the best countries for quality of life. It is thoroughly bizarre to have Scandinavia at the top or middle if you are claiming that suicide rates are an excellently sensitive barometer of happiness or fulfillment.