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My kneejerk reaction was to say you're wrong and of course EU citizens are happier, but thinking deeply about it that's nonsense. North Europe yes, happier by a
by joelbluminator 5y ago
My kneejerk reaction was to say you're wrong and of course EU citizens are happier, but thinking deeply about it that's nonsense. North Europe yes, happier by a lot. But if you consider the EU in its entirety, the South (Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece) and the East (Poland, Romania, Bulgaria) bring down the average by a lot.
When the economy is down and corrupt no amount of safety nets will help you be happy, you simply won't have a job.
So on average I would say happiness levels are about the same, both blocks have very vast regions which are poorer/neglected and where resentment is growing. The state of the economy is one of the most important factors in determining happiness, other things are perceived corruption, equality, freedom and safety. That's why North Europe scores so high but the struggling South despite it's awesome weather and views is not happy at all.
- dieortin 5y agoAre you seriously saying people in the north of Europe are happier than in the south? I beg to disagree. Countries in the north have, for example, much higher suicide rates. I’d actually argue people in the south are happier than in the north. Of course, their economies are weaker. But that doesn’t have to translate directly into unhappiness.
- marvin 5y agoYou'd have to argue why suicide rates that are measured to be higher trumps scientific attempts at directly measuring happiness. The latter does indeed rank Southern Europe lower than both Northern Europe and the United States. https://countryeconomy.com/demography/world-happiness-index https://countryeconomy.com/demography/world-happiness-index
- joelbluminator 5y agoI think unemployment will usually translate to unhappiness. If you are unemployed 30-40 year what do you do? Start a family? Can't. Travel the world? Can't. Find consolation in religion? Very few people in Europe do that. Jobs are very very important for self esteem and mental well being.
- relativ575 5y agoIf we don't even agree on what happiness means, how can we decide whether people in the US or EU are happier?
- joelbluminator 5y agoWell we can ask people how happy they are by making them score their lives, that's what most happiness researchers do. We can pretty much all agree on what unhappiness is right? Starvation is unhappy. Terrible war is unhappy. Mental illness is unhappy. Loneliness is almost always unhappy. I don't think it's as subjective as you make it to be. The pyramid of needs is quite universal.