27 Mar The 4 Virtues of World Happiness
There’s been quite a lot of talk recently about the happiest countries in the world.
Although I personally find this fascinating, it is worth noting that “happiness” in this context is different to the “happiness” we discuss when talking about personal mental-health and wellbeing.
Both are important; they’re just different.
When talking about happiness at a national or international level, there are some “bigger” constructs that are actually being considered. If you’d like to understand all this better then read on …
via Psychology Today by Debbie Peterson
KEY POINTS
- The UN World Happiness Report found a historical pattern of virtue in the countries with the happiest people.
- Nordic countries exhibit a cluster of four recurring historical virtues that are less consistent in less happy countries.
- Psychologists confirm that whether affluent or not, citizens are happier and psychologically healthier when socially cohesive.
- Equality leads to quality institutions and quality governance, which is enhanced by universal and free education for all citizens.
Debbie Peterson/heyjasperai
The 2020 United Nations World Happiness Report, in its article, “History & the Hunt for the Root Cause,” hypothesized that past choices play a part in the psychological functioning of whole countries. The authors pointed to a historical pattern of virtue in the countries with the happiest people.
The Report ranks 156 countries by their citizens’ perception of how happy they are. Since the first World Happiness Report in 2012, the citizens of the same countries consistently rank themselves as most happy. Their happiness is associated with a cluster of co-occurring factors that are strongest in the Nordic countries of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland.
Addressing the “Nordic exceptionalism” and “cycles of virtue,” the 2020 World Happiness Report authors found a cluster of four recurring historical virtues of Nordic countries that are less consistent in less happy nations.
1. Cohesion
Psychologists Delhey and Dragolov have researched cohesion in 34 countries over 25 years, combining the private Bertelsmann Stiftung Social Cohesion Radar and the European Quality of Life Survey of individual well-being based on life evaluation and psychological functioning. They explained that resilient social relations, positive emotional connectedness between people and the community, and a pronounced focus on the common good characterize cohesion.
They found that citizens are happier and psychologically healthier when they are able to create togetherness and solidarity among themselves and that social cohesion promotes a happier life for everyone, whether affluent or not…
… keep reading the full & original article HERE