Six months ago the New York Times posted a sociology article on the happiest country in the world. According to the columnist, Nicholas Kristof, Costa Rica is "arguably the happiest nation on earth" (to read the whole article click here: The Happiest People).
Kristof and his daughter traveled to Costa Rica to experience more than sloths and gorgeous coast lines. They were there to understand what makes the people of this South American country so exceptionally happy. Even though it can't be measured by an exact science, three systems have been established to estimate happiness in countries.
The first is by the World Database of Happiness which was created by a Dutch sociologist. This database determines levels of happiness through surveys that are collected from 148 countries. On average, the citizens of Costa Rica have rated their happiness at an 8.5 out of 10 points. The United States has an average of 7.4.
Another system involves "happy life years", which averages these rates and life expectancy. Costa Rica remained in the top while the United States came in 19th.
In the final system, established by the New Economics Foundation, happiness and life expectancy are matched with environmental impacts (i.e: the amount of carbon countries put off). Once again, Costa Rica managed to have high happiness levels and long life expectancy while being respectful to the environment. Our country ranked in at 114th, which could be due to our massive ecological footprint.
Costa Rica could be the happiest nation for several reasons. The people of Costa Rica strongly protect their environment. Kristof's daughter was fascinated by the beaches, national parks, and wildlife. But many believe the biggest factor behind their exceedingly high amounts of happiness is their choice to abolish their armed forces.
After discontinuing their armed forces, Costa Rica invested the money in education. Increased importance on learning made their country more stable while bringing in many other benefits. Since then their economy has improved, there had been more gender equality (topping the United States in the gender gap index, created by the World Economic Forum), refined their health care, and promoted longer lives. In addition, their environmental preservation has allowed for more economic benefits. Costa Rica's culture values social life over financial stresses. This and their love for family and friends has greatly impacted their happiness.
Quickly applying this to my family, I know my parents are both devoted to working and taking care of our family. My dad comes home stressed and unhappy from work every day and my mom worries about getting everything done around the house. We still manage to spend time with each other, but I think my parents forget that life doesn't need to be so work-oriented and it should be enjoyed a bit more.
The United States is considered a self-serving country, where everything involves around one individual. Their success and their failures only revolve around themselves. Outside of our country, other nations believe in working and succeeding together. They also strongly value family, community, and culture; where as the United States puts financial values on top.
There is a huge stress on work, money, and independence that we forget what is irreplaceable and important. No matter what happens, your family and friends will always be there. They're the ones who make you laugh, get you to smile, and will be there for you. No amount of money will ever buy you that or happiness.
Our country periodically loses the idea of community, which is something we need to make stronger. We're usually quick to shut people down when we need them the most, but needing help is more than okay. The people around us are the ones we should be able to rely on to pull us through.
I also know armed forces is a controversial issue, and one that I don't know enough about to have an exact opinion. However, maybe we could consider placing more emphasis on education and a little less on violence.
The column states Togo, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe are some of the unhappiest nations. Even though we aren't the least happy country in the world, maybe we should make an effort on becoming a happier nation and a happier planet.
After reading this, I am so jealous of Costa Rica and want to move there right now! Having more gender equality and refined health care especially contribute to happier lives because they are such problematic issues in at least the United States. It seems like the number one discussed topic in politics today is health care. There is so much argument over this topic that people are going crazy. Also, there are the people who are so poor that they can't afford health care and spend a lot of time worrying about what they are going to do if they get sick that they live less happy lives.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with how your family functions and it seems that way at my house too. Everyone is so focused on how much money we will be making, how hard my classes are this year, and what college I will be going to. Even though my parents aren't neccessarily pushing me to be a straight A student with all AP classes, it seems like that is the pressure Stevenson itself puts on it's students. We have grown up around Accelerated, Honors and AP classes. It is looked down upon if you don't go to college. All the focus in our lives as students is how to create a better life for ourselves, but what the adults don't realize is that having a better life is not just about being intelligent and having a high powered job.
This was so interesting! Its weird to think about how different your life would be if you lived in a different country. This just shows that your surroundings really do affect who you are as well as the people around you.
ReplyDeleteI really did not expect Costa Rica to be the happiest nation on Earth. I thought it would be one of the first world countries like England or the U.S. This shows that while countries like the U.S have more money and more influence around the world that doesn't necessarily mean the citizens of that country are happy.
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