In the same vein as David’s fascinating post below, here is a refreshingly accurate article on the relationship between wealth and self-reported happiness around the world from the New Scientist titled “Wealthy Nations Hold the Keys to Happiness.” The occasion of the article is the publication of a world map by Adrian White, a Ph.D. psychology student at the University of Leicester, that vividly pictures self-reported life satisfaction around the world. The relationship between wealth and the percentage of people who say they are happy leaps out pretty clearly.
According to the analysis, a country’s happiness is closely related to its wealth, along with the health and education levels of its people. It is no surprise that people spending heavily on healthcare, such as US citizens, rank highly, says White, as this investment increases life expectancy and general wellbeing.
“There is a belief that capitalism leads to unhappy people,” he says. “However, when people are asked if they are happy with their lives, people in countries with good healthcare, a higher [earnings] per capita, and access to education were much more likely to report being happy.”
[...]
Large industrialised countries fared well in the new analysis, with the US and UK coming in at 23 and 41, respectively, out of 178 nations.
This stands in contrast with the recently released “Happy Planet Index” from the New Economics Foundation think tank, which placed Columbia and Honduras high up. The Happy Planet Index ranked each country according to the reported happiness level of its people divided by the amount of the world’s resources they consume.
“In the west we have the tendency to be the ‘worried well’,” White says. Too true.
I like to emphasize that self-reported subjective life satisfaction is a far cry from objective well-being, which includes non-subjective factors like health, longevity, the development of basic human capacities, and more. Complaining about the misery of life under capitalism is a sport for privileged people who, thanks to capitalism, are doing so objectively well that they can spend their days doing things like, say, getting a Ph.D. in American Studies from Berkeley and writing books about how Zombie movies reflect the horror of capitalism.
Now, I think most of us can agree that even if capitalism does give us boneheaded essays on the anti-capitalist implications of shambling, undead brain-eaters, all this health, wealth, and happiness probably makes it a good deal anyway.
[Cross-posted from Cato@Liberty]
For the sake of consistency, Will, I wouldn’t be too fulsome in your praise. Adrian White’s study is based entirely on the life satisfaction data set we developed for the Happy Planet Index report, replete with all of our ‘made-up’ data…
Best wishes
Sam
For the sake of consistency, Will, I wouldn’t be too fulsome in your praise. Adrian White’s study is based entirely on the life satisfaction data set we developed for the Happy Planet Index report, replete with all of our ‘made-up’ data…
Best wishes
Sam
For the sake of consistency, Will, I wouldn’t be too fulsome in your praise. Adrian White’s study is based entirely on the life satisfaction data set we developed for the Happy Planet Index report, replete with all of our ‘made-up’ data…
Best wishes
Sam
Sam, I noticed that, and wondered why he didn’t just use the staright WDH data without your estimations. I thought maybe because when you’re making a map, it’s nice to minimize black spots.
Sam, I noticed that, and wondered why he didn’t just use the staright WDH data without your estimations. I thought maybe because when you’re making a map, it’s nice to minimize black spots.
Sam, I noticed that, and wondered why he didn’t just use the staright WDH data without your estimations. I thought maybe because when you’re making a map, it’s nice to minimize black spots.
To chase a side point: I think the zombies-as-metaphor-for-capitalism idea’s kind of good. I wouldn’t call it a fair depiction of capitalism, but the image is psychologically useful.
Just like many people occasionally imagine that their friends are murderers, many occasionally imagine that the system they’re a part of is some horrible wicked thing. That’s part of the brain figuring out what to make of the world; it’s not necessarily unhealthy. Zombie movies, like other artforms, can serve as metaphors for whatever the viewer wants. I’ll bet capitalism is one of the most symbolized candidates, along with family, school, old age, etc.
I haven’t read her book. If she’s arguing that capitalism actually IS a brain-sucking system of death, then that’s dumb. But the image itself, separate from any endorsement of it, isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
To chase a side point: I think the zombies-as-metaphor-for-capitalism idea’s kind of good. I wouldn’t call it a fair depiction of capitalism, but the image is psychologically useful.
Just like many people occasionally imagine that their friends are murderers, many occasionally imagine that the system they’re a part of is some horrible wicked thing. That’s part of the brain figuring out what to make of the world; it’s not necessarily unhealthy. Zombie movies, like other artforms, can serve as metaphors for whatever the viewer wants. I’ll bet capitalism is one of the most symbolized candidates, along with family, school, old age, etc.
I haven’t read her book. If she’s arguing that capitalism actually IS a brain-sucking system of death, then that’s dumb. But the image itself, separate from any endorsement of it, isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
To chase a side point: I think the zombies-as-metaphor-for-capitalism idea’s kind of good. I wouldn’t call it a fair depiction of capitalism, but the image is psychologically useful.
Just like many people occasionally imagine that their friends are murderers, many occasionally imagine that the system they’re a part of is some horrible wicked thing. That’s part of the brain figuring out what to make of the world; it’s not necessarily unhealthy. Zombie movies, like other artforms, can serve as metaphors for whatever the viewer wants. I’ll bet capitalism is one of the most symbolized candidates, along with family, school, old age, etc.
I haven’t read her book. If she’s arguing that capitalism actually IS a brain-sucking system of death, then that’s dumb. But the image itself, separate from any endorsement of it, isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
I’ve actually seen and argued for many Zombie films representing the supposed enemies, such as communism and terrorists. I guess it is a loose symbol and can represent many things at different times.
Will, as for happiness, can you clarify for me what type of questions are asked and how reliable we should take the self reported happiness? Why should we say that wealthy people are happier instead of always stating it as “wealthy people claim to be happier”? Their are many reasons to think that they could be understanding the question differently or that people are systematically misreporting? Maybe unhappy people in wealthy nations are more likely to avoid surveys relative to unhappy people in poor nations, for example. I’m sure you can illuminate me from this dark ignorance I find myself in, I’m just not familiar enough with the research.
I’ve actually seen and argued for many Zombie films representing the supposed enemies, such as communism and terrorists. I guess it is a loose symbol and can represent many things at different times.
Will, as for happiness, can you clarify for me what type of questions are asked and how reliable we should take the self reported happiness? Why should we say that wealthy people are happier instead of always stating it as “wealthy people claim to be happier”? Their are many reasons to think that they could be understanding the question differently or that people are systematically misreporting? Maybe unhappy people in wealthy nations are more likely to avoid surveys relative to unhappy people in poor nations, for example. I’m sure you can illuminate me from this dark ignorance I find myself in, I’m just not familiar enough with the research.
I’ve actually seen and argued for many Zombie films representing the supposed enemies, such as communism and terrorists. I guess it is a loose symbol and can represent many things at different times.
Will, as for happiness, can you clarify for me what type of questions are asked and how reliable we should take the self reported happiness? Why should we say that wealthy people are happier instead of always stating it as “wealthy people claim to be happier”? Their are many reasons to think that they could be understanding the question differently or that people are systematically misreporting? Maybe unhappy people in wealthy nations are more likely to avoid surveys relative to unhappy people in poor nations, for example. I’m sure you can illuminate me from this dark ignorance I find myself in, I’m just not familiar enough with the research.
All the other studies I’ve ever heard of regarding happiness’s relationship to wealth always states this:
1) earnings amount required for basic survival + education = happiness the same whatever earnings.
I know a lot of people who say they are happy but look miserable! People sometimes don’t want to admit their lives are worthless, which let’s face it buying stuff in a zombie like fashion because that’s what you’ve been brainwashed in to doing by your television isn’t really living. You might as well kill yourself!
Lol most people I meet are brainwashed. What fun. I went to Cambridge (UK) recently and most people there are brainwashed even though they are allegedly intelligent. Upper middle class are mostly brain dead.
Zombie comment is fair enough! Where’s my chainsaw lol.
All the other studies I’ve ever heard of regarding happiness’s relationship to wealth always states this:
1) earnings amount required for basic survival + education = happiness the same whatever earnings.
I know a lot of people who say they are happy but look miserable! People sometimes don’t want to admit their lives are worthless, which let’s face it buying stuff in a zombie like fashion because that’s what you’ve been brainwashed in to doing by your television isn’t really living. You might as well kill yourself!
Lol most people I meet are brainwashed. What fun. I went to Cambridge (UK) recently and most people there are brainwashed even though they are allegedly intelligent. Upper middle class are mostly brain dead.
Zombie comment is fair enough! Where’s my chainsaw lol.
All the other studies I’ve ever heard of regarding happiness’s relationship to wealth always states this:
1) earnings amount required for basic survival + education = happiness the same whatever earnings.
I know a lot of people who say they are happy but look miserable! People sometimes don’t want to admit their lives are worthless, which let’s face it buying stuff in a zombie like fashion because that’s what you’ve been brainwashed in to doing by your television isn’t really living. You might as well kill yourself!
Lol most people I meet are brainwashed. What fun. I went to Cambridge (UK) recently and most people there are brainwashed even though they are allegedly intelligent. Upper middle class are mostly brain dead.
Zombie comment is fair enough! Where’s my chainsaw lol.
Yeah your posting system doesn’t work. It “cut out” point 2).
My post was this:
All the other studies I’ve ever heard of regarding happiness’s relationship to wealth always states this:
1) earnings amount required for basic survival + education = happiness the same whatever earnings.
I know a lot of people who say they are happy but look miserable! People sometimes don’t want to admit their lives are worthless, which let’s face it buying stuff in a zombie like fashion because that’s what you’ve been brainwashed in to doing by your television isn’t really living. You might as well kill yourself!
Lol most people I meet are brainwashed. What fun. I went to Cambridge (UK) recently and most people there are brainwashed even though they are allegedly intelligent. Upper middle class are mostly brain dead.
Zombie comment is fair enough! Where’s my chainsaw lol.
Yeah your posting system doesn’t work. It “cut out” point 2).
My post was this:
All the other studies I’ve ever heard of regarding happiness’s relationship to wealth always states this:
1) earnings amount required for basic survival + education = happiness the same whatever earnings.
I know a lot of people who say they are happy but look miserable! People sometimes don’t want to admit their lives are worthless, which let’s face it buying stuff in a zombie like fashion because that’s what you’ve been brainwashed in to doing by your television isn’t really living. You might as well kill yourself!
Lol most people I meet are brainwashed. What fun. I went to Cambridge (UK) recently and most people there are brainwashed even though they are allegedly intelligent. Upper middle class are mostly brain dead.
Zombie comment is fair enough! Where’s my chainsaw lol.
OK it did the same again. You have a bug!
2) earnings > amount required for basic survival + education = happiness the same whatever earnings.
OK it did the same again. You have a bug!
2) earnings > amount required for basic survival + education = happiness the same whatever earnings.
Yeah your posting system doesn’t work. It “cut out” point 2).
My post was this:
All the other studies I’ve ever heard of regarding happiness’s relationship to wealth always states this:
1) earnings amount required for basic survival + education = happiness the same whatever earnings.
I know a lot of people who say they are happy but look miserable! People sometimes don’t want to admit their lives are worthless, which let’s face it buying stuff in a zombie like fashion because that’s what you’ve been brainwashed in to doing by your television isn’t really living. You might as well kill yourself!
Lol most people I meet are brainwashed. What fun. I went to Cambridge (UK) recently and most people there are brainwashed even though they are allegedly intelligent. Upper middle class are mostly brain dead.
Zombie comment is fair enough! Where’s my chainsaw lol.
OK it did the same again. You have a bug!
2) earnings > amount required for basic survival + education = happiness the same whatever earnings.