Comments on: If the U.S. Is So Rich, Why Isn't It Happier? http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/03/07/if-the-us-is-so-rich-why-isnt-it-happier/ The Sweet Release of Reason Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:11:50 +0000 hourly 1 By: Bob http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/03/07/if-the-us-is-so-rich-why-isnt-it-happier/#comment-12760 Bob Tue, 11 Mar 2008 18:07:43 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/03/07/if-the-us-is-so-rich-why-isnt-it-happier/#comment-12760 Reminds me of a story...Supposedly Milton Friedman was once asked why the people of Sweden were so rich despite their high taxes. Friedman said something like, "Well, we have a lot of rich Swedes in America too." Reminds me of a story…Supposedly Milton Friedman was once asked why the people of Sweden were so rich despite their high taxes. Friedman said something like, “Well, we have a lot of rich Swedes in America too.”

]]> By: Bob http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/03/07/if-the-us-is-so-rich-why-isnt-it-happier/#comment-12767 Bob Tue, 11 Mar 2008 18:07:00 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/03/07/if-the-us-is-so-rich-why-isnt-it-happier/#comment-12767 Reminds me of a story...Supposedly Milton Friedman was once asked why the people of Sweden were so rich despite their high taxes. Friedman said something like, "Well, we have a lot of rich Swedes in America too." Reminds me of a story…Supposedly Milton Friedman was once asked why the people of Sweden were so rich despite their high taxes. Friedman said something like, “Well, we have a lot of rich Swedes in America too.”

]]> By: Will Wilkinson http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/03/07/if-the-us-is-so-rich-why-isnt-it-happier/#comment-12759 Will Wilkinson Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:52:58 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/03/07/if-the-us-is-so-rich-why-isnt-it-happier/#comment-12759 Christopher, Sadly no. I had three different people cancel on me this week and I ended up with nothing. Christopher, Sadly no. I had three different people cancel on me this week and I ended up with nothing.

]]> By: Will Wilkinson http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/03/07/if-the-us-is-so-rich-why-isnt-it-happier/#comment-12766 Will Wilkinson Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:52:00 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/03/07/if-the-us-is-so-rich-why-isnt-it-happier/#comment-12766 Christopher, Sadly no. I had three different people cancel on me this week and I ended up with nothing. Christopher, Sadly no. I had three different people cancel on me this week and I ended up with nothing.

]]> By: Christopher Monnier http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/03/07/if-the-us-is-so-rich-why-isnt-it-happier/#comment-12758 Christopher Monnier Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:42:49 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/03/07/if-the-us-is-so-rich-why-isnt-it-happier/#comment-12758 Off topic: Is there no episode of Free Will today (Monday, March 10th)? It looks like Matt Yglesias and Jonathan Chait are on for today...? Off topic: Is there no episode of Free Will today (Monday, March 10th)? It looks like Matt Yglesias and Jonathan Chait are on for today…?

]]> By: Christopher Monnier http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/03/07/if-the-us-is-so-rich-why-isnt-it-happier/#comment-12765 Christopher Monnier Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:42:00 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/03/07/if-the-us-is-so-rich-why-isnt-it-happier/#comment-12765 Off topic: Is there no episode of Free Will today (Monday, March 10th)? It looks like Matt Yglesias and Jonathan Chait are on for today...? Off topic: Is there no episode of Free Will today (Monday, March 10th)? It looks like Matt Yglesias and Jonathan Chait are on for today…?

]]> By: Winton Bates http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/03/07/if-the-us-is-so-rich-why-isnt-it-happier/#comment-12757 Winton Bates Sun, 09 Mar 2008 05:07:25 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/03/07/if-the-us-is-so-rich-why-isnt-it-happier/#comment-12757 I wonder how you would expect the States with a high proportion of immigrants from Latin America to rate in terms of their happiness? Given that Mexicans appear to be just about as happy as U.S. citizens it would be interesting to know if they avow even higher happiness levels after they migrate. Given that subjective measures of happiness are strongly influenced by cultural factors I wonder whether anyone has attempted to construct a revealed happiness index based on migration flows across the world. The basic idea is that migrants are voting with their feet about their prospects of happiness in different countries. I wonder how you would expect the States with a high proportion of immigrants from Latin America to rate in terms of their happiness? Given that Mexicans appear to be just about as happy as U.S. citizens it would be interesting to know if they avow even higher happiness levels after they migrate.

Given that subjective measures of happiness are strongly influenced by cultural factors I wonder whether anyone has attempted to construct a revealed happiness index based on migration flows across the world. The basic idea is that migrants are voting with their feet about their prospects of happiness in different countries.

]]> By: Winton Bates http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/03/07/if-the-us-is-so-rich-why-isnt-it-happier/#comment-12764 Winton Bates Sun, 09 Mar 2008 05:07:00 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/03/07/if-the-us-is-so-rich-why-isnt-it-happier/#comment-12764 I wonder how you would expect the States with a high proportion of immigrants from Latin America to rate in terms of their happiness? Given that Mexicans appear to be just about as happy as U.S. citizens it would be interesting to know if they avow even higher happiness levels after they migrate. Given that subjective measures of happiness are strongly influenced by cultural factors I wonder whether anyone has attempted to construct a revealed happiness index based on migration flows across the world. The basic idea is that migrants are voting with their feet about their prospects of happiness in different countries. I wonder how you would expect the States with a high proportion of immigrants from Latin America to rate in terms of their happiness? Given that Mexicans appear to be just about as happy as U.S. citizens it would be interesting to know if they avow even higher happiness levels after they migrate.

Given that subjective measures of happiness are strongly influenced by cultural factors I wonder whether anyone has attempted to construct a revealed happiness index based on migration flows across the world. The basic idea is that migrants are voting with their feet about their prospects of happiness in different countries.

]]> By: Dain http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/03/07/if-the-us-is-so-rich-why-isnt-it-happier/#comment-12756 Dain Sat, 08 Mar 2008 20:44:41 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/03/07/if-the-us-is-so-rich-why-isnt-it-happier/#comment-12756 As a California guy, I first visited Minnesota when my cousins moved there in 1989. It was winter and I was blown away by how much suburban Minneapolis - Chanhassen and Minnetonka - reminded me of the movies Uncle Buck and Home alone (hey, I was eleven). A winter wonderland with cool sports and activities I never saw at home, like hockey and ice skating. So clean too. Summer was humid with tons of mosquitos, which kinda sucked, but still, the abundance of trees was visually appealing. The central valley in California is rather ugly looking, a flat marshland/chaparal. I realize now that I wouldnt' trade California's incredibly diverse culture (including women) for all that, but it'd sure be cool, literally, to have a winter retreat on some frozen lake in Minnesota. I'm now in the bay area Cali, an awesome place if not infrastructurally dilapidated. As a California guy, I first visited Minnesota when my cousins moved there in 1989. It was winter and I was blown away by how much suburban Minneapolis – Chanhassen and Minnetonka – reminded me of the movies Uncle Buck and Home alone (hey, I was eleven). A winter wonderland with cool sports and activities I never saw at home, like hockey and ice skating. So clean too.

Summer was humid with tons of mosquitos, which kinda sucked, but still, the abundance of trees was visually appealing. The central valley in California is rather ugly looking, a flat marshland/chaparal.

I realize now that I wouldnt’ trade California’s incredibly diverse culture (including women) for all that, but it’d sure be cool, literally, to have a winter retreat on some frozen lake in Minnesota. I’m now in the bay area Cali, an awesome place if not infrastructurally dilapidated.

]]> By: Dain http://willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/03/07/if-the-us-is-so-rich-why-isnt-it-happier/#comment-12763 Dain Sat, 08 Mar 2008 20:44:00 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/03/07/if-the-us-is-so-rich-why-isnt-it-happier/#comment-12763 As a California guy, I first visited Minnesota when my cousins moved there in 1989. It was winter and I was blown away by how much suburban Minneapolis - Chanhassen and Minnetonka - reminded me of the movies Uncle Buck and Home alone (hey, I was eleven). A winter wonderland with cool sports and activities I never saw at home, like hockey and ice skating. So clean too. Summer was humid with tons of mosquitos, which kinda sucked, but still, the abundance of trees was visually appealing. The central valley in California is rather ugly looking, a flat marshland/chaparal. I realize now that I wouldnt' trade California's incredibly diverse culture (including women) for all that, but it'd sure be cool, literally, to have a winter retreat on some frozen lake in Minnesota. I'm now in the bay area Cali, an awesome place if not infrastructurally dilapidated. As a California guy, I first visited Minnesota when my cousins moved there in 1989. It was winter and I was blown away by how much suburban Minneapolis – Chanhassen and Minnetonka – reminded me of the movies Uncle Buck and Home alone (hey, I was eleven). A winter wonderland with cool sports and activities I never saw at home, like hockey and ice skating. So clean too.

Summer was humid with tons of mosquitos, which kinda sucked, but still, the abundance of trees was visually appealing. The central valley in California is rather ugly looking, a flat marshland/chaparal.

I realize now that I wouldnt’ trade California’s incredibly diverse culture (including women) for all that, but it’d sure be cool, literally, to have a winter retreat on some frozen lake in Minnesota. I’m now in the bay area Cali, an awesome place if not infrastructurally dilapidated.

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