Off topic: World Happiness Report Thread poster: ATIL KAYHAN
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ATIL KAYHAN 
Türkiye
Local time: 14:57
Member (2007)
Turkish to English
+ ...
This is a 40-page report ranking and modelling 146 countries in terms of happiness, benevolence and trust by Sustainable Development Solutions Network, which is powered by the Gallup World Poll data.
It is probably the most elaborate effort to quantify a subjective issue like happiness among countries. I have not read the whole report myself. I did look at the ranking given by Figure 2.1 in the report. Finland, Denmark and Iceland are the top three countries where people are the ... See more This is a 40-page report ranking and modelling 146 countries in terms of happiness, benevolence and trust by Sustainable Development Solutions Network, which is powered by the Gallup World Poll data.
It is probably the most elaborate effort to quantify a subjective issue like happiness among countries. I have not read the whole report myself. I did look at the ranking given by Figure 2.1 in the report. Finland, Denmark and Iceland are the top three countries where people are the happiest. Afghanistan, Lebanon and Zimbabwe are the bottom three countries where people are the least happy (146, 145 and 144, respectively). Turkey, where I live, is the 112th country, which is a pretty low ranking. The report gives a long explanation of how they got the scores for the ranking.
I will now check my Travelocity.com account for the nearest flights to either Finland, Denmark or Iceland, and pack asap. Meanwhile, here is the link to the report I mention above.
https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2022/happiness-benevolence-and-trust-during-covid-19-and-beyond/ ▲ Collapse
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We hear about these surveys regularly, but one should pay careful attention to how they measure this so-called happiness, as they define criteria such as GDP that in their opinion must make people happy. What people actually feel doesn't count much. Things like living in a pleasant climate or region and having many annual hours of sunshine don't count for the eggheads that write these surveys.
Some of the countries at the top have extremely high tax rates, one of them holding the wo... See more We hear about these surveys regularly, but one should pay careful attention to how they measure this so-called happiness, as they define criteria such as GDP that in their opinion must make people happy. What people actually feel doesn't count much. Things like living in a pleasant climate or region and having many annual hours of sunshine don't count for the eggheads that write these surveys.
Some of the countries at the top have extremely high tax rates, one of them holding the world record in tax, and extremely high living costs. A translator's rates don't depend on where they live, so think twice before you pack your bags and move to the world's most taxed country with high living costs and a miserable climate. I quit one of them almost 30 years ago and never regretted it for a moment. ▲ Collapse
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Thomas T. Frost wrote:
We hear about these surveys regularly, but one should pay careful attention to how they measure this so-called happiness, as they define criteria such as GDP that in their opinion must make people happy. What people actually feel doesn't count much. Things like living in a pleasant climate or region and having many annual hours of sunshine don't count for the eggheads that write these surveys.
Some of the countries at the top have extremely high tax rates, one of them holding the world record in tax, and extremely high living costs. A translator's rates don't depend on where they live, so think twice before you pack your bags and move to the world's most taxed country with high living costs and a miserable climate. I quit one of them almost 30 years ago and never regretted it for a moment.
... didn't you leave East Germany, too? I still live in Kiel, a city with fifty shades of grey, may it rain or shine and with multiple shades of strange neighbours, but I wouldn't change for a region where I could make a decent living for even 6 cents per source word.
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Matthias Brombach wrote:
... didn't you leave East Germany, too? I still live in Kiel, a city with fifty shades of grey, may it rain or shine and with multiple shades of strange neighbours, but I wouldn't change for a region where I could make a decent living for even 6 cents per source word.
I did indeed. I'm just saying that our personal criteria for happiness don't necessarily match those in such surveys.
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expressisverbis
Portugal
Local time: 12:57
Member (2015)
English to Portuguese
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expressisverbis wrote: Portugal must be the saddest country in the world 
... that was a misunderstanding in their research, because the researchers misinterpreted two aspects, that make Portugal so special, although they seem to express unhappiness: Saudade ... and the Fado! Therefore, everything should be okay with Portugal, when combined with the food, wine, climate and the nice people (e.g. Sandra) this country has to offer.
| | | | | Sunshine states | May 9, 2022 |
Thomas T. Frost wrote:
Things like living in a pleasant climate or region and having many annual hours of sunshine don't count for the eggheads that write these surveys..
So how come you quit hygge for Honecker?
| | | | | Wartburg cars? | May 9, 2022 |
Ice Scream wrote: Thomas T. Frost wrote:
Things like living in a pleasant climate or region and having many annual hours of sunshine don't count for the eggheads that write these surveys.. So how come you quit hygge for Honecker?
When I visited Denmark for the first time in 1992, I saw a lot of Wartburg cars running on the streets, with Danish license plates. You couldn't buy these GDR cars in West Germany. Perhaps Thomas bought a Wartburg before 1989 and he couldn't return back to Denmark after he had to fix his car in East Berlin or Rostock?
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Ice Scream wrote: Thomas T. Frost wrote:
Things like living in a pleasant climate or region and having many annual hours of sunshine don't count for the eggheads that write these surveys.. So how come you quit hygge for Honecker?
I didn't. I quit a hostile French business climate and French bureaucracy in general for Germany's friendlier business climate. Long story. Houses are cheap in the depressed Honecker regions.
| | | | Baran Keki
Türkiye
Local time: 14:57
Member
English to Turkish
| expressisverbis
Portugal
Local time: 12:57
Member (2015)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
| "Happiness depends upon ourselves" | May 9, 2022 |
Unfortunately, I have read the same before and I was a bit shocked.
I believe Aristotle was completely right when he said that "happiness depends upon ourselves" not upon countries.
It is our attitude towards situations, people or things that determine happiness, not places.
| | | | ATIL KAYHAN
Türkiye
Local time: 14:57
Member (2007)
Turkish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
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expressisverbis
Portugal
Local time: 12:57
Member (2015)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
I am not the right person to comment about my country 
But it's true what is said in that article: “It’s a safe country, and the people are friendly,”
One of the most serious problems here is that Portugal is among the EU member states with minimum wages below €800.
So, for some Portuguese families, 2 or 3 minimum wages are necessary to have a stable life, and that's why many have more than one job, which is not easy to get by the way.
Healthcare costs are covered by the Portuguese state, and patients pay standard user fees that are reasonable fair, this in the public healthcare system.
As for the climate, I can say we are fortunate enough.
Expats can benefit more from tax incentives than the locals, I think.
Moving to a country is an important step in one's life. Honestly, as I see how the world is turning into, I wouldn't leave my country.
P.S.: Women live longer here. In Portugal we live more than six years longer than men
[Edited at 2022-05-09 18:11 GMT]
[Edited at 2022-05-09 18:13 GMT]
[Edited at 2022-05-09 18:46 GMT]
[Edited at 2022-05-09 20:18 GMT]
| | | | LIZ LI
China
Local time: 19:57
French to Chinese
+ ...
Define happiness.
And we get 100 different answers from 100 p.
Personally stop believing all these things after a little chat with a close friend who visited Iran years ago.
[Edited at 2022-05-13 02:33 GMT]
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