I’m very skeptical of nearly all surveys, but global “happiness” surveys especially.
Not all cultures value happiness over other aspects of well-being
But while there may be benefits to moving past standard economic factors as markers of a country’s success, the definition of happiness isn’t necessarily standard around the globe.
Culture can influence how people in different countries respond to surveys of happiness, says macropsychologist Kuba Krys of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw, who is not involved with the report. “We should be careful of … making big claims based on such comparisons.”
Moreover, the concept of happiness, as it’s currently defined and understood, may suffer from a Western bias, one common in societies that social scientists refer to as WEIRD — Western, educated, industrial, rich and democratic, Krys says.
True, but also it’s wild that they just decided not to count China and keep counting everyone else.
Saudi Arabia is also removed from the top of the 2024 one…
I just don’t get how 86% of Saudi Arabia is happy honestly. it seems like a hellhole if you’re a woman there and as far as I understand it a semi fascist state/ monarchy. But who knows, I don’t live there
It might be that they only surveyed actual citizens of Saudi arabia since they’re generally less likely to be in the bottom classes.
The truth is that happiness isn’t cut and dry and translates differently between cultures. For Saudi Arabia in particular, if you’re Muslim and you’re a woman you’re most likely happy because of the free education, healthcare, full government funding for any university you want to go to in the world, strong job market that will actually put you into upper management, etc. Not to mention living a lifestyle many people would dream of, completely under the radar. There are reasons why most saudi students that go to the states to study only go for the fancy credential, most have no interest in settling in the US, which is why you don’t see a lot of Saudis despite Saudi Arabia and the US being “friends”. The rub is when it comes to non Saudis and non Muslims, who obviously aren’t happy, but make up a small enough fraction of the population such that the statistics don’t catch it
tf is up with that creepy Ay-Eye thumbnail
