Canadians & Israelis - The Happiest People in the World

[jbg]

Do you remember the song "Happiest Girl In The Whole USA" (link to lyrics)?

Shine on me sunshine

Walk with me world

It's a skippidity do da day

I'm the happiest girl, in the whole U.S.A.

Well, the two happiest countries in the world are.......drumroll........Canada and Israel (link to article, excerpts below):

The happiest people in the world

Brian Henry, Special to the National Post · Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2010

Canada and Israel have much in common. We're both big believers in democracy and in fairness, we're both highly diverse multicultural societies and both of us have dynamic economies.

But I was tickled to learn this summer that Canada and Israel have yet one more thing in common: We're tied for eighth place among the happiest people on Earth.

Some people might be surprised to find Israelis at the top of the happiness charts. After all, Gallup conducted this poll from 2005 to 2009, and during that time, Israel fought two wars.

On top of that, Israel is often protrayed as a monstrous, apartheid state. Surely Israeli Arabs must live in utter misery -- and since they make up 20% of the population, their despair ought to pop the happiness bubble, right? Apparently not. It seems Israeli Arabs are pretty happy, too.

Arab-Israeli soccer star Beram Kayal has an easy explanation for misconceptions about Israel. "People watch too much television," he recently told Scotland's Sunday Herald.

"What the television shows about Israel is totally different [from] what happens. The life between the Jews and the Arabs is very good. I'm an Arab and my agent is Jewish but we're like family ... Maccabi Haifa has seven or eight Arab players and that's normal. The only difference is their religion, but there's no conflict."

********************

Israel isn't paradise of course -- except in comparison to most places in the world. For example, the Palestinian-controlled territories rank 88th on the happiness list. Which brings me to a modest proposal: Among other intractable issues, the status of Jerusalem is one of the major stumbling blocks to an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement.

Why not hold a referendum? Ask Jerusalem's Arabs if they want the continuing happiness of being part of a compassionate and caring liberal democracy or if they prefer the abject misery of living under the infinitely corrupt Palestinian Authority.

No one can seriously doubt the result of such a referendum. During the Camp David talks, it was proposed that, as part of a peace agreement, some Israeli Arab towns should be placed on the Palestinian side of the border.

So the Israeli Arab weekly Kul Al-Arab polled the Arabs of Um al Fahm to ask what they thought of their city joining a Palestinian State. Only 11% were in favour; 83% said they preferred to remain Israeli.

A referendum among Arab Jerusalemites would have a similarly lopsided result. And allowing Jerusalem's Arabs to tie themselves permanently to Israel of their own free choice would be an excellent way to begin a new stage in the relationship.

-Brian Henry is an occasional columnist for the Jewish Tribune.

Read more:

http://www.nationalpost.com/happiest+people+world/3406830/story.html#ixzz0wvU4zIgy

[PoliticalCitizen]

Canadians - sure, why shouldn't we be happy?

Israelis - Bull-freaking-shit. They flee their artificially created appratheid state in hordes, mostly settling in Canada and USA. Who would want to live in a country surrounded by mortal enemies?

Dream on...

[Smallc]

Canadians - sure, why shouldn't we be happy?

Why? Because we're subservient to a foreign monarch, that's why.

[jbg]

Canadians - sure, why shouldn't we be happy?

Israelis - Bull-freaking-shit. They flee their artificially created appratheid apartheid[/s] state in hordes, mostly settling in Canada and USA. Who would want to live in a country surrounded by mortal enemies?

Dream on...

I guess you feel so strongly about it that you need to curse and mis-spell.

What have the surrounding people built or accomplished?

[PoliticalCitizen]

I guess you feel so strongly about it that you need to curse and mis-spell.

What have the surrounding people built or accomplished?

Hey jbg, I live in a Russian-Jewish neighbourhood and the people surrounding me are all extremely nice and helpful. All of them used Israel as a jumping pad to get to Canada. But I must admit that the Israeli brainwashing works really well - they somehow feel strongly attached to that country although not living there. I believe most of them left because they didn't want their children (boys and girls) to serve in the army.

But we here in Canada are very happy and happily welcome them

[PoliticalCitizen]

Why? Because we're subservient to a foreign monarch, that's why.

Well, there's always room for improvement. We've still got to go a bit to become #1

[Topaz]

HOW can anyone be concerned happy in this world of today? There's two wars going on and those two country's people must be the unhappiest in the world. How can Israelis be happy, yet talk about bombing Iran? Does that make them happy? As far as Canadians go, sure most of Canadians could be happy but if you have/had a manufacturing job, you could be on welfare after using up your EI. Happy? There must be difference degrees of happiness.

[Guest American Woman]

HOW can anyone be concerned happy in this world of today? There's two wars going on and those two country's people must be the unhappiest in the world. How can Israelis be happy, yet talk about bombing Iran? Does that make them happy? As far as Canadians go, sure most of Canadians could be happy but if you have/had a manufacturing job, you could be on welfare after using up your EI. Happy? There must be difference degrees of happiness.

Seems after the Canada/Israel/Australia/Switzerland tie, Panama and Brazil tie as the next happiest, then the U.S. and Austria tie for the happiest after them, the Belgium, and then the United Kingdom.

I agree, though. Happiness is all relative. This is how "happiness" was determined for this poll (link):

Quantifying happiness isn't an easy task. Researchers at the Gallup World Poll went about it by surveying thousands of respondents in 155 countries, between 2005 and 2009, in order to measure two types of well-being.

First they asked subjects to reflect on their overall satisfaction with their lives, and ranked their answers using a "life evaluation" score from 1 to 10. Then they asked questions about how each subject had felt the previous day. Those answers allowed researchers to score their "daily experiences"--things like whether they felt well-rested, respected, free of pain and intellectually engaged. Subjects that reported high scores were considered "thriving." The percentage of thriving individuals in each country determined our rankings.

So really, it seems as if the researchers definition of "happiness," not necessarily the subjects', determined who's happy and who's not. For example, people can be free of pain and still be unhappy while I know very happy people who are living with pain. As for "intellectually engaged," some people may need that to be happy, while others' happiness may not depend on it at all. They may have completely different criteria.

Edited August 18, 2010 by American Woman

[Guest American Woman]

Well, the two happiest countries in the world are.......drumroll........Canada and Israel

Actually, they're tied with Australia and Switzerland for eighth happiest, not "happiest."

The happiest are:

1. Denmark

2. Finland

3. Norway

4. Netherlands

4. Sweden

6. New Zealand

6. Costa Rica

[bjre]

Canadians - sure, why shouldn't we be happy?

Here is the video:

We're both big believers in democracy and in fairness

Kite flying banned in Milliken Park

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/849126--kite-flying-banned-in-milliken-park?bn=1

The ban

wasn’t voted upon in council

, said Lee, adding that park staff has the power to outlaw kites.

[bjre]

Actually, they're tied with Australia and Switzerland for eighth happiest, not "happiest."

The happiest are:

1. Denmark

2. Finland

3. Norway

4. Netherlands

4. Sweden

6. New Zealand

6. Costa Rica

Those are just a propaganda/joke prepared by corporate controlled oganizations.

Each country has happy people, each country has people not happy.

Most people have happy time and un-happy time.

[dre]

Those are just a propaganda/joke prepared by corporate controlled oganizations.

Each country has happy people, each country has people not happy.

Most people have happy time and un-happy time.

I dunno...

1. Denmark

2. Finland

3. Norway

4. Netherlands

4. Sweden

I see those same countries at the top of an awfull lot of different lists. I think they are doing something right... they have been innovative in their approaches to things like education, healthcare, maternity, transportation, and all kinds of other stuff, and I think we should start paying attention.

[Guest American Woman]

Those are just a propaganda/joke prepared by corporate controlled oganizations.

Each country has happy people, each country has people not happy.

Most people have happy time and un-happy time.

I don't think it's propaganda, but I don't think it accurately tells which country has the most happy people, either. As I said, happiness is subjective, and what those in charge of the poll think constitutes happiness may or may not, depending on the individual person. So I agree that each country has happy people and each country has people who are not happy. And it's like you said, most people do have happy and unhappy times.

And of course we have people moving from countries where people are supposed to be happier to countries where people are supposedly not as happy. So it's all subjective.

[bloodyminded]

I dunno...

1. Denmark

2. Finland

3. Norway

4. Netherlands

4. Sweden

I see those same countries at the top of an awfull lot of different lists. I think they are doing something right... they have been innovative in their approaches to things like education, healthcare, maternity, transportation, and all kinds of other stuff, and I think we should start paying attention.

I agree. Like a lot of people, I'm a bit dubious about any "happiness" index. However, these countries obviously do have a lot going for them; and as you say, they seem to appear again and again on various "good country" lists.

[Guest American Woman]

I agree. Like a lot of people, I'm a bit dubious about any "happiness" index. However, these countries obviously do have a lot going for them; and as you say, they seem to appear again and again on various "good country" lists.

Perhaps because the same criteria is applied over and over again. And as I said, it's subjective. No one else could begin to determine my happiness based on criteria they feel is necessary in order for one to be "happy." Only I can determine that. So I don't buy this "happiest people in the world" bit. I don't think Canadians as a whole are any happier than Americans as a whole, and I don't think Americans are any happier than Brits ..... and I could say the same about any number of countries regarding their placement.

[bloodyminded]

Perhaps because the same criteria is applied over and over again. And as I said, it's subjective. No one else could begin to determine my happiness based on criteria they feel is necessary in order for one to be "happy." Only I can determine that. So I don't buy this "happiest people in the world" bit. I don't think Canadians as a whole are any happier than Americans as a whole, and I don't think Americans are any happier than Brits ..... and I could say the same about any number of countries regarding their placement.

Yes, but I already agreed quite openly with the "happiness" bit.

[Guest American Woman]

Yes, but I already agreed quite openly with the "happiness" bit.

Yes, but then you added your "however."

So in regards to your "however," I'll apply my same logic and repeat that it's based on what the people who are doing the poll think makes a country "good." In other words, "good country" or "happy country," it's all subjective.

[bloodyminded]

Yes, but then you added your "however."

So in regards to your "however," I'll apply my same logic and repeat that it's based on what the people who are doing the poll think makes a country "good." In other words, "good country" or "happy country," it's all subjective.

Well of course it is; there has to be criteria, and the criteria is going to be biased in some way.

But I doubt they're using varieties of ice cream or best advertisements as criteria; I doubt it's utterly and totally meaningless.

[Guest American Woman]

Well of course it is; there has to be criteria, and the criteria is going to be biased in some way.

But I doubt they're using varieties of ice cream or best advertisements as criteria; I doubt it's utterly and totally meaningless.

I never so much as insinuated, indicated, or otherwise suggested that I think they are using varieties of ice cream or best advertisements as criteria. I also never said it was "utterly and totally meaningless," and it doesn't have to be that extreme to not be an accurate indication of what they are claiming.

As I pointed out, if they are using the same criteria over and over again it's not really surprising that they are getting the same results, ie: the same countries topping the list, over and over again.

Edited August 18, 2010 by American Woman

[Bonam]

HOW can anyone be concerned happy in this world of today? There's two wars going on and those two country's people must be the unhappiest in the world. How can Israelis be happy, yet talk about bombing Iran? Does that make them happy? As far as Canadians go, sure most of Canadians could be happy but if you have/had a manufacturing job, you could be on welfare after using up your EI. Happy? There must be difference degrees of happiness.

People who worry and stress over politics like this are bound to be unhappy. Relax and enjoy life. Why should we here be unhappy because two wars are being fought in some hellholes on the other side of the world? The world of today? What's wrong with it? Today's world is better than it was at any prior time in history.

[bloodyminded]

As I pointed out, if they are using the same criteria over and over again it's not really surprising that they are getting the same results, ie: the same countries topping the list, over and over again.

Yes, as you've said, but are they using the same criteria over and over?

And more importantly...what are the criteria they are using?

[bloodyminded]

People who worry and stress over politics like this are bound to be unhappy. Relax and enjoy life. Why should we here be unhappy because two wars are being fought in some hellholes on the other side of the world? The world of today? What's wrong with it? Today's world is better than it was at any prior time in history.

Yes, and there are always, always terrible things going on. This doesn't demand that we not enjoy life. Hell, even the the buddhist sects who are most profoundly concerned with compassion and "healthy grief for others" also make it clear that one must enjoy his life, if he can.