"In Australia, as with most western cultures, we often use Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to measure our success, however, there is another measurement which is gaining traction for more accurately depicting a country’s worth. It’s called the Gross National Happiness Index (GNH) and it implies that development should take a holistic approach to the notion of progress and give equal importance to the non-economic aspects of society."
Does money really buy happiness? In many countries, success is determined solely on the Gross Domestic Product defined as, a monetary value of all the finished goods and services produced within a country's borders in a specific time period; according to Investopedia. Economists are starting to take a holistic approach because majority of society assumes if a country is successful it's automatically happy. this may be true for some, but definitely not all. Most countries that are ranking lower on the GDP scale are ranking highest on the "Happiness" scale. This has caught the attention of several curious individuals-me included- in order to determine the factors that contribute to a country's happiness.
"GNH takes into account the spiritual, physical, social and well being of people, as well as the environment. Far from being considered some wacky, existential concept, in recent years the United Nations has used GNH in combination with GDP to more accurately measure a nation’s social and economic progress."
There are many factors that contribute to a country's happiness. The only way to measure the success and well being of a country would be to use a combination of the GDP and GNH (Gross National Happiness Index). This will allow for society to get a glimpse of what the key factors of success are, avoiding the harsh numbers that only GDP bring to the table.
"Of the current ‘Happiest Countries in the World’, Denmark* has taken out the top spot, with Australia ranked number 10. The other countries in the top 10 are also some of the wealthiest in the world and include:"
2. Norway
3. Switzerland
4. Netherlands
5. Sweden
6. Canada
7. Finland
8. Austria
9. Iceland
10. Australia
3. Switzerland
4. Netherlands
5. Sweden
6. Canada
7. Finland
8. Austria
9. Iceland
10. Australia
Denmark has been topping well being surveys ever since 1973. But why? Obviously Denmark is doing something right. Currently, my sister gets the privilege to live in the happiest country for four months as she studies neuroscience at the University of Copenhagen. When talking to her, she goes on and on about how different the lifestyles are from those of Americans. She explains that "Danes" are not only friendly but genuine. "I have had conversations with strangers at street corners" she continues to express with confusion. Everyone looks to be in a good mood, enjoying the environment that the city of Copenhagen brings. Though the cost of living is extremely high, most expenses that other countries have to worry about are taken care of in the country of Denmark, like healthcare and education. Denmark is not the only country that follows this way of life, they just do it the best. So is a different way of government or economic control needed to top the chart? Or just citizens willing to waste a couple minutes of their time to talk to someone?
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| Different Factors of Gross National Happiness Index |
Wow! This is a swell blog post. First of all, I like how you created a catchy title that got me interested in reading your blog post. Second of all, I like your layout you made for your blog by having a quotation from an article then having an analysis following it. Finally, the picture you chose was perfect for the blog post and sums up what you wrote about. Your blog makes me interested in your topic and makes me want to learn more about your topic.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the article and topic you chose to write about. I think it addresses an important and debated topic of what success and happiness truly is. I really enjoyed how you included conversations that you've had with your sister as part of of the story because it brings in a real-life example and supports the topic well. I found it interesting that Denmark's lifestyle and people are so different from here and I am left wondering if it really does have to do with the economic system or if the people there just happen to be nicer. I am also left wondering how the other countries on the top 10 list you provided measure their happiness and am curious if they all measure it similarly or not. This seemed to be a really interesting article and blog post.
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ReplyDeleteIt's a very organized post. I like how you used a lot of facts to support your point. I also like the personal example you put in about your sister. But I am curious on what is your stance on this topic? Maybe involve some of your opinions into the article?
ReplyDeleteNot only was this a splendid work of literature to read but it also really made me think about the USA. Why is one of the most powerful and economically successful countries not one of the happiness? Why is Canada, another very successful country, ranked with one of the top 10 happinesses? I think you should look into the country of Burma, which spearheaded this idea of GDH. Burma is by no means an economically successful country yet they have a very high happiness. The top 10 countries on the happiness list were far more developed than Burma, so how does a poor, under-developed country like Burma remain happy? Like my pal Mcgarrity, I too am hooked on this topic.
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