The reason people find it so hard to be happy is that they always see the past better than it was, the present worse than it is, and the future less resolved than it will be.”
— Marcel Pagnol
“Paris is always a good idea.” ~Audrey Hepburn
“Making money isn’t what makes for living,” says Jonathon, a server at a Parisian cafe, when asked about the french ethic. “How much can you enjoy bits of paper?”
That just about sums up the allure of Paris: the belief here that happiness consists of something intangible and fleeting. That success can’t be measured. That your experiences matter above all else. That freedom to feel puts us in touch with something human, essential.
And perhaps it explains why, for centuries, in art as in life, Paris has been the place to go to get away, to start over, to find emotion and inspiration, to think and create, to reimagine oneself. At the very least, Paris gives charm to life’s daily grind. At its extreme, the city changes you.
-Misha Pinksahov
Top Ten Happiest Countries
Luxembourg is the only country that tops the U.S. in pure wealth. However, when measured on citizens’ overall “Joy of Life”, as determined by “life satisfaction”, work-life balance, and sense of community, the U.S. ranks 17th.
Of course any statistical analysis begs a discussion of context, framing, and completeness. The three economists commissioned by French President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2008 — Joseph Stiglitz, Amrtya Sen, (both Noble Prize winners) and Jean-Paul Fitoussi — readily admit that “What we measure affects what we do, and if our measurements are flawed, decisions may be distorted.” Which is why they included both objective and subjective factors spanning life expectancy, unemployment, income, and perception of health.
Based upon this cross-section of indicators, the top ten happiest countries are:
1. Denmark 2. Canada 3. Norway 4. Australia 5. The Netherlands 6. Sweden 7. Switzerland 8. Finland 9. Israel 10. Austria
Read More in the Atlantic’s Article.
