Tuesday, January 15, 2008
From "The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World"
In preparing the book, Eric Weiner did what any enterprising reporter would do: he headed straight for the World Database of Happiness, a nondescript, if not dreary, building in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, that houses scores of surveys on cheer.
Based on those studies, Weiner finessed a 10-locale itinerary — including the Netherlands, Qatar, Iceland, Moldova, Thailand, Great Britain, India and, of course, the U.S.
Here's what he found out about some of the most jovial territories around:
- Bhutan has a Gross National Happiness policy. "It's their way of saying there is more to life than money," Weiner says.
- The Swiss are happier than most because they suppress envy. "They believe, 'If you've got it, hide it,'" Weiner explains. Whereas, "our philosophy is, 'If you've got it, flaunt it.'"
- In Iceland, "they embrace failure and even seem to enjoy it. But there is also a real sense of community."
Based on those studies, Weiner finessed a 10-locale itinerary — including the Netherlands, Qatar, Iceland, Moldova, Thailand, Great Britain, India and, of course, the U.S.
Here's what he found out about some of the most jovial territories around:
- Bhutan has a Gross National Happiness policy. "It's their way of saying there is more to life than money," Weiner says.
- The Swiss are happier than most because they suppress envy. "They believe, 'If you've got it, hide it,'" Weiner explains. Whereas, "our philosophy is, 'If you've got it, flaunt it.'"
- In Iceland, "they embrace failure and even seem to enjoy it. But there is also a real sense of community."
Labels: Eric Weiner, geography, happiness, Netherlands, new book
Post a Comment