Denmark is the happiest Country in the world, huh?
Denmark is the happiest Country in the world, huh
?Denmark is the happiest Country in the world, huh? That is news to me, and I was born and raised in Denmark. In response to the University of Leicester study that gives Denmark a tribute for being "The happiest country in the world", I can't help roll my eyes and shake my head. I might have given it more credit had they said "the most socialist". study usstudy usThat would have been believable. It's a true wonder how they come up with this at all, furthermore how they could put it in writing and pass it off as fact, as though if you desire happiness, moving to Denmark is a quick, easy fix. Adrian White, who led the study even admits that the study is subjective. The study is flawed because the happiness of an individual does not depend on static comparisons of health, money, and education.It is determined by each person, how they want to live and what they want to achieve in life.The study assumes that what makes people happy in one country makes people happy in every country. Why couldn't they just draw blood and measure the average amount of Dopamine in people?That would give a static, irrefutable number by which to measure. I think it's interesting to note that, according to the WHO, the suicide rate in Denmark is 34% higher than in the US.That has to say something.I would doubt the happiest country in the world would have the 29th highest suicide rate, like Denmark. Another main aspect of the University of Leicester study is people's satisfaction with their lives.I am not sure that being satisfied is a good thing.There is a saying in Denmark: "When you were born you were crying, and everybody around you was smiling. Live your life so that when you are dying, you are the one smiling and everybody around you is crying."Until the journey is over, I think that the pursuit of happiness is a hunger that is never satisfied.If it's satisfied, then there is nothing more to achieve in life, and that should never be the case. Wealth: A major failure of the study is that it completely ignores how expensive Denmark is to live in. The government has its fingers in everything. Some argue that Danes make more money than the US, but this is only part of the truth.The International Monetary Fund calculates the Purchasing Power of the average Dane to be $36,549, but the average American has the Purchasing Power of $43,444.The difference of almost 19% is because Denmark has a 24% sales tax, which compared to the US, is completely insane. Taxes rule with an iron hand, and it's with a frown that every Dane looks at their paychecks to see, once again, that the government has taken an average of 47% of their hard earned money- 67.7% for the wealthy. They have a progressive tax system, as in America.But 67% isn't fair no matter how much money you earn!!! If you're successful, then it isn't until Thursday of every week that you start making money for yourself.Denmark's economy seems focused on helping the under-achievers at the expense of achievers!The more you do to help the economy, the more the government taxes you, and the less you do for the country, the more the government does for you.It borders on rewarding mediocrity and punishing success. The taxes go into education, healthcare, retirement plan, and welfare programs. But, a person can go through their entire life and never receive welfare money, but continuously pay big bucks for a person who didn't want to work or couldn't keep a job. This is only possible because those who work pay half of their incomes in taxes. Middle class thrive in Denmark and it makes up most of our population. The richest man in Denmark has a net worth of 3.8 billion dollars, and he inherited the Lego Toy Company from his grandfather.Denmark only has 2 people on Forbes list of 950 Billionaires. The US has 419.Even adjusted for population, the US has 3 times more billionaires than Denmark PoorWhat poor? People who get away with living their lives on welfare? The lower class is almost non-existent, but so is the upper-class. We don't really have homeless people, and the few that do live on the streets, the vagabonds, are there by choice. Even drug addicts that have repeatedly thrown their lives away are given a free roof over their heads. Why wouldn't they be happy? There is a difference between eliminating unhappiness and promoting happiness.In my opinion, the elimination of unhappiness is what characterizes the Danish System.But because of this, they are setting caps on how happy or unhappy a person can be.In some way, I think there is a correlation between the money taken from the rich and given to the poor, and also the happiness attached to that money.It's called Socialism. Healthcare: It's undoubtedly great never to have a bill coming with the mail, but by no stretch of the imagination should anyone consider it to be free. Every working Dane pays for it in high taxes, as mentioned before.And the service and quality is lacking compared to the US. Denmark's ranking 34th on WHO World Health Report is an embarrassment even though the US was still worse, at 37th. In the US, the quality is probably better than anywhere on Earth, but 1 in 6 have no insurance and I can only assume that is why the US is ranked so low.Denmark, on the other hand, has Universal Healthcare, but compared to the US, the treatment is greatly lacking. I used to think that Universal Healthcare was the only right answer. After moving to the States 3 years ago, I had to go to the hospital. I was astonished by the excellent service, kindness and professional care. Then I got the medical bills. I was in absolutely speechless. It's no wonder so many people are drowning in medical bills here. So if universal healthcare is inadequate on quality, like Denmark, and the higher quality of healthcare is not affordable, like here in The States, then the solution should be somewhere in between the two systems. Education: study usstudy usDoes an educated person equal a happy person, as the study seems to suggest? I think there's some credence to the idea that "ignorance is bliss". Education might offer a means to accomplish goals, and prepare people for the real world, but it also leads to stress, which should have an inverse relationship to happiness. The main difference between the American system and the Danish system is that our Public Colleges and Universities charge no tuition.Again, this is not to be confused with "free", because our taxes are immense.Besides, there are plenty of people who would rather pay for a University education in the United States, than have it for "free" in Denmark. Pew Research Studies on Happiness: Pew Research Center has studied happiness for over 30 years and claims that marriage has a huge impact on happiness.The US has the highest marriage rate in the world, and Denmark is 18th.I am more than willing to admit that being married is a major contributor to my happiness. Pew Research Center also says that Republicans tend to be happier than Democrats, and in turn Conservatives are happier than Liberals.Denmark, and Europe in general, is full of Liberals.The "Robin Hood" system of taxation is a perfect example, but they could call it "Robin' the Achievers". Definition of Happiness? It's a culmination of everything life has to offer, but ultimately, it is specific to each person. If someone has never failed, how could they possibly treasure success?Surviving hardships and growing as a person, achieving your goals, finding love and embracing the bond of family, overcoming challenges thrown your way and coming out stronger on the other side are all elements of true happiness. You can't have happy without unhappy, and unfortunately, in general, I don't think you can't take away one without taking away the other. I consider myself very happy, but what's more important is that I bring happiness to the people around me. That defines my joy, and I think that it is up to each person to acquire happiness in their own personal way. It was once said that the Danish People are not a nation, but a tribe. I think that there is some truth to that. With a population of only 5.5 million that goes back further than the Vikings, and we embrace traditions from every age in our history. We celebrate with songs, folk dances and fly our red and white flag proudly. My experience traveling has taught me this: in every corner of the world you will find people proud of their ancestry, their country's history, religion, and culture. It is shown by how they celebrate in unity and value their traditions. After I moved here to The States 3 years ago, I've been asked many times if I am happier here than I was in Denmark. My answer is that it is a different kind of happiness. I love both countries and they each have their charm with good sides and bad sides. Living in Denmark gives a sense of security, but it seems to me, the United States has no cap on happiness or unhappiness, and Denmark limits both. In my life, I have never wanted to settle for less than success. I wanted to start and run my own business without government intrusion. In that perspective, there is no way that Denmark is the country to make me happy. As a whole, Denmark is far too leftist, and the US is far too rightist. 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