Singapore ranked 90th in latest Happy Planet Index

[janet88]

If we bring our kids to such countries, where hunting for food is ‘education’. Their mindset will be such that why and how do these kids survive if they do not attend school and sit for exams.


Supposing we bring kids to countries where there is lower stress in studying, they might ask ‘then why do we have to study so hard when those kids do not have to?’

[JonC]

For those in control, maybe their "bonus" should tied with this Happy Index instead of GDP.

[JonC]

For those in control, maybe their "bonus" should tied with this Happy Index instead of just GDP alone.

[Oppsgal]

90th out of how many countries?


So what are the solutions?

[verykiasu2010]

Oppsgal:

90th out of how many countries?


So what are the solutions?

there are more than 200 nations and territories

may be the survey cover only 91 nations / territories

[pinky]

Oppsgal:

90th out of how many countries?


So what are the solutions?

90th/151

[ChiefKiasu]

This reminds me of http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/content/001-goals-life:

\"An American businessman was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village where a small boat with just one fisherman was docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The Mexican replied \"only a little while\".

The American then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish.

The Mexican said, \"I had enough to support my family’s immediate needs.\"

The American then asked, \"but what do you do with the rest of your time?\"

The fisherman said, \"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, senor.\"

The American scoffed, \"I am a Harvard M.B.A. and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat with the proceeds. From the bigger boat you could buy several boats and eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise.\"

The fisherman asked, \"But senor, how long will this all take?\"

To which the American replied, \"15-20 years.\"

Fisherman - \"But what then, senor?\"

The American laughed and said, \"that’s the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions.\"

Fisherman - \"Millions, senor? Then what?\"

The American said, \"Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos.\"\"

As long as we seek to be compete with the best in the world for \"survival\" and measure our success by our per capita income, we cannot hope to achieve real happiness. One can only be really happy if one is contented with his own lot. In Singapore, this is heretic. \"Contentment\" is associated with \"complacency\" that will lead to long-term disaster to the country and its citizens.

So no, my fellow Singaporeans, we must remain unhappy for the good of our country.

[verykiasu2010]

ChiefKiasu:

As long as we seek to be compete with the best in the world for \"survival\" and measure our success by our per capita income, we cannot hope to achieve real happiness. One can only be really happy if one is contented with his own lot. In Singapore, this is heretic. \"Contentment\" is associated with \"complacency\" that will lead to long-term disaster to the country and its citizens.

So no, my fellow Singaporeans, we must remain unhappy for the good of our country.

In Singapore we do have Cantonment Road to get some contentment

[concern2]

ChiefKiasu:

As long as we seek to be compete with the best in the world for \"survival\" and measure our success by our per capita income, we cannot hope to achieve real happiness. One can only be really happy if one is contented with his own lot. In Singapore, this is heretic. \"Contentment\" is associated with \"complacency\" that will lead to long-term disaster to the country and its citizens.

So no, my fellow Singaporeans, we must remain unhappy for the good of our country.

Yes, I have often wondered about this. As long as one is perceived to be contented, one is deemed to be complacent. In fact, to say \"I am happy\" seem to be a sin these days, as if one has no ambition, non-competitive, is plain lazy, or must be insane (only mad people laugh most of the time :roll: )

In reading the story, I'd suppose that the man who fishes enough for the day does not have to pay rent, need not worry about his children's education, either walks or owns his own transport to get to the fishing area, does not have a sickly parent...etc. If he has, then fishing to him will likely take on a different meaning.

So we've come back to the real world we are living in - we need to pay for all of these. The land that comes from nature for man to walk on, we do not have the rights to them unless we have the money to pay for it. Well, we used to, but one by one, it was taken away from us by those who rule us, and make us slaves. Of course, infrastructure is then provided for education, transport, hospitals for man's needs too. That's why we cannot be be happy about just a fish or two a day. There comes a time when you say, enough built! We have enough! We are happy! But we are already bound by debts, limited by dry rivers, and no more fish to catch..and then we find ourselves being replaced by other tribes...

(sorry, I seem to get back to the same point in nearly everything I write about these day, so I'd better stop there.)

[tutormum]

I would not use ‘happiness’ to measure my well being. Happiness can mean different things to different people. People in 3rd world countries will be happy to have 3 meals a day. People in world class countries will only be happy if they have fame and fortune. I am happy as long as I can do what I enjoy. Some people feel lonely even when in a crowd. Simple things in life can make some people happy while others will never be happy even when they gain the whole world. To me, peace is more important. Peace with God and peace with man. Peace is able to sleep soundly amid the storm. Someone once said that there are 2 types of people in this world. One is going through a crisis and the other will be going through a crisis. How do you handle a crisis?