The Happiest Place on Earth..

Sunday, 13. January 2008, 23:04:45

Richard wrote in an entry recently about how a heap of scientists have researched happiness over the last decade. And they found out, that the happiest country in the world was in fact Denmark - my home country.

I stated in a reply to his entry, that in my opinion we as a people are easy to please. It´s not that we own more, look better, are nicer dressed or anything. We´re just pleased with what we have.

(The fact that Danish men are better equipped than most when it comes to pleasing the ladies - therefore adding significantly to the national happiness - is just an opinion of mine and shouldn´t be taken into consideration.)

Here you can watch a video from ABC News stating just what I did - in other words. Watch it and meet the happy garbage-man, the royal who chose a career as a carpenter and many more. Oh, and by the way - most of the street-shots are taken in Aarhus, my home town

For the records - the ABC footage is an overly simplified piece of rubbish, as are most 4-minute TV-spots. And you´ll have to put up with a twenty second incredibly stupid commercial before being able to see the rubbish. Now, you have been warned.

The MatrixExperiencing a Touch of Wisdom Wearing Wet Shoes

Comments

"Dannish men are better equipped than most when it comes to pleasing ladies" please explain the statement.

By KYren, # 13. January 2008, 23:50:35

That's a serious allegation! Can your people prove it? Or else we'll just think that's propaganda...

Maybe ABC picked just the few happy Danes you have there...

By zetoh_mesquita, # 14. January 2008, 00:02:33

About the equipment, Kiranut: It so happens that Danish women, just as most other women, expect their spouse to be able to fix ordinary maintenance work in their houses. Therefore Danish men normally always carry a screwdriver, a hammer and a wrench around in their pockets ;-)

José, I fear you´re right. They must have been spending quite a few weeks finding those two individuals portraited in the news-story :-)

By ricewood, # 14. January 2008, 09:23:54

Jokes apart,I am serious Allan.What makes Dennish men so attractive for women?

By KYren, # 14. January 2008, 10:01:39

Jokes apart, I never knew we were. I just wish I had known that twenty years ago

By ricewood, # 14. January 2008, 18:09:18

I am of right age but,it's pretty hard to know what women want

By KYren, # 14. January 2008, 19:56:42

One thing I think I´ve learned is, that they won´t say what they want and they don´t want what they say. Generally speaking.

No wonder it´s difficult.

By ricewood, # 14. January 2008, 20:01:11

Then,what's the solution of this difficult problem.
It's better for their ownsake if they express honestly what they really want.

By KYren, # 14. January 2008, 20:18:37

Seems to me you think like a man - to nobody´s surprise. I think it´s important to women to feel understood - even if they didn´t express their wishes. Buy flowers, even though she never asked for them. Understand her, even though she never expressed any wish for understanding. Talk with her without any agenda - just for the sake of bonding.

She wants you to understand that all by yourself, just because you love her. In fact, she will see your fulfilling her unspoken wishes as a proof that you do love her.

That´s how I understand it. But then again, I´m a man. Maybe a woman out there would care to come forward with a comment?

By ricewood, # 14. January 2008, 20:37:15

Thank you for telling me your views.

So women want men to have mindreading ability.

By KYren, # 14. January 2008, 21:04:34

You´ve got it!

By ricewood, # 14. January 2008, 21:06:32

Well.. mindreading might not be that great an idea (I'm sure there's plenty of things we'd all like to keep discrete, men and women.

) I think, as Allan said, as long as you do things only "because you love her", and just following your ~~gut~~ heart's instinct, it's all good!

By Shinjitsu_13, # 15. January 2008, 05:11:03

Shinjitsu, thanks for your female perspective on things

By ricewood, # 15. January 2008, 07:27:25

I think you are right, Allan, when you say that it is important to women to be understood. But isn't that important to men too?

Warmly, Ramute.

By katuke, # 15. January 2008, 09:55:37

If a man could choose himself, I think he would prefer being "appreciated" over being "understood".

My assumption is that the main project for women is bonding, and the main project for men is making a difference. I see that very clearly with children, and feel that this stays with people also as adults.

By ricewood, # 15. January 2008, 12:01:08

The fact that Danish men are better equipped? Really? I thought the Africans were! And if that was the sole case, why aren´t they more happy?

I have to say that that is only a small part of it- the real reason, is you just have a better attitude towards each other as men and women.

By wickedlizard, # 15. January 2008, 22:23:34

Isabel, that was a joke - look at the third comment to this entry

By ricewood, # 15. January 2008, 22:36:53

ok...

By wickedlizard, # 16. January 2008, 12:46:06

Oh let's be real here, people. Women have no idea what they want. We just want you to think we do and enjoy watching you struggle to figure it out!

Perhaps I should have been Danish because I think I'm pretty easy to please. I only ask that you tell the truth, do what you've said you would do, keep a job, and adore me each day as though it were our last. It would be nice if you were educated, funny, polite and friendly to my family and friends, tall-ish, and desperately attractive to me.
Maybe my list is getting a little too long...

By venetianstudios, # 16. January 2008, 21:31:51

No, Suzanne - that´s a very modest list in all respects. Easy to please, that´s you, too

By ricewood, # 16. January 2008, 21:40:28

Well, Suzanne put it all right there... I´m easy to please also. I expect honesty, and well, Suzanne pretty much said it... oh she forgot "respect"

that he respect me for who I am...

By wickedlizard, # 16. January 2008, 21:52:01

Here another female perspective:
it is almost impossible to understand a woman.
We are full of surprises!

If you love a woman, you just have to respect she as she is.
And if a woman loves a man, she just have to respect him as a man.

By ALLY_G, # 17. January 2008, 05:20:42

It's interesting you post this Allan. I just read a similar thing regarding English speaking countries. Apparently, the US, UK, NZ, Canada and Australia have more depressed people than most European countries. It seems we just aren't content with what we have and simply consume more to make us feel happier.

I noticed the same trait in my French colleague. He had a pretty old mobile phone, didn't have any of the latest gadgets, yet he was pretty upbeat and balanced. Many people in the UK can't survive without buying something new every week. Our total credit debt is more than 1 trillion pounds and growing. God knows where that will end up.

I of course, am quite happy because I have no money to spend

By pjbatty, # 17. January 2008, 19:21:41

As it says in the old song: "Freedom´s just another word for nothing left to use"

To be honest, and why not be so? - when I look around me here where I live, I see nothing but new devices and cool gadgets. Denmark is a very affluent country at the moment. But I don´t think that ads anything to people´s feelings of happiness at all. Not mine at least.

You can be cool and unhappy. You can be uncool and happy. Or you can be cool and happy. I prefer the last version, if possible.

By ricewood, # 17. January 2008, 20:44:16

What does the term 'cool' really mean?I was always intrigued by it.

By KYren, # 17. January 2008, 20:47:55

That´s cool!

Seriously, I think cool means being on top of things and the world and not making a big fuzz out of it.

By ricewood, # 17. January 2008, 20:55:13

thank you Allan.Are there any other definitions of it?

By KYren, # 17. January 2008, 21:21:20

Yes, Kiranut 1, being "cool" can also mean being aloof or stand off-ish. In other words, being cold or unfeeling towards another person.
Wicked Lizzard; you're absolutely right! Respect is key.

Allan; I thought the song went "Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to loose" ?!

LOL

By venetianstudios, # 17. January 2008, 22:31:15

Suzanne, it certainly does

That´s so funny - must be some sort of Freudian misinterpretation...

By ricewood, # 17. January 2008, 22:36:22

Thank you Suzanne, Shinjitsu,Ramuciuke,Iasabel and Ally.

By KYren, # 18. January 2008, 07:45:42

Thank you Suzanne, Shinjitsu,Ramuciuke,Iasabel and Ally.

By KYren, # 18. January 2008, 07:48:39

suzanne!

By wickedlizard, # 18. January 2008, 12:50:32

from a happy dane

By nopanic, # 18. January 2008, 16:32:13

Cool is a pretty cool word. Does that help

By pjbatty, # 18. January 2008, 19:54:13

Here's my theory: Danish women.

By edwardpiercy, # 19. January 2008, 02:16:47

Hi, Nicolas

Danish Women, Edward? That´s not theory; that´s a fact of life

By ricewood, # 19. January 2008, 11:47:56

Yes Edward, I go with Allan here, danish women are implemented in our law of gravity

By nopanic, # 19. January 2008, 11:52:06

tsk tsk!

Women are just as nice anywhere else, it all depends on the atitude!

By wickedlizard, # 23. January 2008, 16:58:31

Sure gorgeus iz

By nopanic, # 23. January 2008, 18:31:13

I love facts of life

By ricewood, # 23. January 2008, 19:23:34

By musickna, # 4. February 2008, 03:12:58

My brother just informed me that the CBS television show 60 Minutes aired a piece last Sunday (Feb 17) on the same topic: Happy, happy Danes. I'm thinking that the fact you get three times the amount of vacation many Americans get and you work about 20% less (if the show is accurate) might have something to do with it!

By pilchbo, # 24. February 2008, 15:36:59

Danes work less, but are one of the most productive ppl in the world:up:

By nopanic, # 24. February 2008, 17:42:40

This is what Americans like me are trying to say to our employers: Europeans work less, but achieve just as much.

Is it how we Americans approach our jobs (more chit-chat around the water cooler)? Or is it that when we're on our tenth, eleventh, twelfth hour we make mistakes that then have to be undone? Or is it that our bosses demand us to produce many things (reports/presentations/widgets) that are ultimately not needed? Or a combination of these and more?

I just know that when I come back from some days off, I'm rejuvenated and I get more work accomplished more quickly.

I need to read more about this. It really irks me. Maybe I should move to Denmark. (Or Norway to return to the land of my forefathers.)