What makes danes so happy

Since the report began in , Nordic countries — which include Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland, plus the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Aland — consistently turn up at the top of the list. The United States, on the other hand, typically lands somewhere around 18th or 19th place. In , Finland was ranked No. In , it was Norway, and Denmark grabbed first place in and Switzerland nabbed the top rank in This is no coincidence.

Nordic countries rank so high on the happiness report because they have things like free education and healthcare, low crime rates, cushy social security nets, a relatively homogeneous population and they're fairly prosperous. Perhaps most importantly, these countries prioritize balance, which is the "formula for happiness," Sachs says. A "full-time" workweek in Denmark is typically 37 hours spread over the course of five days. On the other hand, the average American works 44 hours per week, or 8.

But what's even more striking is the Danes' attitude toward working long hours. While many Americans see working late as badge of honor and a way to get ahead, in Denmark it's seen as a weakness — it shows you can't get things done in the allotted work time, Kay Xander Mellish, a Danish business consultant and author of "How to Work In Denmark," tells CNBC Make It. Most employees leave work around 4 p. To be as efficient as possible, Danes don't really socialize at work, or take breaks to run errands, Mellish says.

Free time is "the most important thing they have," so it's rare that people would hang out with coworkers after working hours, she adds. Flexible work arrangements are also common. She's allowed to work remotely one day a week, and then spends the rest of her free time working on her hobby: photographing mushrooms. Marie Helweg-Larsen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Scientists like to study and argue about how to measure things. But when it comes to happiness, a general consensus seems to have emerged. Depending on the scope and purpose of the research, happiness is often measured using objective indicators data on crime, income, civic engagement and health and subjective methods , such as asking people how frequently they experience positive and negative emotions. Why might Danes evaluate their lives more positively? Yes, Danes have a stable government, low levels of public corruption, and access to high-quality education and health care.

The country does have the the highest taxes in the world , but the vast majority of Danes happily pay : They believe higher taxes can create a better society. The Oxford dictionary added the word in June , and it refers to high-quality social interactions. What happens when you develop a genuinely almost nearly perfect society in which there is nothing left to achieve, nothing to kick against, or work for?

But I had one other question I always asked, which, in its way, was even more revealing. Whenever I asked my Danish interviewees whether they could think of a better country to live in, the answer was invariably a thoughtful silence. Skip to content Site Navigation The Atlantic.

Popular Latest. The Atlantic Crossword. Sign In Subscribe. You shall not believe that you are someone. You shall not believe that you are as good as we are. You shall not believe that you are any wiser than we are.

You shall never indulge in the conceit of imagining that you are better than we are. You shall not believe that you know more than we do. You shall not believe that you are more important than we are.

You shall not believe that you are going to amount to anything. You shall not laugh at us. You shall not believe that anyone cares about you.