2024-03-22 09:07:41
Finland has been named the happiest country in the world for the seventh year in a row. According to a UN-sponsored report published on Wednesday, the Nordic countries top the top ten places with Denmark, Iceland and Sweden following Finland. France is ranked 27th.
However, these countries are not known for their sunshine since despite their mild weather during the summer months, winter is harsh in terms of climate. During the winter months, Finland being very far from the sun, it is not only cold but also dark. In December, sunlight only shines for 6 hours in Helsinki. The situation is even more extreme in the north of the country. Same thing in Denmark since a December night in Copenhagen lasts almost 17 hours. But would the sun, although known to cause a certain feeling of well-being, then have no impact on happiness?
The answer lies in the definition given to happiness. The World Happiness Report is a measure of happiness published by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network every year since 2012. It is based on people’s assessment of their happiness, as well as economic and social data. The report takes into account six key factors: social support, income, health, freedom, generosity and absence of corruption. “This report assesses a specific form of happiness, that is to say the positive or negative self-evaluation of one’s life”, specifies Gael Brule, professor of environmental health and author of the book “The environmental cost of happiness”. Clearly, respondents are asked to think about their best and worst possible lives and how they view theirs currently.
“A very mental happiness”
“It’s a difficult exercise which is more like a question about their contentment with the life they lead. This question assesses a very mental, cognitive happiness rather than affective or emotional”, points out the environmental health professor. A specific type of happiness which would therefore correspond to the philosophy and culture of the Nordic countries. “Precisely with their climate, which is sometimes harsh, these countries have learned to have to plan, to plan ahead, particularly on agricultural issues. It is part of their culture to be very focused on their minds.”
And indeed, in the global report on world happiness, when respondents are asked about the positive emotions they feel, the countries coming out on top are very different. The countries of Latin America are in first position and the countries of the North are moving away. “When the inhabitants of Nordic countries are questioned about their joy or pleasure they feel, we realize that it is not this type of happiness that they have developed. They find themselves more in a happiness of construction than of happiness emotional.”
And in terms of the notion of positive emotions felt, it is indeed the sun-drenched countries that come in pole position. “This is not trivial. The sun brings happiness which is more akin to pleasure, to immediate, quick satisfaction. The sun is a factor of emotional but not cognitive happiness.” A positive feeling which can be explained from a purely biological point of view.
Indeed, according to the World Health Organization: “The sun’s rays generate heat and light which reinforce the general feeling of well-being and stimulate blood circulation. A little UV radiation is essential for the body, because it stimulates the production of vitamin D”. Feeling the sun’s rays on your body really creates a positive emotion. But this element is not taken into account in the ranking of the report sponsored by the UN which favors a form of happiness more oriented towards the mind and construction.
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