Why Do People in Nordic Countries Consistently Rank As the Happiest?

Question

I think it is because they are not afflicted with Predatory Capitalism, and instead have Democratic Socialism as their economic system. No wars for oil and money, no stock markets, no inflation, no corruption, no obsession with building weapons, no oppressing other peoples, no military.

MrOracle · Accepted Answer

I have no idea what you are smoking, but you clearly know little or nothing about those countries. They are VERY capitalist, they are very involved with investments (stock and bond markets), and all of that.

The main reason they are happier is because they have relatively little social strife (or, used to, anyway), is because for centuries, they had nearly zero immigration and had a monoculture built around hard work and personal responsibility. Their harsh climate, which they were dealing with long before industrialization, ensured that people who were unwilling or unable to work hard and be personally responsible tended not to live long enough to reproduce. These countries are among the most homogeneous countries on the planet.

Then, post industrialization, they discovered oil and gas, and became wealthy nations that could afford high taxes and generous social programs, because everyone worked and almost no one abused these programs (and the few who did tended to get caught).

Then, 20 years ago, Sweden took in a big block of immigrants - people who did NOT share their culture of hard work and personal responsibility - and it caused absolute chaos in the areas where those immigrants settled, and has nearly destroyed their social programs, which had to be scaled back for everyone, and are still struggling. Crime in those areas skyrocketed over 1000%, and still, 20 years later, there are neighborhoods where the police won't go.

You can have high taxes and generous social programs in a wealthy country with lots of resources IF you have a homogeneous culture with strong values of hard work and personal responsibility, but it is utterly impossible in a country without those values and especially in a country with mass immigration. The situations are completely different and capitalism has almost nothing to do with it. To believe otherwise is to either be totally ignorant or to be ideologically captured by cult thinking, because there is simply no basis in fact.

RavVid · Accepted Answer

Interesting that the stock markets in Nordic countries are a figment of our imagination. Sweden being the 13th largest arms exporter with 200 companies working on arms must be another figment of our imagination.

Except for Russia, since WW2 they have been blessed by neighbors who have had any fight left in them knocked out of them. Sweden and Finland have very capable militaries. Oh! That must be another figment.

So we are down to predatory capitalism and wage theft. To be fair to Marx and his primitive wage theft concept machine looms and hand looms were still close enough to argue that a person getting say $30 out of $100 of product was unfair. Even in 1848 people didn't want to pay more for hand woven cloth so hand weavers got $0 and starved to death.

In 2024 can you handcraft iphones? No, then no wage theft then.

The reasons you give for Nordic happiness mostly don't bear out. Democratic Socialism is a political system and often a political party.

Happiness might be more to do with what the state provides. Nordic countries pay 50-60% tax but they seem happy with it. Presumably happy with what they get for their 50-60% gov't take.

I think you'd be better looking at that and political efficiency.

electromagnetic · Accepted Answer

4 day work weeks, maternity and PATERNITY leaves, quality health, education and prison reform programs, quality food options, accessibility to public services including dental, mental and emotional, job security and stability, fair immigration policies…

I mean, if I had those, I would not complain about Canadian winter.

Superreader · Accepted Answer

What’s interesting is despite polling at high perceived happiness, some of these countries (like Finland, I believe) simultaneously have high suicide rates. They also drink a lot. It may be that they feel more socially pressured to report their happiness as high.

BoopBoopBeep · Answer

they do not require a stock exchange. they take advantage of ours. the largest sovereign wealth fund in the world is called Government Pension Fund Global, or Norges Bank Investment Management. founded in the 1990s to invest the extra money that norway's oil and gas industry brought in. by the end of 2023, the fund managed more than $1.5 trillion and had investments in over 9,000 businesses in 70 different countries. it is the largest single owner of stocks in the world, owning 1.5% of all shares in existence. we have blackrock, with over 10 trillion dollars assets uner management, but for norway 1.5 is pretty big.

you can read all about the fund managers here: https://www.nbim.no/en/the-fund/about-the-fund/

it's turned a little over 6%/year and is the model that the saudi's are using to diversify out their wealth into something more lasting than oil

NaultD · Answer

I'm curious if it has to do with accepting Christianity on their own terms. From the Norse religion and choosing Christianity vs colonialism and missionarys raping and pillaging as Vikings could be apart of it. They choose to live by and love each other and not forced to since birth.

Cheapskate · Answer

Bro, I live in Denmark, and those surveys are absolute horseshit. The reasons Scandinavians rank as super happy is that they are dumb as rocks, have no imagination, and super low expectations. If you look at Danes, they never fucking smile, they are never polite or friendly. It's winter for nine months out of the year. And no capitalism? Hahahaha, rarely have I ever met a culture as consumerist as this one. Danes are introverted, everyone lives alone (highest percentage of single households in the world), and scores terribly on health measures, given its GDP per capita. People self-medicate like crazy with booze and cigarettes and sugar etc.

OfMiceandMen · Answer

The Nordic Countries still have a lot of rural and natural areas outside the urban centers to visit, and I think that has a lot to do with it. A lot of them still fish, hunt, ski (downhill, X-country, skate, hike, camp, etc.)

Being in the urban/city areas all the time is not healthy, I think accessing those pristine outdoor areas puts a positive spin on your health, overall attitude and life in general.

strateguy632 · Answer

that Democratic Socialism caused them in TOP TEN countries from 200 of suicide.

the rest aren't factors because u. s. doesn't have the ones from your list 1, 3 (Predatory Capitalism, wars for oil and money, u. s. fought to save victims) but didn't help.

the one factor that is significant n fits is "no inflation" so there better than bidenomics.

YUP i would be happy too if no inflation here, that ONE would be ENOUGH!

lightbulb27 · Answer

Oil and sound investing of such fund enables high standsrd of living and freedom. People in norway often leave and travel.
As well… its one culture generally. That makes less complex with less hostorical issues. Finland had war with russia but they generally were inscathed by wars.
Why.. not sure.

slatyb · Answer

I don't know about all that -- I think it's a feeling that they have a strong social safety net and don't have to worry about becoming impoverished due to misfortune.

andreasderjuengere · Answer

I see nothing for myself to copy or to adapt, to turn some of this happiness to me as well. So my explanation for it is: They have a talent to enjoy themselves.

Knightwatch27 · Answer

Save us the attempt to make socialist statements, we are capitalist. We just have a tradition of ethical leashes on our companies. But private sphere innovations on the European international market are what made us as wealthy as we are.

sheikalana · Answer

Better economy, healthier lifestyle, better jobs, better system.

Anonymous · Answer

better health: better diet and exercise homogeneous society: Christian Europeans or Agnostic Europeans Don't start unnecessary wars. Good schools. Low crime

Kelly6 · Answer

Heat makes person angry. cold makes people calm 🤣

jahaims · Answer

Their cultural and societal values are different. Diets and lifestyle are different as well.

Twalli · Answer

You need inflation for a healthy economy. The goal is too keep it low.

exitseven · Answer

They have the highest incidence of alcoholism in the world. I guess that has something to do with it.

Anonymous · Answer

Because they're all pumped full of antidepressants. Mediterranean countries are happier by every real metric.

Anonymous · Answer

Homogeneous societies.

MrDaveAPSI · Answer

Socialist

Saykonx · Answer

Happy yes

Why Do People in Nordic Countries Consistently Rank As the Happiest?

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