All in all, one is still well served to be an American over taking a random roll of the dice to land wherever on the globe. That being said, it wouldn’t be impossible – indeed, all to easy, to be placed in what citizens consider to be a much “happier place” according to whoever ranks these surveys. The U.S. continues to fall and fall as a “happy place” with plenty of room to seek a country placed considerably higher. Perhaps other nations experience the same drop, but few are as self-satisfied and smug as the average American among us.
It is uncertain as to the role pure politics plays in these. The survey measures so much that comes from under the surface that few would consider – more personal. But it is also impossible for Americans to not consider their beliefs about government over the situation. The context encompasses the inner worries springing from politics. To that end, we’re left shaking our heads about Americans being decreasingly happy.
As reported by the Associated Press:
Finland is named the happiest country in the world for the eighth year in a row, according to the World Happiness Report 2025 published Thursday.
Researchers say that beyond health and wealth, some factors that influence happiness sound deceptively simple: sharing meals with others, having somebody to count on for social support, and household size. Believing in the kindness of others is also much more closely tied to happiness than previously thought, according to the latest findings.
When it comes to decreasing happiness — or growing unhappiness —the United States has dropped to its lowest-ever position at 24, having previously peaked at 11th place in 2012.
For all Americans talk about the horrors of socialism, it is undeniable that the countries with a bigger safety net – the type that can be called “socialism light,” are by far the happiest. Norway, Sweden, and Denmark follow Finland. That is a pretty clean sweep and a definitive statement.
So the US is the least happy that we’ve ever been? No shit.And we reached our highest level in 2012 when Obama was President? Yeah, that tracks.apnews.com/article/worl… Finland is again ranked the happiest country in the world. The US falls to its lowest-ever position
The U.S. hit its nadir coming out of the Great Recession under President Obama’s “Hope and Change” thing in 2012. No self-respecting Trump-supporter is going to say anything but that they’re miserable under any Democratic president, probably listing that they hit their low under President Biden. Trump can be counted on to call Biden the “worst” president ever. Just the way he rolls. It is weird that Trump doesn’t call Biden one of the best – thus able to say his victory is that much more impressive. Not going to happen, though.
It isn’t surprising that our bipolar partisanship accompanies our descent in rankings. Half the country will say they’re elated without regard to some real circumstances, some will be equally miserable. There is something to be said about hitting the high under a Democrat and the low under a Republican, but it would likely be falling anyway. I suspect a lot of the fury comes from unleashing one’s beliefs over the anonymous net, it is much much harder doing so face to face. Evidently it’s possible in some countries.
It is also tough to see this going any other direction in the near future.
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Remember in his first term Trump was promoting bringing people from ‘Scandanavian’ (IOW WHITE people) to the U.S. – trying to convince them they’d be soooooo much better off and happier here? And their amused reaction of ‘thanks but NO – we’re good right where we are?’ There are an increasing number of days when I wish I could move over THERE. Hell, if they’d take me (my age and health notwithstanding I can still shoot, fire anti-tank missiles and rig explosives – my M.O.S. when I was on active duty in the Marines during the Cold War) I’d be in Ukraine killing Russians instead of sitting here writing on a computer. Ukraine is also a ‘white people’ country. Maybe someone should let Trumpty know that factoid!
“The U.S. hit its nadir coming out of the Great Recession under President Obama’s “Hope and Change” thing in 2012.”
Um, no. It hit its ZENITH or APEX in 2012. The “nadir” is the LOWEST point. A “zenith” or “apex” would be the highest point (one could also say “peak” just as well).