Money Can’t Buy Happiness
In the News (from Gallup International Association): “Voice of the People 2008” Gallup International’s Voice of the PeopleTM Survey, conducted in 56 countries, found that two thirds (62%) of global citizens say they take life as it comes, while one third (33%) tends to worry a lot. Africa is the region where the largest number of interviewees claimed to take life as it comes: three quarters of people declared so (75%). It is interesting to note that more than half of the surveyed population in Africa (53%) declared that they are very happy, a proportion that is significantly higher than in other regions.
My Comment: What do you say to that, Europe!?
In the News: (from Bloomberg): “Brown, Berlusconi Say Confidence Key to Economy” U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said restoring confidence and stringent financial regulations will help the world rebound from recession.
My Comment: That is absolutely correct. But how? Do they have the method of correction?
Related Material:
Laitman.com Post: Comfort Can Only Be Achieved by Correcting Egoism
Laitman.com Post: The Purpose of the Crisis Is to Bring Us to Perfection
Kabbalah Today Article: Cracking the Happiness Code
Kabbalah Today Article: At Odds with Nature
Laitman.com Comments RSS Feed
Since you like surveys, here is another significant study that touches on the topic of money and happiness from the the University of Kansas. Researchers studied 150,000 adults from 140 countries – not just industrialized countries, as is often the case. They found that emotions such as happiness, enjoyment, worry and sadness play a key role in a person’s degree of physical health. The findings show that the so-called “positive” emotions are linked to better health, whereas sadness and worry are predictors of worse health. What is significant is that these correlations were strongest in the poorest countries surveyed, where the basic necessities, such as food and shelter, were not fully met. I write about midlife coping strategies for Third Agers at http://www.happiness-after-midlife.com. What is the message here for us? I need to get my emotional house in order. How do I do this? By developing coping strategies such as learning to accept what is, viewing difficult or challenging situations as an opportunity for creating new possibilities, doing pleasant activities, and seeking emotional support from those close to me.