A new study of more than 65 countries published in the UK’s New Scientist magazine suggests that the happiest people in the world live in Nigeria – and the least happy, in Romania. The U.S. came in a respectable 16th. I’d like to see a graph of happiness vs. per capita income. I bet the shape of that graph would surprise a lot of people. The last line of the article alludes to exactly that: “Survey after survey has shown that the desire for material goods, which has increased hand in hand with average income, is a happiness suppressant.” Or as KRS-ONE once said “(Material) Love’s gonna get ya…”
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Or another way to put it: “mo’ money, mo’ problems…”
It is the Western world and its mimics that values material attainment above all else.
what an interesting article i would love to hear how they define happiness, is it just being satisfied with your situation or is it being fullfilled spiritually, mentally, finacially whatever
i lived in nigeria for over four years people, and it was a sad time for me people struggle there, the system is so corrupt and they often drown themselves in religion with the theme of suffering in this life to be happy in the next one so they can get some pleasure out of the hardness of their lives, Fela said it best in his songs when he described nigerians as…..’suffering and smiling’
I’ll have to admit that I was very surprised to hear Nigerians come in at #1. I’ve never been there, but from what I hear about all the corruption, etc., that the people could be so happy was shocking. If Nigerians are anything like Ghanaians in terms of religion/spirituality then I’m sure that plays a huge part. Just goes to show that happiness is truly a state of mind.
That was a surprising result from that survey.I wonder how they define happiness.Smiles on the faces of people should not be mistaken for happiness.When people are suffering they cannot be happy.Nigerians are suffering,with the increase in fuel price,bad roads,hunger,corruption,lack of infrastructure in the University,low per capita income,poor standard of living,injustices,high degree of unemployment,lack of health care facilities,crime,bribery,bad governance, oh i mean that’s a wrong result,that’s not happiness,that’s suffering and smiling.At least someone happy should be comfortable.Nigerians are suffering,but still smiles that should not be mistaken for happiness, just that we are incurable optimists.
I was born, trained and currently working in Nigeria and was shocked when a friend of mine informed me of the result of a survey that ranked Nigerian the happiest people on earth. I felt that the concept of happiness must have been redifined until I consulted the dictionary. The Chambers English Dictionary defined happy as “lucky: fortunate: expressing, or charaterised by, content, well-being, pleasure, or good apt: felicitous: carefree: confident: mildly intoxicated, etc. Yes, Nigerians are lucky and fortunate to have for themselves either through design or accident of circumstances an environment with large accummulation of hydrocarbons – a priceless gift. As a people, Nigerians have developed thick skin and good shock observers to pass through difficult time and just add it to their stride. Finally, the part I liked most Nigerians are carefree and mildly intoxicated, another qualification band for happiness.
In contra distinction, life for me in Nigeria and believe me I speak the minds of many Nigerians has been that of a struggle.
Well, everybody seems to be surprised that Nigerians are the happiest people on earth. To me, I choose not to be based on the fact that happiness graduates to joy and joy is the thing of the heart which only God can provide. A well read person will agree with me that Peace is not the absence of trouble, but rather living beyond your adversities. Nigerians could not only be rated as the happiest people but also one of the most religious people in the world. Few years back, I read in the Times Magazine that the largest church auditorium was open in Nigeria, recording the highest number of congregation in the world. Since God remains the true source of joy, I believe He must have emplanted in the hearts of Nigerians that His unfailing Joy. I will rather congratulate Nigerians for this, rather than doubting.
Well,I would love congratulate Nigerians for this rating given to them.The truth is that Nigerians are good home managers.They know how to cope with all situations in life,wether with “fat incomes” or with “lean incomes” both in hard and pleasurable situations.I am a Nigerian undergraduate schooling right here in Nigeria.We know how to cope with the academic stress that encompasses us right here.
The truth is that majority of Nigerians prefer to be happy since sadness will yield no results.Why should I be sad if my sadness will not help me? So,I dont think that this rating given to us is incorrect.Again,I say congratulations to Nigerians.
Why is it so hard to believe that Nigerians are the happiest people in the world? Happiness is not defined by how much money you make, or by how much material things you possess. Happiness is defined by how one handles oneself during the time of turbulence (from Coup-De-Tart, to watching corruption ravaging the country), they were and still are able to stand firm in their beliefs that things will be better.
i was shocked when i heard in a t.v programme that nigerians were rated as the world’s happiest people and some people in that tv programme had the guts to say that because nigerians smile/laugh a lot doesn’t mean that they are people. is it possible to laugh when u are not happy? i believe that because we are such reliogious people, even though some of us are not serving God the the right way He should be worshipped, He sees our hearts and gives us such joy that even in the times of suffering we are still able to laugh and even crack jokes about out the hard times. joy like they say does not mean the absence of suffering but it means also amongst other things that there we have such peace that no other can give that things will be better, so why frown or cry?