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World Happiness Report 2026

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Re: World Happiness Report 2026

#31

Post by rapnie »

bigtones wrote: post #8

FYI: This world happiness report is entirely based on asking just one obtuse question, which does not even have the word happiness in the actual question: Please imagine a ladder with steps numbered from 0 at the bottom to 10 at the top. The top of the ladder represents the best possible life for you and the bottom of the ladder represents the worst possible life for you. On which step of the ladder would you say you…

It looks to me that this refers to a 272 page PDF report [0] on the theme "Happiness and Social Media" and the Executive summary explains that it is about much more than that simple question.

[0] https://files.worldhappiness.report/WHR26.pdf

Re: World Happiness Report 2026

#32

Post by jamilton »

FrustratedMonky wrote: post #14
bigtones wrote: post #8

FYI: This world happiness report is entirely based on asking just one obtuse question, which does not even have the word happiness in the actual question: Please imagine a ladder with steps numbered from 0 at the bottom to 10 at the top. The top of the ladder represents the best possible life for you and the bottom of the ladder represents the worst possible life for you. On which step of the ladder would you say you…

Its hard to frame a question across languages and cultures. The ladder metaphor isn't the worst.

An obvious issue with the metaphor that comes to mind is that if you consider yourself to have a pretty good life, to be overall happy and satisfied, but you think it's possible to have an objectively much better life, then you'd rank yourself relatively low. And vice versa, if you think your life sucks but it could be much worse you'd rank yourself relatively high.

Re: World Happiness Report 2026

#33

Post by boringg »

bigtones wrote: post #8

FYI: This world happiness report is entirely based on asking just one obtuse question, which does not even have the word happiness in the actual question: Please imagine a ladder with steps numbered from 0 at the bottom to 10 at the top. The top of the ladder represents the best possible life for you and the bottom of the ladder represents the worst possible life for you. On which step of the ladder would you say you…

Doesn't that almost imply the happiest countries in the world have a lack of imagination on what could be better? Or maybe they don't suffer from comparison (the thief of joy) as a culture.

Re: World Happiness Report 2026

#34

Post by lores »

jamilton wrote: post #32
FrustratedMonky wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Its hard to frame a question across languages and cultures. The ladder metaphor isn't the worst.

An obvious issue with the metaphor that comes to mind is that if you consider yourself to have a pretty good life, to be overall happy and satisfied, but you think it's possible to have an objectively much better life, then you'd rank yourself relatively low. And vice versa, if you think your life sucks but it could be much worse you'd rank yourself relatively high.

Same problem as rating your pain on the pain scale: is 10 the worst pain I've experienced, or the worst I can imagine? Because I've got a... very vivid imagination. And still, that's the best we can do. I blame an imperfect universe.

Re: World Happiness Report 2026

#35

Post by [deleted] »

bigtones wrote: post #8

FYI: This world happiness report is entirely based on asking just one obtuse question, which does not even have the word happiness in the actual question: Please imagine a ladder with steps numbered from 0 at the bottom to 10 at the top. The top of the ladder represents the best possible life for you and the bottom of the ladder represents the worst possible life for you. On which step of the ladder would you say you…

[deleted]

Re: World Happiness Report 2026

#37

Post by FrustratedMonky »

jamilton wrote: post #32
FrustratedMonky wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Its hard to frame a question across languages and cultures. The ladder metaphor isn't the worst.

An obvious issue with the metaphor that comes to mind is that if you consider yourself to have a pretty good life, to be overall happy and satisfied, but you think it's possible to have an objectively much better life, then you'd rank yourself relatively low. And vice versa, if you think your life sucks but it could be much worse you'd rank yourself relatively high.

But, that is still giving a happiness score.

If the society/culture you are living within. Is well off, but swamped with cravings that it could be better. Then you are less happy.

This study isn't trying to measure how 'materially well off you are', it is happiness. So if you are un-satisfied even with your big house, and un-happy, that still says something.

Re: World Happiness Report 2026

#38

Post by dismalaf »

SECProto wrote: post #29
dismalaf wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> healthcare access What healthcare access? My family has had to go abroad for surgeries twice in the last 3 years because there's no access to healthcare here... And housing prices? My sister bought a mansion in Texas for less than a condo here. Arguably these two data points are even worse for Canada. Either way our ranking is dropping.

I'm saying that data (not anecdotes) on those would've been better justification for your ranking. That said, for most people, going abroad for surgery or to buy a home is not an option.

Yes. GDP per capita is data and a well known proxy for quality of life.

For example, declining productivity (which is what GDP per capita is) means a worse house price/income ratio, ie. worse affordability.

Re: World Happiness Report 2026

#39

Post by dismalaf »

throw0101d wrote: post #26
dismalaf wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Canada here. Feels like we're barely hanging on to rung 5 or 6 and about to fall to the bottom. Quantifiable example: most recent jobs report we lost 100k+ full time jobs. Biggest job less since COVID. Or the fact our increase in GDP per capita is the (second?) worst in the OECD in the last 10 years. Worse than Japan, Italy, the UK and all the other laggards...

> Canada here. Feels like we're barely hanging on to rung 5 or 6 and about to fall to the bottom. The Missing Middle podcast went into this in a recent episode, and it's age-dependent: older folks are happier (i.e., they have purchased homes), while younger folks are less happy (cost of living). We Canadians basically have age-dependent wealth-class nowadays. * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dizaUBC22o4&t=4m13s

The fact boomers have it so good yet our ranking is dropping like a rock tells you just how bad it is for the working class, especially those who don't have government jobs...

Re: World Happiness Report 2026

#40

Post by weisnobody »

Well, someone once tried to get happiness classified as a psychiatric disorder:

* https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1376114/ (1992)

The abstract: “ It is proposed that happiness be classified as a psychiatric disorder and be included in future editions of the major diagnostic manuals under the new name: major affective disorder, pleasant type. In a review of the relevant literature it is shown that happiness is statistically abnormal, consists of a discrete cluster of symptoms, is associated with a range of cognitive abnormalities, and probably reflects the abnormal functioning of the central nervous system. One possible objection to this proposal remains--that happiness is not negatively valued. However, this objection is dismissed as scientifically irrelevant.”

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