Are you happy, its official.

[ruby27]

"It's official: most of us are happy. Life satisfaction in England averages 7.3 out of 10, according to the first government measure of how we view our lives"
<a>http://www.guardian.co.uk/britain/article/0,,2 141341,00.html<a/>
ps sorry if this link hasn't worked, this is my first attempt.

Or is this governement spin?

Or is it true, far from this country going to the dogs, its a lovely place to live in and be content?

Not sure why they only asked the english.

[ruby27]

Sorry about link. Thought I had worked out how to do this, but so obviously have not. Must be doing too much girly.

[Kromovaracun]

Is this the article, Ruby?

By the way, if you're wondering how to use code for the answerbank, you can hark back easily to the trusty tutorial (under Posting Guidelines):

[ruby27]

Kromovaracun
yes, and I thought I had followed the instructions, but obviously whilst I am happy I am also stupid. Maybe some would think there is a direct correlation between the two.

[anotheoldgit]

ruby27
Just click on the address bar of the link, click R/H mouse button and click copy, go to the place in your question where you wish to have the link and click paste.

Are we happy? This is a question that has multiple answers ie. Are we happy with our personal lives? Are we happy with our jobs? Are we happy with the way our country is run? I could go on and on, but you will not get a simple answer to this question, because we are individuals each with different aspirations

[society]

The government is lying to give everyone a false sense of security and false hope. That's all government ever do.

[Kromovaracun]

I think the fact that it's a government poll means it should maybe be taken with a pinch of salt, but to beat your chest and proclaim that it's all lies is a trifle silly. And just because it's a government project, this doesn't mean it won't be used constructively.

My feelings toward the report are rather mixed. Even if you do have to take a pinch of salt, I think it should be welcomed if it does end up leading to constructive action. But on the other hand, it's difficult to see what constructive action can be taken by government. I'll have to think about it, read the debate etc.

Kudos to Ruby for providing a nice interesting alternative to the recent crop of immigration threads.

[beryllium]

They only asked 3600 people? or only 3600 people could be bothered to fill in the questionaire? or was it YouGov?

When did happiness become a political issue?

Next? they'll be rounding us up for morning exercise duty lol.....

still.... good for Chi I understand :)

http://www.thehumanaught.com/vblog/wp-content/ uploads/2006/06/morningex.jpg

[jno]

just cut and paste the url, ruby, don't bother with the < a > business. Doesn't seem like untrustworthy data, as not all of it is to the government's credit. (All those negative emotions among the unemployed!) But I remember an editor of the Telegraph, I think, making the same point a few years ago: actually, despite all the doom and gloom in the papers, most people are comfortable, their cars work, they have tellies, they get plenty of food, they have friends and go to the pub for a drink with them... he was suggesting, I think, that those who think the country is falling apart are actually out of touch with the great majority of people who are happy with their lives. He didn't do a survey, mind, just a journalist's hunch. But I suspect he was right.

[Oneeyedvic]

I'm happy


Have you seen Dopey, Doc, Sleepy et al?


No seriously though, I am happy. I have a lovely wife, I can afford to pay my mortgage, I run my own business and I do a lot of work in the local community.

Could I be happier? Yes. I would love to win the lottery, pay off my mortgage, go on more frequent holidays, and do more work in the community.

Could I be less happy? Very easily.

Obviously it also helps when the sun is shining like today!

[ruby27]

I think a degree of scepticism about the survey is healthy, as research does tend to support the views of whoever commissioned it.
I don't think the findings are altogether surprising considering the wealth there is in this country, the factors for people being happy are to have family, accommodation and employment. The majority of this country has this. Money doesn't buy happiness but to be in poverty is not conducive to happy state of mind.
I think governments should be interested and very concerned about in the happiness of the country. Politicians are there to serve the people of their constituency and how those people are feeling should be very significant.
Not sure how the information can be used other than to reinforce that unemployment and unskilled employment are not conducive to well being, and I think everyone knew that already.

Bye the way thank you to those who have tried to help me with the link. Maybe one day I will achieve this which will contribute to my self worth and consequently my happiness.

[ruby27]

society. If you truly believe what you have posted, than you must be having an unhappy time of it. Whilst politicians are not perfect they are like any selection of people, good, bad and indifferent. Politicians are not a specially selected group of humans with more serious design flaws than any other group. Not every GP will try and murder you, not very solicitor will fleece you, so not every politican is a pathological liar.

AOG. I am not sure you can fully separate out personal, job, state of country. I appreciate that you could have a happy personal life, but currently a job you don't like, but on the whole if you are really unhappy with a situation this tends to affect your outlook in every aspect. Do you think we have very different aspirations? To be and for our family to enjoy good health, secure accommodation, reliable income, and have access to social activities. Are not these the aspirations of most, even if how we enjoy ourselves maybe different.

Oneeyevic. I am sure that there is evidence to support that doing something worthwhile - such as voluntary work, community work or other activities where you are 'giving' to others has shown to be very good for the well being of the person engaged in such activities. Although we can at times be selfish, we also enjoy that warm feeling from helping out.

[anotheoldgit]

ruby27 I can see where you are coming from to a certain extent as regards general aspirations, but for example are we all happy with the way this country is being run? or are we all happy with our foreign policy? or are we all happy regarding immigration? One only has to read the posts on this site, and there are some that are happy with the situation and some who are not. So therefore we can't all be happy.

[Kromovaracun]

I think Ruby was referring more to standards of life and oppurtunity than single issues like the ones you mention (in which case you're right to point out that pleasing everybody is simply impossible).

Still, I hope Ruby will correct me if I'm wrong, but that's the impression I got from her posts.

[Kromovaracun]

*Sorry, hit submit too early.

But broadly positive consensus on standards of life does seem to contradict the notion of the country being on the verge of destruction.

I think another important consideration for the article is that it doesn't seem to mention (or I can't find one, anyway) where the survey was taken (unless it was taken nationally, in which case 3600 isn't really that much). Some areas are broadly more prosperous than others.

[WaldoMcFroog]

Berylillum, you're wrong to scoff at the sample used. For a population of 60 million, you need only to sample 384 people for a confidence level of 95%, +/-5%, which means that if you were to ask all 60 million the same questions, you could be confident that 90-95% would give the same answer as your 384 did.

In actual fact, the number of respondents they got would allow you to achieve a confidence level of 95%, +/-2%.

[jake-the-peg]

Well in Bhutan it's actually official Government policy to make people happier

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/4782636 .stm

To achieve this they ban plastic bags, smoking and MTV.

Sounds great!

[anotheoldgit]

Don't be selective Jake, tell the whole story.

They were the last country in the world to introduce Television (1999).

Recently they banned a number of channels including international wrestling and MTV.

Got rid of their only Traffic Light and replaced it with a policeman.

Development has been moderated and people are less well off financially than they could have been.

[jno]

still sounds good to me, oldgit, even if they have been deprived of the opportunity to make money from TV phone-ins.

[jake-the-peg]

That's the point isn't it AOG?

Happiness versus financial reward, contrary to thatcherite doctrine they aren't the same.

If you don't have enough money to meet your living requirement then obviously you won't be happy but as you get above that threshold the extra money doesn't make you happier.

If you have a tendancy to be miserable wishing for things then it's just the things that you wish for that change.

If you take someone who's spent his life wishing for a Porche one and give it to him, you don't think he'll be happy the rest of his life do you?

Couple of years later he'll be longing for a Ferrari or a better Porche or a yacht or whatever.

Happy people make happy millionaires, miserable people make miserable millionaires

[ruby27]

Well yes single issues - never going to get full consensus. If you get a group of people, whether this be a political party or a party of your own family, the more detailed, the more drilled down for exact data the more likely there will be huge differences in opinion. At a general level, yes as a family we want a day out - agreement - so we are generally happy with the idea- where we go and what we want to do- disaster as choices made along the lines of age, gender, interest and timing. We may all be happy with the trip out but various member will be feeling more satisfaction with getting their way/ having met the needs of others etc.

Sorry just realised I have used an analysis that draws upon the social structures that are universal to all human groups, some type of family grouping. This is obviously not applicable to men, who only comprehend theoretical ideas in a conceptional way that has no bearing on the mundane. Oh you intellectual giants, if only I could truly comprehend your greatness I would then be able to salute you.