Singapore's unremarkable happiness index

[Karthik Eswaran]

This is an article which analyzes the results of a survey on a "Happiness Index" carried out in 140 countries..

http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com/2009/08/singapores-unremarkable-happiness-index.html

One particular thing caught my eye in this report..

"Engineer Andy Goh, 36, who beat more than 200 nominees to be dubbed the 'Happiest Singaporean' last year, believes that Singaporeans are generally happy - they just don't know it. 'It's easier (for us to) complain than to appreciate something,' he says."

Could this be a generic flaw applicable to the majority of us? We might already be happy but just not know that we are....

Thanks,
Karthik

[siuyuin]

It's not a genetic flaw. If one doesn't feel one is happy, then one
is not happy.
It's a psychological problem that you are happy but don't know you
are, or are perpetually unhappy.

The social engineering that Singapore has seen under the single-party
rule has for better or worse caused certain traits that more or less
define the present-day Singapore society.

For example, admission into local university faculties is by academic
results and for most part does not take into account personal
preferences, motivations or passions. There are multiple consequences
of this "streaming" process. (Technically outside this discussion so
I will not elabourate here).

I had referred to a report Sheldon et al 2003 in my posting titled
"James Montier's classic - The Psychology of Happiness"

http://www.faculty.ucr.edu/~sonja/papers/LSS2005.pdf

According to the authors, the three primary factors influencing the
chronic
happiness level are:
* About 50% of individual happiness comes from a genetic set
point. That is, we’re each predisposed to a certain level of
happiness. Some of us are just naturally more inclined to be cheery
than others.
* About 10% of our happiness is due to our circumstances. Our age,
race, gender, personal history, and, yes, wealth, only make up about
one-tenth of our happiness.
* The remaining 40% of an individual’s happiness seems to be
derived from intentional activity, from “discrete actions or practices
that people can choose to do”.

The study also cites acts of kindness (generosity) and gratitude as
factors to enhance feeling of well-being. To generalise, perhaps,
Singaporeans do not have strong values in both. We have to be
reminded to give up our seats to the elderly. In the process of
keeping ahead of competition, we take for granted many things that
help us get ahead. Looks like we have positioned ourselves to be
unhappy...

-sy

On Oct 22, 3:16 am, Karthik Eswaran <karthik...@gmail.com> wrote:
> This is an article which analyzes the results of a survey on a "Happiness
> Index" carried out in 140 countries..
>

> http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com/2009/08/singapores-unremarkable...

[Ansel Pembroke]

Hallo,

What is encouraging is not the 50% genetic part, after all, if you
can't change it, why bother, but the 40% derived from intentional
activity.

Therein lies the rub: we all have experienced flow from time to time,
unfortunately for most of us, it may have been in sports in our youth.
I say unfortunate because as you age, physical activities become more
difficult, so how does one replace previous flow activities with? And
this is where, if a person feels that he has little control over his
environment, such as rising property prices etc etc, or has somehow
lost any sense of self determinism, the consequences are not difficult
to anticipate. In youth, one has dreams and myth.

The policies in Singapore are easy to anticipate, as predictable as
Pavlov's dog. So its up to the individual to interpret and adapt in
whatever manner appropriate.

I have strong opinions about the pace of foreigner import. Like all
motherhood and apple pie statements, there is no right and wrong about
immigration, foreigners etc etc. Its in the details. But one clear
consequence is that it destroys myth - the myth that "you can make
it". All other policies pale in significance to the lack of attention
to detail in the foreigner import issue.

North America has the opposite myth, that everything is possible. That
can also be a source of unhappiness when reality meets myth. But myths
are powerful and the myth makers can easily point to the few who have
made it.

I love myths - by definition, they cannot be proven wrong. But they
can be destroyed. There used to be a myth (part reality) that the
common char kway seller's child can "make it". Who knows the extent of
truth. But a useful myth, and in the absence of myths hope dies.
Worse, when myths which are in the memory of those living are
destroyed in front of them, the response is obvious. I work with the
elderly and the differences between those who are clinging to whatever
they have left and those who have given up is obvious. But i think in
Singapore, one need not be old to have given up.

Ansel the dog