Just imagine happiness as a delicious cake! Are you familiar with the generalistic idea of making a delicious cake? Most people think adding more and more key ingredients helps you make a tastier cake! But there’s a theory, known as the “Easterlin Paradox”, that asserts adding more and more ingredients (money) doesn’t necessarily make the cake delicious after a certain level!
If we go through the “World Happiness Report”, we will notice the name of a specific country that has been grabbing the highest spot in that report for the last couple of years consistently. And that country is none other than Finland!
Finland is a winter wonderland, being abundant with natural beauty and cultural riches, as well as a mysterious secret of being consistently at the top of the “World Happiness Report”. Now if you start thinking that the enormous wealth of this wealthy nation is one of the key reasons for it getting the consistent top rank, then it won’t be wrong to say that you have not been able to decode the secret code of “Finn’s happiness mystery” yet!
Richer countries indeed tend to be happier as the citizens of wealthy nations can easily afford the fundamental necessities of their lives and the dreamy lifestyles they aspire to have. Now the question comes, “Do wealth and happiness go hand in hand? The answer lies in the “Easterlin Paradox Theory” of Richard A. Easterlin. This theory highlights that a positive correlation exists between wealth and happiness up to a certain level and after that level, having more and more wealth can no longer have any significant effect on happiness.
Despite being a wealthier nation, Finland is still grabbing the topmost place in terms of happiness which simply indicates the country is making the cake deliciously! Here’s where the happiness paradox comes in! Happiness is not just about wealth. If happiness is associated only with wealth, Finnish people will not be happy after a certain level of wealth, according to the “Easterlin Paradox Theory”. The Finnish happiness recipe is far beyond the wealth and money factors!
Now, let’s unfold the Finnish Happiness Mystery! Here are some of the key factors considered to be acting as the driving forces of happiness in Finland:
Social Safety Net: As Finnish people have secured a social safety net, they are mostly relieved from the stress of meeting the daily necessities of life. Thus, they can have more time to relax their minds, which contributes to increasing happiness.
Work-Life Balance: The way Finnish people maintain a proper balance between personal life and professional life is something that other nations should follow! They have shorter working hours which allows them to have more leisure time. As such, they can spend more quality time with their loved ones. Thus, Happiness is indeed positively affected by this work-life balance.
The Tranquility of Nature: Finland is surrounded by countless lakes, forests, and natural abundance that make the country more eye-catching and soothing, especially for its citizens. When you have a strong connection with nature, it helps you to rejuvenate your energy and soothe your mind. So, natural beauty is indeed something that makes the Finnish Happiness recipe very spicy and vibrant!
Quality Education System: The advanced education system, which provides a sophisticated learning environment for youths, is another key ingredient of the recipe. The youths of Finland get all the much-needed knowledge and skills at their educational institution that make them a perfect fit for ruling out in their professional life, unlike underdeveloped nations!
Trust in the System: If the government of any country gives utmost priority to the well-being of its citizens, then trust will automatically be established in the system of that country. The Finnish people can put their full faith in their system as the transparency of the system is all over there!
The Power of ‘Sisu’: There is a unique Finnish term known as “Sisu” which assimilates perseverance, resilience, and determination against all the odds and this term acknowledges the strong sense of community among the citizens of Finland. The collective spirit of Finns strengthens social welfare and cultural bonding by fostering a feeling of well-being among the people. Finnish people like to uplift each other in any way possible. This cooperative attitude among the citizens is another green signal to making a mouth-watering cake that is “Happiness”!
Therefore, money or wealth can not be the only happiness-driving factor of any nation. Many other factors enable Finland to set an unmatchable bar of happiness that’s tough for other countries to replicate easily! However, Happiness is not a one-size-fits-all recipe. Hence, each country has to make its unique recipe for Happiness!
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Writer
Taspia Taher
Intern, Content Writing Department
YSSE