Happy Argentina!!

[ndcj]

Compare that index not with per capita income but with literacy and internet access.

Ignorance is bliss, that should explain it

Seriously? Denmark, Canada, Norway -- the top three, all known for their low literacy rates? Argentina? Cuba? Venezuela? Costa Rica?

How many of the top 50 by well-being in that survey have low literacy rates? The survey shows exactly the opposite of what you're trying to say -- you could very well draw the conclusion from the results that educated populations are, in fact, more likely to be happier.

 

[Matt84]

Good point.
Actually the first ten countries I see all share one thing>
Costa Rica 64.0 7.3 79.3 2.5 Vietnam 60.4 5.8 75.2 1.4 Colombia 59.8 6.4 73.7 1.8 Belize 59.3 6.5 76.1 2.1 El Salvador 58.9 6.7 72.2 2.0 Jamaica 58.5 6.2 73.1 1.7 Panama 57.8 7.3 76.1 3.0 Nicaragua 57.1 5.7 74.0 1.6 Venezuela 56.9 7.5 74.4 3.0 Guatemalatropical beaches and coral reefs. That should be a better correlation.

Not a landlocked country in that top 10

 

[ndcj]

Good point.
Actually the first ten countries I see all share one thing>
Costa Rica 64.0 7.3 79.3 2.5 Vietnam 60.4 5.8 75.2 1.4 Colombia 59.8 6.4 73.7 1.8 Belize 59.3 6.5 76.1 2.1 El Salvador 58.9 6.7 72.2 2.0 Jamaica 58.5 6.2 73.1 1.7 Panama 57.8 7.3 76.1 3.0 Nicaragua 57.1 5.7 74.0 1.6 Venezuela 56.9 7.5 74.4 3.0 Guatemalatropical beaches and coral reefs. That should be a better correlation.

Not a landlocked country in that top 10

You're looking at the composite index, which is a combination of "well-being", life expectancy and ecological footprint. The composite index includes a country's ecological footprint, and it's pretty well settled that less developed countries have a smaller ecological footprint.

Go here:

http://www.happyplanetindex.org/data/#table-view

And click to sort by "Experienced well-being" -- that will show you in terms of supposed happiness, which is what you were comparing in your last post to education & internet access. Tell me how many of the top 25 or 50 countries match your assertion?

 

[Matt84]

Thanks that's better. I see only two landlocked countries, but it's Switzerland and Luxembourg.

My assertion was even less serious than the study that claims Venezuelans and Israelis among the happiest peoples on the planet. Both countries have nice beaches though.

 

[Towncryr]

Being "happy" is a very subjective term. Some people are "happy" to get the government hand out monthly while others, with wealth beyond reason, are never 'happy' because they either do not have enough (subjective) or they are worried about who is trying to steal it from them.

John D. Rockefeller was asked in the 30's, directly, if he didn't already have enough money. His reply, "just a little bit more.........."

 

[pompeygazza]

That's not an unusually small sample size for an international survey.

Statistical significance isn't just the sample size -- a properly randomized sample group of 1,000 is very accurate. For example, in a population of 44 million, at 95% confidence level with a confidence interval of 3% you only need a sample size of 1067.

Also, can you explain why you think it is biased and uncorroborated?

That's a mathematical theory which personally I have no faith in. I once worked for a market research company and one of the biggest problems was ensuring that the data collected was from a representative sample, and that was with simple questions such as 'Do you prefer coffee or tea?', asked in Basildon. This survey deals with the incredibly nebulous question of 'How satisfied are you with your life?'

How are you going to get a representative sample for that question in a country as large and diverse as Argentina? Or India? Or China?

Furthermore, HPI admit that this data was collected at varying times between 2006 and 2011, a period during which perceived quality of life surely changed significantly, at least for most of Europe and the US, so how can this information be seen in any way as accurate?

All in all, bias is bound to creep in, even if it is accidental, and the data cannot be corroborated.

Surveys like this make great coffee-break reading but let's not take them too seriously.

 

[lamarque]

That's a mathematical theory which personally I have no faith in. I once worked for a market research company and one of the biggest problems was ensuring that the data collected was from a representative sample, and that was with simple questions such as 'Do you prefer coffee or tea?', asked in Basildon. This survey deals with the incredibly nebulous question of 'How satisfied are you with your life?'

How are you going to get a representative sample for that question in a country as large and diverse as Argentina? Or India? Or China?

Furthermore, HPI admit that this data was collected at varying times between 2006 and 2011, a period during which perceived quality of life surely changed significantly, at least for most of Europe and the US, so how can this information be seen in any way as accurate?

All in all, bias is bound to creep in, even if it is accidental, and the data cannot be corroborated.

Surveys like this make great coffee-break reading but let's not take them too seriously.

Well still is a good country to live and is understandable that people is happy here, they can study as long as they want for free, anyone can become a profesional, the state take care of the health (not so good care but still if you are willing to make a queue you will get attended eventually), and there are lot of help around. We can discuss if that is good for the economy or the best use of the money or what ever we can blame this sistem to cause, but off course that make people feel a little more free and happy when they know that they don't have to save all their life to have an education or to recive health care in a emergency situation specially if you cannot afford it. That is what i think influence a lot in this indicators.

 

[camberiu]

Yes, the cacerolazos are a manifestation of Argentinian happiness. It is like the porteno version of the carnaval. That is also why there are metal barricades all around the Casa Rosada. People here are so joyful that sometimes they get carried away and party too wildly near the government house.

 

[trennod]

Argentinians are generally happy people, but that doesnt mean that if they had a choice and could pick up their families and move to the first world, they wouldnt.

This survey certainly doesnt "prove" that Argentina is the greates place on earth.

 

[camberiu]

A video of Argentinians expressing their infinite happiness. It is pure bliss.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zRJj8wrGoI&feature=player_embedded#!