Do you wish you lived in Denmark, the "happiest country in the world"? Are you sorry the United States came in at only 23rd? Note the standards used in the judging:
"Smaller countries tend to be a little happier because there is a stronger sense of collectivism and then you also have the aesthetic qualities of a country," White said.
"We were surprised to see countries in Asia scoring so low, with China 82nd, Japan 90th, and India 125th. These are countries that are thought as having a strong sense of collective identity which other researchers have associated with well-being."
So, we're a big, boisterous, sprawling country without much of a "collective identity." As a matter of fact, the whole point of this country is that we can be anyboby we want to be. It's called the pursuit of happiness, and that has made all the difference.
