June 15, 2008
And The Happiest Place On Earth Is...
Morley Safer On Why The Danes Are Considered The Happiest People On Earth
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Play CBS Video Video The Pursuit Of Happiness Little Denmark, with its five-and-a-half million people, is the happiest country in the world, says a study done by an English University. Morley Safer reports why the Danes are so happy and explores why the U.S. is way down the list.
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(CBS)
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Fast Facts Denmark Learn about the people, economy and history.
"Well, at least the pressure's off you, you know?" Christensen says. "And if you're doing pretty well and once in awhile there's outstanding, you're very happy about it. But if your starting point is you should be outstanding, that’s not good."
Asked if he thinks Danes like being slightly in the shadows, Christensen says, "I think it's a little bit like in bicycle race. You like to come from behind."
Which is exactly what the underdog Danes did in the 1992 European Soccer Championship; Christensen says it created such a state of euphoria that the country has not been the same since.
But is there more to it? 60 Minutes asked Danish newspaper columnist Sebastian Dorset what he thought about Denmark's number one status.
"If you didn't tell me about the survey I wouldn't believe that Denmark was the happiest place. Because everybody complains all the time," Dorset says.
"But I find it fascinating that you say people complain. But there is a real sense of contentment here," Safer remarks.
"Yeah," Dorset agrees.
Dorset says that contentment may stem from the fact that Denmark is almost totally homogenous, has no large disparities of wealth, and has had very little national turmoil for more than a half century. "We have very little violence. We have very little murders. So people are, feel very safe," he says.
He says people feel secure. "[A] knife stabbing makes the front page every time. Yeah, I don't think that happens in America very often," Dorset says.
Happy as they may be, Dorset says Danes rarely show it. "People are not looking very happy in the street. They don't talk very much," he says.
"So people don't just strike up casual conversations on the train?" Safer asks.
"No. No, never. I think, actually, there's a very highly developed body language. When, if you are stuck on the window seat of a bus, and wants to get out, and there's a person next to you on the aisle seat, then you don't say, 'Excuse me, could I please get off?' You start rattling your bags and make sort of a gesture saying, 'I'm about to get up so please get up so I don't have to talk to you,'" Dorset says.
Asked if it might be shyness, Dorset says, "I don't know, it's considered a right by Danish people not to be talked to."
Danish students can fairly be described as utterly laid-back. Even so, they're surprised to be told they live in "happiness ville."
"When I go abroad, I usually see people look much more happy. For example, in southern Europe. They go about in the streets laughing much more than we do. I think you could say maybe we are more content," one male student tells Safer.
"What's the distinction you make between happiness and contentedness?" Safer asks.
"Well, if you're content you don't have so much to worry about. That's what I think," the student says.
Produced By Deirdre Naphin
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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See all 148 Commentshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjJKiCgFlGU
The advantage to being a worker in Europe is strong unions and a government that''s not owned by the Billionaire class the way the Bushit administration is.
Plus, paid for medical care and a decent retirement.
Americans, on the other hand, just let themselves be used up by the employers. And when it serves the employers interests, they outsource jobs to Asia.
Perhaps the US should also take a look at the immigration policies of the prosperous European countries.
One has to wonder why some Danes are devoting so much time and energy towards provoking and demonizing Muslims, if they are so happy.
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Why is there an ad here from the greedy oil pirates and shameless war profiteers of Exxon-Mobil?
Denmark doesn''t have any oil for them to steal, do they?
In Denmark I would never have been able to build a business from nothing and take an average of 8-9 weeks vacation per year - and I intend to increase that to 12 weeks per year in the coming years.
Denmark might allow the average person with average abilities to be happy, but those that have ambition and talent will always have their spirits crushed... that''s why the best and brightest will always move to America.
There are enough socialist countries in the world already. The politicians and media are pushing to make America just like Europe. Why not let there be one country remain as its founders intended that allows people the freedom to grow to their full potential?
In Denmark I would never have been able to build a business from nothing and take an average of 8-9 weeks vacation per year - and I intend to increase that to 12 weeks per year in the coming years.
Denmark might allow the average person with average abilities to be happy, but those that have ambition and talent will always have their spirits crushed... that''s why the best and brightest will always move to America.
There are enough socialist countries in the world already. The politicians and media are pushing to make America just like Europe. Why not let there be one country remain as its founders intended that allows people the freedom to grow to their full potential?
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