You would have come to know through media reports that India ranks fourth in the table of happiest peoples in the world, with 34 percent of its population being “very happy”.
What is particular about it in the case of India? Simply nothing. Because Indians have been taught from ages that greed for money will not bring happiness. That material possession also brings with them a certain amount of stress.
But is the 34 percent happiness enough”. Its lower status with regard to happiness is a warning signal. Because it shows that more and more Indians have started following the western principles of living and have begun imitating their way of life, which gives priority to material success.
Let us go back to the study report. The survey conducted among 30,000 people by leading market research agency GfK NOP has found that India, generally considered poor and yet to be developed, ranks just behind Australia, the US and Egypt in the contentment index.
The study, which scanned people in as many as 30 countries, asked respondents how satisfied they were with their overall condition of life.
Australia topped the chart with 46 percent of its people saying that they were “very happy”. The US followed with 40 percent. And Egypt recorded 36 percent of its people living happily. And the European giant UK and Canada shared the fifth place, with 32 percent claiming to be very happy.
Good health, financial security, home ownership and a happy marriage and children came among first ones in the list of what made people happy. Control over one’s life and an interesting job and leisure time were given priority. However, luxury cars, expensive cloths were rated low in determining happiness.
Obviously, Indians scored over the material-minded people in the West. It again raises the important question – Is money capable of bringing happiness?
Not all. But this realisation comes to a person only after he has experienced the worries stems from the accumulation of money.
On a global scale, 20 percent of people claimed to be “very happy” with their life overall; 62 percent were “satisfied”; 10 percent were “disappointed”; and four percent admitted that they were “very unhappy”.
Happy people were worried less about money and more about problems like AIDS, terrorism and religious fundamentalism.
Hungary is at the bottom of the happiness chart, with 35 percent of its citizens saying they were either “disappointed” or “very unhappy”. Hungary is followed by Russia (30 percent), Turkey (28 percent), South Africa (25 percent) and Poland (24 percent).
Media reports relating to the story.
Money or no money, India fourth in happiness index – Hindustan Times.
