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What makes people around the world happy or unhappy? An international study led by researchers from Oslo tried to answer this key question.
«Much psychological research focuses on difficulties mental health and the pain people face. In this study, we looked instead at what makes people’s lives goodsaid Dr. Espen Røysamb, professor at the Department of Psychology, University of Oslo (UiO).
Led by dr. Røysamb, a study group compiled the findings of a series of studies on the well-being and quality of life of people internationally. “There are notable studies that have been conducted in the past, but they only included a limited number of people from one country at a time. We wanted to find an answer that covers the entire population of the Earth“, commented the expert.
Three factors
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The researchers looked at three factors that affect the quality of life of all people:
- Genetic: The genes that you have inherited can explain some of the quality of your life. This factor represents 31-32% of the quality of life, according to the researchers.
- Unique environment: Another factor concerns life histories and the unique environment each person on Earth inhabits. This can explain up to 50% of quality of life.
- Shared Environments: The third factor is the common environment in which all the citizens of each country live. This can explain about 20% of the quality of life of all people.
In the World Happiness Report, published every year, an international research team ranks the countries with the highest national quality of life. The ranking is based on a survey in which 1,000 people in each of the 157 participating countries are asked to rate their lives on a scale of 1 to 10.
«Based on evidence like this and studies in many countries, we calculated what contributes to happiness of the world’s population“, explained Dr. Røysamb.
The country you live in affects your happiness by 20%
Researchers believe they have made an interesting discovery, determining that about 20% of people’s happiness depends on the country in which each of us lives. “This factor includes everything that is the same for people in a single country.”, says. The study team rates this rate as high, although, as they point out, “it is not everything».
Differentiating factors include a nation’s level of prosperity, public trust, level of corruption, and whether the country is at war. Based on these data, Finland and Afghanistan form the two poles of this ranking scale.
People are also wired differently through the genes they have inherited. Additionally, everyone has a different life path, made up of distinct experiences, elements that also play a role in the level of joy they feel. Family, friends and workplaces are crucial to our well-being. Moreover, they make a difference in the life and level of happiness of each of us.
«In these times, with so much emphasis on mental health difficulties, climate challenges and war, it is extremely important to think about people’s quality of life“, says Røysamb.
What ultimately ensures our happiness?
In the modern world, a good quality of life often tends to be confused with the absence of problems. “However, life is more than simply avoiding mental or physical illness.”, emphasizes dr. Røysamb. “It is also about finding meaning in everyday life. Opening the door to positive emotions every day is what will put you on the path to a better life».
Of course, experts point out, for people who have sufficient social and financial resources, it is even easier to enjoy a happy life.
The one element we can all have for a better life
One thing that Dr. Røysamb considers it important to ensure happiness is a sense of purpose.
The Nordic countries’ high happiness scores say something about how they’ve managed to create relatively good societies. “We can see how factors such as poverty, war and corruption “steal” people’s quality of life in other countries. Nordic countries do not, for the most part, face these challenges“, says Dr. Røysamb.
Conflicts in personal relationships are also a major “thief” of happiness. So try to surround yourself with harmonious relationships and remove toxic people from your life.
Finally, the expert points out something key: For the most part, people seem to live with an innate tendency to feel and react positively. “Being happy is simply part of human nature.”, concludes dr. Røysamb.
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